Council may seek to expand town a lot more
Thursday, 17th June 2010.
Changes brought in by the new Government may see Haverhill asking for an even greater amount of new housing to be built in the town than has recently been proposed.
The request would be made on the grounds that a bigger town would get better facilities.
Under the Regional Spatial Strategy Haverhill was already being instructed to accommodate a further 2,500 homes between 2016 and 2031, on top of those proposed up to 2016.
The Government is removing the regional assemblies so local authorities will now be free to assess their own needs.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council had progreesed its Local Development Framework, which governs allocations of land for new homes, as far as an inquiry by a planning inspector.
Now the inspector is asking Haverhill Town Council if, in the light of the changes, it would be keen to change the representations it has put forward to the inquiry.
Town clerk Gordon Mussett told members of Haverhill Partnership, meeting this morning, that the town council was likely to ask for more new homes allocations to be allowed in the town.
He said the town council had wanted to have more but was constrained by the spatial strategy and, now that the inspector had asked if the number was still appropriate, it was a chance to make the request.
The town council will be deciding on its response at its meeting on Tuesday evening.
In a report to that meeting Mr Mussett says the council's original comment was 'on the basis and understanding that a larger town would potentially attract additional retail facilities, as well as generating additional finances to support existing facilities such as the Leisure Centre, Arts Centre and library'.
Now the regional spatial strategy is dead, Mr Mussett says there is 'seemingly no restraint on the number of properties any locality can choose to permit to be built'.
Therefore members could indicate they would welcome an increase in the planned allocation of houses 'of appropriate mix'.
St Edmundsbury's favoured option for locating the 2,500 new homes, which would increase the size of the town by around 25 per cent, was on the north-east side beyond Chalkstone.
However, other sites have also been put forward, including an extension of Hanchet End westward onto land controlled by developers Carisbrooke.
The request would be made on the grounds that a bigger town would get better facilities.
Under the Regional Spatial Strategy Haverhill was already being instructed to accommodate a further 2,500 homes between 2016 and 2031, on top of those proposed up to 2016.
The Government is removing the regional assemblies so local authorities will now be free to assess their own needs.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council had progreesed its Local Development Framework, which governs allocations of land for new homes, as far as an inquiry by a planning inspector.
Now the inspector is asking Haverhill Town Council if, in the light of the changes, it would be keen to change the representations it has put forward to the inquiry.
Town clerk Gordon Mussett told members of Haverhill Partnership, meeting this morning, that the town council was likely to ask for more new homes allocations to be allowed in the town.
He said the town council had wanted to have more but was constrained by the spatial strategy and, now that the inspector had asked if the number was still appropriate, it was a chance to make the request.
The town council will be deciding on its response at its meeting on Tuesday evening.
In a report to that meeting Mr Mussett says the council's original comment was 'on the basis and understanding that a larger town would potentially attract additional retail facilities, as well as generating additional finances to support existing facilities such as the Leisure Centre, Arts Centre and library'.
Now the regional spatial strategy is dead, Mr Mussett says there is 'seemingly no restraint on the number of properties any locality can choose to permit to be built'.
Therefore members could indicate they would welcome an increase in the planned allocation of houses 'of appropriate mix'.
St Edmundsbury's favoured option for locating the 2,500 new homes, which would increase the size of the town by around 25 per cent, was on the north-east side beyond Chalkstone.
However, other sites have also been put forward, including an extension of Hanchet End westward onto land controlled by developers Carisbrooke.
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