Neighbours slam plans for new homes in Cambridgeshire village over ‘flood risk’

A “key concern” raised by neighbours includes potential flood risks

Plans to build 15 affordable houses in Girton have been slammed by people living near the proposed site. Neighbours have shared a “key concern” about the potential flood risks at the development and in the surrounding area.

The homes are proposed to be built on the former practice ground of Girton Golf Club at land north of High Street in Girton, around two miles from Cambridge. Full Planning Permission is being sought by Abbey Properties Cambridgeshire Limited to provide 15 new homes – 13 of which would be made available as affordable housing for rent with the other two being for shared ownership occupation.

The properties comprise a mix of sizes including six two-bed houses, four one-bed houses, one three-bed house and four two-bed bungalows. Abbey Properties Cambridgeshire Limited said its proposals seek to “respond to an identified need for affordable housing” and that “the type of units being proposed reflects the identified need for smaller dwellings”.

All of the proposed houses and their amenity areas are located within flood zone one. The proposed drainage attenuation feature and a landscaped area which is to be used for biodiversity net gain purposes is located mainly within flood zone two, according to a planning statement.

Plans for the new homes has seen local backlash with multiple objections lodged so far. One objector said that they “recognise the need for new housing of this size in Girton”, but a potential flood risk is a “key concern”.

They said: “The assessment appears too narrow because it focuses on the proposed development site, rather than the long history of flooding affecting nearby homes around Fairway and Oakington Road.

“This local history should be considered before assessing the risk to any new homes. The fact that the proposed homes are shown in Flood Zone 1 does not demonstrate that the development is safe, or that it will not increase flood risk to existing homes nearby.”

The same objector said the proposed access onto Oakington Road would be “dangerous”. They wrote: “The main access is onto Oakington Road close to a blind bend with vehicles coming into the village at speed. This presents a real hazard, particularly for vehicles manoeuvring in or out (eg refuse lorries or delivery vans that need to swing across both lanes).

“The situation is also dangerous for pedestrians who are expected to cross the road at that location to use the footpath on the other side of the road. Anyone with reduced mobility, or parents with a toddler or a pushchair, would struggle to cross both lanes in the time between cars appearing round the bend and reaching that part of the road.”

A similar concern was raised by another local who said that their property, along with neighbouring properties have experienced flooding on multiple occasions and suggests that “any new development should mitigate rather than worsen these risks”.

They said: “This is already on a knife edge with numerous flood warnings each year and the Brook regularly at maximum capacity however this application focusses too narrowly on managing flood risk in the development itself rather than the impacts on nearby homes on Fairway and Oakington Road.”

Another concern was raised about the proposed development being “built in green belt” which is “likely to disturb habitats”.

Meanwhile, a separate concern regarding privacy and property boundary issues was raised by another neighbour. They said that plots one, two and three would cause “significant privacy loss” for their house and back garden, with potentially some overlooking their property from plots four and five.