Appeal to build 70 houses in Haddenham dismissed

Appeal to build 70 houses in Haddenham dismissed

Posted on Dec 20, 2022 by jsw  | Tags: Haddenham

File:UK Haddenham (Cambridgeshire) (SideA).jpg" by Uksignpix is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

We are pleased to report that an application for 70 homes in the village of Haddenham, near Ely, has been refused by an inspector concerned about the impact on the surrounding fen countryside.  East Cambridgeshire District Council had decided the scheme would harm the landscape and conflict with their planning policy. We objected to this application – in which Land Allocation Ltd sought outline permission for the development on the outskirts of Haddenham - in October 2021. You can read our objection letter here. In summary, we said that the proposed development:

• Was not listed as a potential site for development in the East Cambridgeshire District Council Local Plan 2015;
• Was unsustainable– planning permission granted for other developments had already exceeded the planned development rate for Haddenham to 2031;
• Would have an adverse impact on local health services;
• Would have an adverse impact on already over-crowded local roads and would increase air pollution;
• Would affect the local landscape, in particular a significant negative impact on the long distance views of the Haddenham/Wilburton ridge from the south and south-east;
• Would negatively affect a valuable national asset - high quality agricultural land, comparable to the best available in many parts of the country;
• Would be unsustainable in terms of the predicted sea level rises resulting from climate change;
• And finally – it is not the first time we had objected, with earlier applications being made and rejected in 2014 and 2019.

Inspector Zoe Raygen, who concluded that the appeal should be dismissed, noted that the site was in a “highly visible location”, surrounded by an agricultural landscape, with views over the Fens, and further that the site “contributes positively to the pastoral character” of the village.  

Raygen decided that the new homes would create “an incongruous swathe of development” in this setting, and that the development would be “contrary to the pattern of sporadic development on
the ridgeline in this location to the detriment of the character and appearance
of the area and the setting of Haddenham”. The Inspector further noted that development in the area was “eroding the architectural and historic character of some Fenland villages”.

The inspector addressed ECDC’s concerns about the proposal’s location. The appeal site is beyond the ‘development envelope’ identified in the local plan for housing proposals.

The inspector’s decision – case reference 3283920 – can be read here.