Petition against Thakeham’s controversial plans for 25,000 homes
A petition has been launched to reject Thakeham’s controversial plans for 25,000 homes in South Cambridgeshire from the Local Plan.
South Cambridgeshire Conservative MP Anthony Browne, who has repeatedly called for the West Sussex-based company to drop its plans, launched the petition at a virtual public meeting on Thursday, March 18.
He told the meeting, which was watched by more than 300 people: “I want to get as many signatures as possible to show the weight of public opinion from the area about how opposed people are to this plan so there can be absolutely no doubt about it. I think the district council knows already but I don’t want to leave any stone unturned.”
Liberal Democrat Cllr Susan Van de Ven, who represents Melbourn on the Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “This is a matter of epic concern in South Cambridgeshire. The strength of feeling is evident.”
She was speaking on behalf of the South West Cambridge Action Group, which was set up by county councillors in the villages impacted by the proposal.
The Local Plan will be drawn up by South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council to guide development to 2040. Any major developments that are not included in the plan are unlikely to proceed.
The councils will be required to provide a five-year land supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide five years’ worth of housing.
Mr Browne urged people of all political persuasions to support the petition to show the level of opposition to the scheme.
Thakeham outlined its proposal for a “zero carbon community” made up of a new town and connected villages in December. It said it controlled land around Barrington, Bassingbourn-cum-Kneesworth, Foxton, Meldreth, Orwell, Shepreth, Whaddon and Wimpole. The petition will be submitted to the district council by the end of March.
Since Mr Browne's campaign began, plans for a new town have been eliminated from the Budget and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed that they have not
undertaken any analysis on proposed new towns in South Cambridgeshire constituency and have no plans to do so.
The petition can be signed by clicking here.
Read more:
Thakeham ‘will not bypass’ Local Plan with its 25,000-home proposal for South West Cambridgeshire
