A family gets permission to add three homes on St Ives Road in Somersham to their existing site, despite some local concerns.
The family already has three homes there, and they want the new homes for more family. The parish council is worried about this, thinking it is too much development. A council member, Bill Bruce, spoke up. Bruce said six homes impact the area and mentioned road problems nearby.
He stressed they aren’t against Travellers and that the council thinks it clashes with the countryside. Martin England spoke for the family, saying Hilltop Orchard is a Traveller site and has been for ten years. The family owns it and uses it as their home.
England explained the new homes are for relatives and stated that the homes follow good design practices, which are the best practices for such sites. Planners suggested approving the plan, knowing there’s a shortage of pitches and noting trees hide the site from view, addressing some worries.
Council Member Roger Brereton thinks the site is large enough and knows homes are needed. He sees no issue with the plan at all. Another member, Eric Butler, likes the site, saying it is always neat, and supported the plan.
Tom Sanderson agreed with the plan and feels concerns were handled well. Jon Neish felt it was a bit much but also saw it was not too visible. The council voted and approved the plan.