Date set for Cambridge City Council to make decision on 80 homes

A decision on whether 80 new homes can be built in a new development on the edge of Cambridge is due to be made next week.

Councillors at Cambridge City Council are due to meet on Tuesday, June 13, to discuss the plans to build the new homes to the south of the city.

The homes are proposed to be built on land at Newbury Farm off Babraham Road, and will form part of the planned Eddeva Park development.

Outline permission was granted in 2021 to build up to 230 new homes on the site.

The current proposals, if approved, will form the second phase of the development, following the previous approval of the main spine road.

Details of the third phase are expected to be submitted at a later date.

The 80 homes are proposed to be a mix of detached, terraced, and flats, with 40 per cent planned to be made available as ‘affordable housing’.

The development is designed with three cul-de-sacs and a loop road, all to be accessed from the previously approved spine road.

A 20-metre-wide ‘green buffer’ is proposed between the development and the edge of the site towards the neighbouring fields.

The application has been submitted by This Land Ltd, the housing development company set up by Cambridgeshire County Council.

In documents submitted as part of the planning application, it said: “Eddeva Park is one of This Lands flagship developments, and is envisioned to create high quality homes, generate a sense of community, and provide a strong identity.”

In a report published ahead of the planning committee meeting it said Great Shelford Parish Council had commented that it felt the design of the proposed buildings would “not fit with the traditional Cambridge scene”.

Some concerns have also been raised from members of the public about the plans, including around air pollution from traffic on the A1307, potential to increase traffic in the area, and concerns about the impact on water supply.

The application has been recommended for approval, subject to conditions, by planning officers.

In the report it said the scheme “supports the aims of sustainable development with a range of measures”, and that the development’s impact on the green belt will be minimised with reduced density and height of buildings to the east of the site.