Town centre fears may scupper more new shops
Friday, 25th June 2010.
Concerns about the effect on Haverhill town centre have again led councillors to take a luke-warm view of plans which might lead to more shops.
In April councillors lodged their objections to the plan by HPG Developments to revive the former Project site in Ehringshausen Way as a mixed development of business and retail called Hamlet Green.
They were concerned the four 'bulky goods' shops in the plan might impact on the town's high street, and that the scheme contravenes policies in the Local Plan.
Now they have taken a similar view of efforts by Carisbrooke, the developers of Haverhill Business Park, to argue for some new shops as part of a research park development at Hanchet End.
Members of Haverhill Area Working Party have agreed to back a draft concept statement drawn up by St Edmundsbury Borough Council planners for the 'prestige' site at the entrance to the town from the west.
The 30-acre site sits at the junction of Haverhill bypass and the rout into town at the Gateway roundabout.
Nic Rumsey of Carisbrooke, which now owns the site, estimates it will cost £4million to prepare and develop it as Haverhill Research Park, and wants to include some higher value uses such as residential, hotel or retail.
The council's concept statement, which will now go out to public consultation, does not completely preclude that, but neither does it include it, because it would not conform to the Local Plan.
The working party was generally in favour of Carisbrooke's intentions, but thought the council should carefully consider the higher-value idea, principally because it contravenes the Local Plan.
Members did recognise, however, that some of these uses could be an asset to the town and completement the research park.
But they went on to agree it was important that investment on the site 'should not detrimentally impact on businesses located in the town centre'.
In April councillors lodged their objections to the plan by HPG Developments to revive the former Project site in Ehringshausen Way as a mixed development of business and retail called Hamlet Green.
They were concerned the four 'bulky goods' shops in the plan might impact on the town's high street, and that the scheme contravenes policies in the Local Plan.
Now they have taken a similar view of efforts by Carisbrooke, the developers of Haverhill Business Park, to argue for some new shops as part of a research park development at Hanchet End.
Members of Haverhill Area Working Party have agreed to back a draft concept statement drawn up by St Edmundsbury Borough Council planners for the 'prestige' site at the entrance to the town from the west.
The 30-acre site sits at the junction of Haverhill bypass and the rout into town at the Gateway roundabout.
Nic Rumsey of Carisbrooke, which now owns the site, estimates it will cost £4million to prepare and develop it as Haverhill Research Park, and wants to include some higher value uses such as residential, hotel or retail.
The council's concept statement, which will now go out to public consultation, does not completely preclude that, but neither does it include it, because it would not conform to the Local Plan.
The working party was generally in favour of Carisbrooke's intentions, but thought the council should carefully consider the higher-value idea, principally because it contravenes the Local Plan.
Members did recognise, however, that some of these uses could be an asset to the town and completement the research park.
But they went on to agree it was important that investment on the site 'should not detrimentally impact on businesses located in the town centre'.
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