New homes would be 'an example' of green development
Friday, 2nd October 2009.
A piece of grassland of just under an acre on the north side of Millfields Way in Haverhill is likely to be turned into a top example of an environmentally-friendly housing development.
St Edmundsbury Council owns this last piece of undeveloped in that area, and it is currently earmarked for 'community' uses - a mix of leisure and recreational, health and residential.
But a consultant has told the council this would now be difficult to achieve because a Dhazi clinic has been provided in Haverhill and the community facilities at Strasbourg Square are very close by.
Instead he recommends giving the site over to housing.
The council is having difficulty persuading developers to build to high sustainability levels because they say it costs too much, both because of the high standards and the reduction in numbers of homes on a plot.
So the council has decided to sell this piece of land with a requirement that it be developed to these high standards to show it can be done.
This requirement will result in a reduction in the sale price for the site, which could accommodate a maximum of nine or ten homes in a normal development.
It is estimated this would make it worth between £320,000 and £370,000, but this might have to be reduced to as low as £170,000 because of the requirement.
Even so, this would be a much better return than the £50,000 it is currently valued at while zoned for community uses.
The council will have to apply to itself for planning permission on the site and an architect has been appointed to create an outline scheme.
The draft proposals for the site will be the subject of a public consultation exhibition.
The site is opposite a special wildlife area.
St Edmundsbury Council owns this last piece of undeveloped in that area, and it is currently earmarked for 'community' uses - a mix of leisure and recreational, health and residential.
But a consultant has told the council this would now be difficult to achieve because a Dhazi clinic has been provided in Haverhill and the community facilities at Strasbourg Square are very close by.
Instead he recommends giving the site over to housing.
The council is having difficulty persuading developers to build to high sustainability levels because they say it costs too much, both because of the high standards and the reduction in numbers of homes on a plot.
So the council has decided to sell this piece of land with a requirement that it be developed to these high standards to show it can be done.
This requirement will result in a reduction in the sale price for the site, which could accommodate a maximum of nine or ten homes in a normal development.
It is estimated this would make it worth between £320,000 and £370,000, but this might have to be reduced to as low as £170,000 because of the requirement.
Even so, this would be a much better return than the £50,000 it is currently valued at while zoned for community uses.
The council will have to apply to itself for planning permission on the site and an architect has been appointed to create an outline scheme.
The draft proposals for the site will be the subject of a public consultation exhibition.
The site is opposite a special wildlife area.
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