The developers want to “transform” part of a town and build up to 120 new homes
Locals have shared their views on plans to redevelop a Cambridgeshire town area for housing, with some claiming the plans could “kill off the high street”. Capital and Centric have proposed “big plans” for the old cattle market square and gatehouse in St Ives.
The developer says it is working with Huntingdonshire District Council to “transform” part of St Ives with new homes, resident amenities such as a gym, and green spaces. The area is currently home to a bus station and car park.
Capital and Centric seeks to build up to 120 new homes. Other proposals include wild landscaping and green space, which could be surrounded by walking and pedestrian routes to connect the new neighbourhood with the rest of the community.
The developer has submitted similar plans for St Neots and Huntingdon. The plans have upset many people who live in and around St Ives.
Reacting to the plans, 62-year-old Enora Crowe said: “I think it is a waste of time. They should put the money into more useful things, not just cut down and remove things that are already here.” The St Ives resident asked, “where else are they going to park?”
She described the plans as “nonsense”, adding “I don’t think they should build more houses”. The 62-year-old said if the plans do progress, “make more houses for people that need it and not for people who want to buy it”.
Latifat Safiu has lived in St Ives for nearly two years. The 31-year-old said: “I think this space is really good for people to come around the town for sightseeing, relaxing, and shopping. For instance, I don’t know if there would be any accessible car park for people anymore when the new neighbourhood would be built. That’s going to restrict people from doing a lot of things around the town.”
On the other hand, Latifat said “it is a two way thing” because “it is very difficult” to find new homes as “St Ives is a small town and doesn’t have so much access [to homes], most of the ones here are very old so new build houses would be a good idea”.
A spokesperson for Huntingdonshire District Council said: “At this stage, this is an engagement exercise rather than a formal consultation. The purpose is to start a conversation about the ideas being explored, give people the opportunity to understand the emerging proposals, and provide early feedback that can help shape them as they develop.
“We encourage residents, businesses, community groups and other stakeholders to take part in the engagement events and share their views with Capital & Centric. It is important that the people who know the town best have the opportunity to help shape its future, and that local feedback is listened to and carefully considered as plans evolve.”
Jackie Tarr, 67, said: “I think 120 [homes] is too many and if they are going to develop it, maybe use a smaller portion of the car park because where is everyone going to park close enough to the town.”
She added: “Fewer people will come into the town because there’s no parking and there’s not many facilities anyway so they need to put something in to encourage people to come into the town if they take half the car park away. Maybe the back of the car park, right at the other end might be suitable but not for 120 properties.”
Jackie described the proposals as “over-ambitious”. She asked: “What are they going to give this town?”
A woman, in her 40s, who wished to remain anonymous, said the proposals have been very “cloak and dagger”. She feels as though, if they progress, it would “kill off the high street”. The woman, who lives in St Ives, added: “It is such a shame that they want to do it. It has been kept hidden. There could be other places it can go but it is only recently that people found out.
The developer said that if approved, the proposals would also create a “spill out space” with bars, cafes, and restaurants, to “encourage the community to come together”.
Catherine Edwards, 52, has lived in St Ives for around 25 years. She said: “I think it would be really sad to lose a very well-used car park. I don’t see it as underused in any kind of way. I would worry about the infrastructure as in supermarkets, schools, other provision as well as just general domestic maintenance. I was surprised by it, I am not delighted.”
She added: “I think that because it is so central, everybody would know its location. It is going to be right in the middle of the town. I think that the location actually probably had a lot to do with the amount of attention it has got.”
The 52-year-old questioned whether the proposals would be “in fitting with the town”. She described the proposals as “mismanaged” and “not well communicated”.
Teresa Jones, 61, said that if approved, the development would be an “eyesore”. She feels it is an “inappropriate place for a development like that”.
The Fenstanton resident continued: “I just think it will cause a lot of problems for everybody – even developing it is going to take years. So, we are literally going to be living in the middle of it. It will be a building site.
“And, the knock on effect of that: traffic congestion, diversions, people trying to get to school.” Ms Jones recognised that new homes are “needed”, especially if they are affordable but questioned the potential site location. She said she was “quite shocked that they’d even consider it” because it is “a haven of tranquillity”.
Capital and Centric is seeking people’s opinions on the proposals before they submit a planning application towards the end of the year. People are asked to share their views here before September 4.
Martin Crews, development director at Capital and Centric, said: “We’re really pleased to see so many active and engaged comments from the community. People clearly care passionately about St Ives and its future, and that’s exactly why we’re holding the public event on Wednesday.
“We’ve heard quite a lot about what people don’t want, but now we really need to understand what they do want. What is St Ives missing? What would help the high street, support local businesses and make the town a better place to live? What problems and challenges should we be trying to solve?
“We want people to come along, challenge us, ask questions and, most importantly, share their ideas. Good regeneration shouldn’t be done to a town, it should be shaped with the people who know it best, and that’s what Wednesday is about.”
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