Plans for housing scheme behind Bury St Edmunds town centre street are reduced but concerns remain
Concerns remain about plans to build seven new properties behind a terrace of town centre homes - despite a reduction in the scale of the development.
The affordable housing scheme, behind Bishops Road and beside St Andrew’s Street car park, in Bury, has been pared-down to one bed units rather than the originally envisaged two bed units.
The amended plan contains details to address concerns about the houses blocking sunlight to homes, in Bishops Road and says it ‘would not adversely affect the amenity of neighbours’.
It will be managed by Havebury Housing as a car free scheme with no parking provision and was initially recommended for refusal by highways bosses. They now say it meets the criteria of an ‘exceptionally sustainable development’.
However, concerns by residents in Bishops Road about parking and sunlight remain as outlined in their comments to St Edmundsbury Borough Council. Robert Doyle said: “Several properties along Bishops Road have rooms which are extensively used by residents during the day and therefore any impact on light will reduce amenity significantly.”
Questioning how the care free scheme will be enforced, he said: “Any visitors to any residents would no doubt at some point travel by car and therefore affect the already congested area around Bishops Road.”
Robert Bulstrode said: “I see no way in which the no vehicle policy can be regulated.
“The proposed project is clearly a short term fix to help the council meet its targets for new homes within the town, dwellings which do not cater for parking are clearly not a long term solution.”
Jonathan and Penelope Miles felt the homes are ‘extremely likely to have an impact on both the gardens and rear rooms of the houses on the street’. They said: “In summary we continue to consider the proposed development to be an unsustainable over development.”
Karen Mayhew, chief executive at Havebury, said they ensure car free schemes are clearly advertised and written within their tenancy agreement. She said: “In this case, there is a permit car park – St Andrews Street North - to the immediate rear of the site. If residents were to require parking, we would direct them to St Edmundsbury Borough Council where they could apply for a permit.”