Detailed Plans Submitted for 125 Homes on March Field

A developer has submitted a detailed application seeking permission to construct 125 new homes on a field. This follows Fenland District Council’s approval of outline plans for the development in March, Cambridgeshire, in 2023. When the initial application was submitted, residents expressed concerns about the project on land near Princess Avenue. Balfour Beatty Homes, the developers, stated that the development would create “enhancements” to the environment locally and provide “needed housing in March”. Of the 125 planned homes, 100 are intended for sale at market rates, with the remaining 25 designated as “affordable housing”. The homes are designed to vary in size, from one-bedroom to five-bedroom, and the development will include play areas for children. The Local Democracy Service reported that residents, during the outline application process, voiced concerns regarding potential environmental damage. The potential impact of increased traffic from people travelling to and from the new homes, possibly transforming Princess Avenue into a “thoroughfare” and an “accident waiting to happen,” was also mentioned. At the time, the highways authority did not raise any concerns, and planning officers at the district council stated that all issues brought forward had been considered. The district council subsequently approved the outline application. The developers stated: “This site has the opportunity to provide a development that creates needed housing in March, with high quality open space which also provides connectivity to the West March extension and March town centre. The site will provide enhancements to the local environment to support the growth of biodiversity, improve pedestrian permeability, as well as provision of drainage infrastructure to prevent flooding to the site and wider area.”