Faq
Please visit this page regularly to see any new frequently asked questions. If you can’t find the answer to your question, please click here to Ask the Developer
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Q. Is there really a need for all this extra housing? A. Yes, to meet local demand and to maintain the viability and vitality of this important market town. Recent Government guidance highlights market towns as sustainable areas where growth should be concentrated. One of the responsibilities of the local planning authority (Huntingdonshire District Council) is to prepare plans for their area which, amongst other matters, should meet the housing requirements of the whole community. The East of England Plan specifies that in the period to 2021, the District Council must aim to make provision for 11,200 new dwellings. Accordingly, in their Local Plan, the District Council allocates sites for housing development. The land at NorthBridge is one of the principal areas in the District identified by the Council for housing. |
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Q. Will this development become a burden upon on existing schools? A. In large scale developments it is particularly important to examine the impact that the development will have on the services and facilities available in the local area. These will be needed by new residents to the area. We know that there is insufficient capacity at the local primary schools to accommodate the young children which can be expected at the development. Therefore, the proposal includes a site for a new primary school located to the north-east. This is intended to meet the needs of the residents of Northbridge. In relation to secondary education, the site falls within the catchment area of St Peter’s School. The facilities at St Peter’s will be upgraded to meet the needs of the modern educational curriculum. With these measures in place, the new development will not be a burden to existing schools. |
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Q. There are existing public footpaths crossing this site. Will these remain in existence? A. There are two public footpaths which cross the site. One runs due north-west towards Great Stukeley and the other starts in the north-east corner of the site and runs towards a bridleway. It is not proposed to stop-up these footpaths. The main footpath crossing the site has been used as a factor to determine the alignment of the proposed roads and footpaths, and will be fully integrated into the development. The footpath on the north-eastern side of the site will be accommodated within the landscaping around the site and form part of a key footpath around the site. |
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A. The application proposals have carefully considered and addressed the likely needs of the new community. These needs will be met either through improvements to existing facilities in the town or by including new facilities on the site. Land has been identified on the Masterplan to accommodate the various uses that will be required on site to support the development, including education, convenience shopping, recreation and other community uses located within a local neighbourhood centre. It is presently envisaged that the local centre will include a community building, changing facilities, local shops and a site for a pub/restaurant. Also indicated on the Masterplan is a site for a new primary school. The Masterplan illustrates the location of a variety of play areas located within the open spaces in and around the site such as a formal multi-use games area and sports pitches as well as smaller areas which will contain play equipment for smaller children. Additionally, the network of foot and cycle paths around the landscape areas of the site will provide informal recreational opportunities. |
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Q. How many houses will there be? A. Government guidance requires that local authorities seek to make the best use of available housing land. They are advised to encourage housing developments which make more efficient use of land and suggest 30 to 50 dwellings per hectare. This policy is repeated in Huntingdonshire District Council's Local Plan. The average density at any particular site in the district is expected to fall within the range mentioned. By applying this density range to the housing area at NorthBridge, there will be just over 1,000 homes. |
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Q. How much landscaping will there be? A. The proposals include extensive open areas on the perimeters of the site. These areas will include woodland, open grassland and wetland. The new areas of woodland are proposed along the northern boundary of the site and will help to soften the edge of the development as seen from the countryside beyond. The wetland areas are concentrated in the south-western corner of the site which is the lowest part. Whilst built development would inevitably alter the character of the site, significant opportunities arise to enhance the landscaping already present. The result of creating a more attractive edge to the existing urban area and providing a soft transition to the countryside will involve establishing extensive woodland belts at the edge of the site and new planting within the development. |
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Q. Is the development area at risk of flooding? A. No, the development area is not at risk of flooding. There is a drainage ditch on the western boundary of the site, adjacent to the A14, which has been identified on the Environment Agency Indicative Flood Maps, as being subject to flooding out-of-bank, for a once in 100 years storm. The maximum height of flooding under those conditions is less than 13.0 metres above Ordnance Datum (AOD). This is the lowest area of the site, and is outside of the development area. The site rises to a high point of 30 metres AOD at the north-eastern corner of the development area. This is 17 metres above the once in 100 years storm flood level. The lowest level that housing will be constructed is approximately 1.5 metres above the 100 year flood level. In addition both the Environment Agency and Anglian Water have, through previous consultations, accepted in principle that the development can be accommodated without adversely impacting on existing drainage infrastructure or result in flooding. |
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Q. The surrounding roads can become congested; will this make the problem worse? A. The development will not result in increased traffic at peak times. Improvements will be made to the existing cycle/footpath network to make them safer to use. Two new bus services will also be provided, running with a 20 minute frequency clockwise and counter clockwise, round the town, key town locations and to the new development. The bus service will also interchange with the Cambridge Guided Bus which is currently under construction. The principal aim of these improvements is to encourage new and existing residents to walk, use their bikes or public transport rather than cars. Highway improvements will also be undertaken to improve highway capacity and reduce delays and queuing in the area. Persimmon Homes will be contributing to improvements at the A14/A141 Spittals Interchange. These improvements will reduce the likelihood of traffic congestion affecting the A141/Ermine Street roundabout. Dualling of the section of Ermine Street, between Lancaster Way and the A141 roundabout will improve capacity at both junctions. New traffic signals will be introduced at the site access this will also increase the capacity of Lancaster Way and reduce queues into the Business Park, particularly during the evening peak hours. For more information please click here |