West Suffolk Council to make final decision on two phases of major 1,200-home development in Haverhill

A final decision is due on two phases of a major 1,200-home development.

Members of West Suffolk's development control committee are due to discuss the reserved matters bid for phases 5a and 5c of the North West Haverhill development, in Anne Sucklings Lane.

The application was submitted by Persimmon Homes and includes specific details about access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the construction of 112 homes, including 34 affordable, on just over two hectares of land.

Outline planning permission for the overall 1,200-home development, which also included a primary school and a local centre for retail and community uses, was granted in March 2015, with several phases already well under way.

Cllr Joe Mason, representing Haverhill, objected to the application on the grounds improved parking provision was needed for the plans to be acceptable.

He said blocks of four parking spaces directly in front of house doors would bring problems in the future.

Although officers shared his concern, stating these could be impractical and lead to residents parking elsewhere, they still recommended the plans for approval as the benefits outweighed the potential impacts.

The county council said parking met requirements.

Further concerns were raised by Haverhill Town Council, which argued outstanding issues throughout previous phases should be addressed before starting any new one.

One of these is the ongoing delay of the promised £9.7 million relief road, now two years behind schedule, due to setbacks on the diversion of a gas main.

Cllr Mason previously said residents were let down by the delays and urged for the relief road to be delivered.

In December, Persimmon Homes said the gas main diversions would end by mid-January.

Earlier, in November, the company submitted plans for phase 3a, which included 83 new homes and the long-awaited local centre.