Fen End, South Cambridgeshire, UK   sold out

Site Information

The site is located within the northern boundary of the village of Willingham and is surrounded by residential development to its south, east and west and agricultural land to its north with access off Fen End itself. The site is 1 acre in size but forms part of a greater development site of approximately 7 acres that is being promoted for residential development as a whole. Willingham is located 12 miles to the northwest of Cambridgeshire and is easily reached via the A14 which links to the M11 south and the A1M north.

Our Planning Department Comments

• Our Fen End site lies within the village of Willingham which is located within the jurisdiction of South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC). SCDC is one of four partners that form part of the Greater Cambridge Local Plan working alongside Cambridgeshire County Council, the University of Cambridge and Cambridge City Council. The emerging Cambridge Local Plan is a collaboration between SCDC and Cambridge City Council to ensure that the two areas can be sustainably managed.
• The Local Plan was submitted for examination in March 2014 and has made provision for 19,500 new homes over the plan period including previous plan allocations in the greater Cambridgeshire area. However, due to rapid growth of the greater Cambridgeshire area, the identified housing need has now been set at 33,500 homes. As a result of the prolonged examination period of the submitted Local Plan coupled with the significant deficit between the numbers provided in the submitted Plan and the identified need, the Planning Inspector has asked for a modified Plan to be submitted for review with its anticipated adoption set for 2022
• The Fen End site demonstrates strong suitability given its position as a sustainable urban extension site within the settlement of Willingham and its access to the village’s main services. European Property Ventures secured a Promotion Agreement on the entire site in 2017 and the site was submitted to the amended Local Plan review in April 2019. The site is deemed a medium sized site which is being promoted to deliver circa 60 dwellings. Given its strong suitability for development, preparations are also being made for a direct planning application to be made the LPA and Parish Council which will be alongside its promotion to the Cambridge Local Plan.

Latest Planning Update

Earlier this year the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, made a broad announcement that his government intended to keep to its manifesto promise of delivering 1 million homes over this Parliament.

Within this announcement was a commitment to 600 additional new homes within the Greater Cambridge area, a very positive step for all strategic site promoters within the area.

Work on the Greater Cambridge Authority's joint development plan continues, and the Regulation 18 consultations have recently commenced and scheduled to continue until the Proposed Submission consultation currently timetabled for Q3 2023. Both our sites are being promoted throughout this preocess to GCA.