Skip to content

'No issues' over almost car-free housing plan

Phil ShepkaCambridgeshire political reporter
News imageGreater Cambridge Planning Artists 3D impression of Kendal Court from above - which is a multi-storey block of flats surrounded by trees. And more modern-looking houses in the background.Greater Cambridge Planning
Kendal Court in Impington would only have four car parking spaces

The developer behind plans for 28 new homes to have a total of four car parking spaces has said "there isn't an issue" technically and expects it to be accepted.

This Land - owned by Cambridgeshire County Council - hopes to develop the properties at Kendal Court in Impington, but the authority's own highways officials recommended the proposals were refused because of a "substantial parking shortfall".

It is proposed "to be almost car free", apart from one disabled space and three spaces for the pay-as-you-go Enterprise Car Club vehicles.

Rob Williams, This Land interim CEO, told county councillors on Tuesday that the development "meets policy".

The homes would be built on the site where a funeral service has stood for more than two decades.

Residents have raised concerns, with one telling a parish council meeting the parking in the area "is an absolute nightmare as it is".

News imageDave Webster/BBC A brick building is in the middle of the frame, with two doors. There is a large window on the right and a sign above which says Richard Stebbing's Funeral Service.Dave Webster/BBC
Richard Stebbings previously told the BBC he was "worried" about his family as they were part of his company

Ros Hathorn, the Liberal Democrat county councillor for Histon and Impington, asked Williams how confident he was that the Kendal Court development would get through planning at a shareholder sub-committee meeting.

He said: "We've responded to the policy, and we believe it fully meets policy.

"We've done the parking surveys. They weren't submitted with the application because they're not required to be, but we have them and we have submitted them as a response to consultations to demonstrate that there isn't an issue, certainly on from a technical standpoint, there isn't an issue.

"I appreciate that there is an emotive view of parking, but all we can respond with is the technical position, which is positive and supports our position."

He said he expected the consultation responses to be "resolved and therefore for it to be accepted" and that it would be "a very strong candidate were it to need to go to appeal".

This Land was set up to develop properties on council-owned land in 2016, but was yet to turn a profit.

The authority has had to play down fears over the £120m it loaned to This Land.

Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

More on this story
Related links