Havebury Housing Partnership "Concerns" Over St Edmundsbury’s LDF Plan.

With the date for responses to the Local Development Framework now passed it has emerged that Havebury Housing Partnership are among those opposed to the preferred option put forward by St Edmundsbury Borough Council.

In a letter to St Edmundsbury, seen by KedingtonNews.co.uk, Havebury expressed their "concerns regarding St Edmundsbury’s stated preferred option of all of the proposed development being situated to the north eastern edge of the town."

They continue with an effective accusation that the borough's plans to develop to the north-east of Haverhill are mechanism to get the controversial relief road built saying "Whilst we understand the desire for a further relief road being delivered through this mechanism we consider that this very substantial call on the public benefit that could be obtained from the proposed development, will detract from other potential planning gains which would have a greater benefit to both the people of Haverhill and those living in the newly provided housing."

The letter also raises what Havebury see as four advantages to splitting building between the North-East and the West of Haverhill (and here We quote):

Produce improved environmental benefits by avoiding the use of land for the construction of new roads and making the best use of the existing infrastructure in particular to existing bypass.
Free up planning gain from the new developments to provide other benefits across the community in Haverhill.
Protect the provision of substantial amounts of affordable housing within the proposed new developments by reducing new infrastructure costs on the development itself.
Spread the travel patterns in accessing employment around the whole town.

Havebury also raised the particular pertinence of the some of these points due to the downwards pressure on house prices caused by the current economic climate and "the anticipated upward pressure on build cost as improved sustainability requirements are imposed on new developments."

Meanwhile uncertainty over the route of the potential relief road has lead to greater fear of environmental damage both from the residents of Calford Green who now fear it could cut them off from the main body of Kedington and from residents of Haverhill concerns that a road would cut off the East Town Park in Haverhill from the wildlife corridor running along the Stour Brook, through the golf course and on to Calford green and that it would have to cut through their Railway Walk and across the Stour Brook at the back of Sturmer.

All of this raises the question of whether the road is needed and whether St Edmundsbury are supporting a plan that they believe will benefit Bury St Edmunds at the expense of the people of Kedington AND Haverhill

Article by M.P.Upton - 9/10/9
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