The Wellcome Trust outlined their 25 year plan to build on the land they own to the south and east around the village, including plans for 1,000 houses to accommodate staff. People present challenged the assumptions on which the plans were made, and said that the village of 220 houses would be swamped and would cease to exist in its own right. One resident said the plans were Orwellian while others felt they were in a David and Goliath battle, citing the Hanley Grange eco-town that had been put forward in 2008 in the same area.
Gt Chesterford parish council was there too, as well as Ickleton, and Chesterford parish council chair reminded residents of the plans by Uttlesford District to build thousands of houses near to that village.
One resident noted that there were "three Brimstone missiles targeted at local villages" - this Wellcome proposal, the agri-tech hub proposed by SmithsonHill, and the Chesterford houses proposals.
Despite the claim that Wellcome would operate a 30% built environment 70% green space rule, Cambridge Past Present and Future and local residents raised concerns about the impact on the floodplain of so much new development, saying that Hinxton was, that very evening, surrounded by water.
The infrastructure challenges raised by so much new development was again raised by residents of all the villages represented, and whether Uttlesford and South Cambs (and Essex and Cambridgeshire County Councils) were managing the issues coherently.
Martin Dougherty of Wellcome stressed that the plans were at an early stage and the Wellcome Trust wanted to work with local people to manage the development going forward. He estimated detailed planning applictions to South Cambs District Council would come forward in 2018.
No comments:
Post a Comment