Cambourne is getting 256 more new houses – but holes in the design will threaten the safety of school pupils, parents and workers.
Councillors approved the application by 5 votes to 2 for houses on the green parcel of land which runs alongside the Cambourne Business Park road in a planning meeting at South Cambridgeshire District Council on Wednesday.
However, Cambourne residents raised their concerns that the proposals do not include plans to use the Business Park road as an access road to Cambourne Village College.
Residents of the new homes will therefore have to weave through Cambourne’s residential roads – endangering the safety of students walking to school.
Cambourne Town Council objected to the plans – and claimed that using the land for housing was a waste when local people need places to work, not just places to live.
Cllr Shrobona Bhattacharya (District and Town Councillor for Cambourne, Conservative) said:
“This is really a sad occasion for me as a ward and Town Councillor for Cambourne. The Council has wasted land that should be used for employment purposes. Cambourne has historically welcomed more housing – but we need local places for people to work. Instead of solving the real problem, this is inviting more problems further down the line.
“I am sure Cambourne Town Council is extremely disappointed with the decision. This is totally unwanted and is not what the people of Cambourne need.”
Cllr Mark Howell (County Councillor for Cambourne, Conservative) said:
“I am extremely disappointed that this golden opportunity to give access to the school has been wasted. It seems that this Liberal Democrat administration has put profit before the safety and wellbeing of the students and their parents.”
