Approval Granted for Cambridgeshire Market Town Expansion

The expansion of a Cambridgeshire market town has been sanctioned following the endorsement of plans for over 1,000 new residences. A maximum of 1,200 dwellings are slated for construction on land situated on the western periphery of March, incorporating provisions for allotments, communal open areas, and a new primary educational institution. Persimmon Homes has designated a plot for the school within its proposals, though its design and construction will proceed independently. Fenland District Council gave its consent to the project four years subsequent to its initial submission, signifying the initial phase of developers’ aspirations to establish a new community comprising 2,000 homes. The initial phase of construction is planned for the area east of the A141 Isle of Ely Way and north of Knight’s End Road. Residences located to the east of this development will offer vistas of St Wendreda’s Church. Construction activities are scheduled to occur between the years 2026 and 2038. A second primary school may also cater to the development, should it become necessary. According to planning documentation, the first school is projected to accommodate 420 pupils, with potential for expansion to 630, whereas a second “might be required in the wider allocation.” Funding for the initial school will partially come from developers, who have committed £2,000 per home towards local infrastructure, totaling £2.4 million. Additionally, developers are mandated to supply 240 affordable homes, adhering to Fenland District Council’s stipulations. During a meeting, councillors expressed reservations regarding Persimmon’s execution strategy, given that developers intended to acquire and construct on land sections in stages, with the initial stage lacking affordable housing. Persimmon stated it had a “contractual position on the whole site.” Furthermore, councillors imposed a condition stipulating the construction of a new roundabout on the A141 prior to any residential building, to prevent Knight’s End Road from serving as the primary access point.