Plan to give part of business park over to housing
Wednesday, 30th October 2013.
An area of Haverhill Business Park which has remained undeveloped for 15 years, despite all efforts to market it, may be given over for housing development if owners Carisbrooke can get approval.
Carisbrooke, which owns the business park and is also developing the new research park at the other end of town, showed its proposals to Haverhill Town Councillors meeting last night.
If all goes to plan, they will be submitting a planning application to St Edmundsbury Borough Council in November, with the hope of gaining approval in the spring.
Paul Sutton, from their agents Cheffins, explained the site, on the east side of Bumpstead Road between the disused railway line and the Culina warehouse, was around 13 acres, roughly half of the remaining undeveloped part of the business park.
The last deal Carisbrooke had done on the park was with Culina in 2007, and under new Government guidelines, he contended, it would fall into the category of land which was unlikely to be developed for employment and should therefore be re-allocated for housing.
This is not the case in St Edmundsbury’s new Vision 2031 local plan being considered at present.
The site would provide 200 homes, of which 30 per cent – between 50 and 60 – would be affordable homes, but some would also be executive housing, plus a prestige building at the entrance to the estate.
Members welcomed the affordable housing which they said was much-needed in Haverhill.
Various issues were raised and responded to by Carisbrooke director Nic Rumsey, who said a viable use was needed for the site and it would not detract from the overall provision of employment in Haverhill.
It already had infrastructure and full services in place for employment uses, which meant it was cheaper and easier to develop than somewhere new.
Mr Sutton said in 2011-12 only 15 new houses were completed in Haverhill, compared with 168 in 2007-8, and a there was no longer a five-year supply of new houses available in St Edmundsbury.
Cllr Maureen Byrne said: "I welcome this becaiuse there is a terrible shortage of affordable housing in Haverhill, particularly one and two-bedroom.
"This is close enough to housing already built in Bumpstead Road. My only concern is the big problem that exists of lorries parking along the road there and outside Days Inn."
Mr Rumsey assured her that, as owner of Days Inn, he was well aware of the problem and about to take serious action against it, after nine months of friendly negotiation with Culina had brought no solution.
Carisbrooke, which owns the business park and is also developing the new research park at the other end of town, showed its proposals to Haverhill Town Councillors meeting last night.
If all goes to plan, they will be submitting a planning application to St Edmundsbury Borough Council in November, with the hope of gaining approval in the spring.
Paul Sutton, from their agents Cheffins, explained the site, on the east side of Bumpstead Road between the disused railway line and the Culina warehouse, was around 13 acres, roughly half of the remaining undeveloped part of the business park.
The last deal Carisbrooke had done on the park was with Culina in 2007, and under new Government guidelines, he contended, it would fall into the category of land which was unlikely to be developed for employment and should therefore be re-allocated for housing.
This is not the case in St Edmundsbury’s new Vision 2031 local plan being considered at present.
The site would provide 200 homes, of which 30 per cent – between 50 and 60 – would be affordable homes, but some would also be executive housing, plus a prestige building at the entrance to the estate.
Members welcomed the affordable housing which they said was much-needed in Haverhill.
Various issues were raised and responded to by Carisbrooke director Nic Rumsey, who said a viable use was needed for the site and it would not detract from the overall provision of employment in Haverhill.
It already had infrastructure and full services in place for employment uses, which meant it was cheaper and easier to develop than somewhere new.
Mr Sutton said in 2011-12 only 15 new houses were completed in Haverhill, compared with 168 in 2007-8, and a there was no longer a five-year supply of new houses available in St Edmundsbury.
Cllr Maureen Byrne said: "I welcome this becaiuse there is a terrible shortage of affordable housing in Haverhill, particularly one and two-bedroom.
"This is close enough to housing already built in Bumpstead Road. My only concern is the big problem that exists of lorries parking along the road there and outside Days Inn."
Mr Rumsey assured her that, as owner of Days Inn, he was well aware of the problem and about to take serious action against it, after nine months of friendly negotiation with Culina had brought no solution.
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