Planners give the okay for Hamlet Croft development
Thursday, 16th August 2012.
Planners have given approval to the building of 91 new homes on the former Hamlet Croft football ground in Hamlet Road, despite the concerns of local residents.
Members of St Edmundsbury Borough Council's development control committee visited the site this morning and then returned to Bury St Edmunds for a meeting where they gave approval almost unanimously.
The only member who voted against was Cllr Anne Gower from Haverhill who said she still had serious concerns about the effect of the increased traffic the development would create in Hamlet Road.
Residents had raised a long list of objections based on fears over traffic problems, over flooding, over sewerage, over contamination of the water supply and over the impact on neighbours.
But planning officer Rona Hopkinson's report had recommended approval saying none of these fears were justified.
Another concern had been the felling of the line of poplars between the site and the houses in Hamlet Road, and she said this was a matter of judgment whether the trees were worthy of preserving and they had decided they were not.
Cllr Gower she was very worried about the traffic impact of the scheme.
"I drive along Hamlet Road a lot and sometimes I have been unable to get through because of parked cars," she said.
"There seems to be no willingness of the county council to investigate parking issues in the road, and this schame will just add to the pressure.
"We are potentially going to have a huge problem with this."
But Ms Hopkinson said the issue had been discussed with the county council highways department and they raised no concerns.
"They say there is no need for additional traffic calming in Hamlet Road," she said. "If you remove parking you will just get people driving faster which causes a different issue.
"The street has had a traffic survey which has shown it has the capacity for more traffic."
The site is owned by St Edmundsbury but the planning application had been submitted by Bloor Homes, who were prepared to buy the land for the development if planning permission was given.
Members of St Edmundsbury Borough Council's development control committee visited the site this morning and then returned to Bury St Edmunds for a meeting where they gave approval almost unanimously.
The only member who voted against was Cllr Anne Gower from Haverhill who said she still had serious concerns about the effect of the increased traffic the development would create in Hamlet Road.
Residents had raised a long list of objections based on fears over traffic problems, over flooding, over sewerage, over contamination of the water supply and over the impact on neighbours.
But planning officer Rona Hopkinson's report had recommended approval saying none of these fears were justified.
Another concern had been the felling of the line of poplars between the site and the houses in Hamlet Road, and she said this was a matter of judgment whether the trees were worthy of preserving and they had decided they were not.
Cllr Gower she was very worried about the traffic impact of the scheme.
"I drive along Hamlet Road a lot and sometimes I have been unable to get through because of parked cars," she said.
"There seems to be no willingness of the county council to investigate parking issues in the road, and this schame will just add to the pressure.
"We are potentially going to have a huge problem with this."
But Ms Hopkinson said the issue had been discussed with the county council highways department and they raised no concerns.
"They say there is no need for additional traffic calming in Hamlet Road," she said. "If you remove parking you will just get people driving faster which causes a different issue.
"The street has had a traffic survey which has shown it has the capacity for more traffic."
The site is owned by St Edmundsbury but the planning application had been submitted by Bloor Homes, who were prepared to buy the land for the development if planning permission was given.
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