New homes 'detrimental to village', claim residents

A decision on the plans for 47 homes at the site of Moore Steel factory in Thorney is yet to be made

Plans for 47 homes have faced criticism from residents who fear the development would be “detrimental to the village”.

Morrow Partnership submitted plans to demolish a defunct industrial building and replace it with 47 homes on Station Road in Thorney, near Peterborough.

The site, once home to Moore Steel Developments Ltd, would have a mixture of maisonettes, two and three-bedroom properties and 88 car parking spaces.

The plans have received 70 objections so far from residents, with concerns around “oversubscription of doctors and local schools” and additional strain on village amenities.

Thorney Parish Council organised a meeting on Tuesday to hear views from residents.

A new road to the west of the proposed site would also be created to link it to Station Road, near the A47.

The development was described as an "attractive, high quality and well-designed place to live" in the planning application .

The site is in an area that is at risk of flooding.

The Internal Drainage Board objected to the plans due to existing surface water flooding issues near Station Road.

It said it would wait for more clarity from the developer on the site drainage before making any further comment.

Concerns over a lack of information on entrance designs, proposals for street lights and lack of cycle spaces were highlighted by highways officials.

Residents also feared the development would lead to a rise in traffic in the village, with some suggesting it was "already struggling to cope”.

Peterborough Civic Society labelled the plan as "monotonous".

“The houses are monotonous, with only minor differences in appearance, and the layout is monotonous, with the majority of the houses strung along a straight dead-end road with no open community space," it said.

Some residents said they would support growth to the village as long as significant investment was made to make it sustainable.

Peterborough City Council is yet to make a decision on the application.