Agenda and draft minutes

To determine the application.

Nikki Carter presented the report to members.

Members received a presentation, in accordance with the public participation procedure, from Tim Northey, the applicant and Asher Davey, the Highways Consultant. Mr Northey explained that Abbey Mill Homes originally submitted the planning application in June 2023 and he has worked with officers to resolve all technical concerns associated with the application which brings forward an officer’s recommendation of approval. He added that the application site has a long-standing housing allocation in the Fenland Local Plan and is the final part of the East Chatteris strategic allocation that remains to be consented, which will deliver a wide range of new housing opportunities in Chatteris including homes which are suitable for first time buyers through to families including affordable homes comprising rental and shared ownership tenures.

Mr Northey stated that the dwellings have been designed to high environmental standards and will incorporate integrated renewable technologies to minimise the carbon footprint, with the proposal bringing high quality sustainable and affordable homes to the local housing market. He explained that the proposal has been designed to ensure extensive connectivity to surrounding areas in order to ensure the use of non-motorised modes of transport and includes pedestrian cycle links through to the Wenny Road recreation ground, to The Elms and onto Wenny Road providing safe and convenient infrastructure connections to local services and facilities.

Mr Northey made the point that cycle links to the adjoining consented residential sites have also been designed into the scheme to ensure permeability between the residential areas once constructed but avoids creating a vehicular cut through to the detriment of resident’s environmental quality. He added that the application proposes extensive open space provision which amounts to 25% of the total land area which has been designed to be multifunctional and deliver significant benefits, together with formal and informal recreation opportunities for future residents, these land areas will function to provide sustainable drainage solutions as well as biodiversity enhancements, retention of green corridors and enhancement across the site connecting to newly created habitats.

Mr Northey stated that the application has been the subject of extensive amendments and dialogue over the course of nearly three years with officers, the Highway Authority, the Lead Local Flood Authority and other statutory consultees to ensure a technically sound and high-quality development proposal is secured on the site and officers have stated in their report that the benefits of the proposal outweigh any identifiable harm and there are not considered to be justifiable reasons to refuse the application. He expressed the view that he hopes that members of the committee are able to support the officer’s recommendation following their extensive efforts to work with the applicant on this proposal.

Mr Davey explained that he has been involved with the project for around three and a half years and has reviewed the access strategy and single travel works, explaining that all vehicular access will be taken off the A142 by a new style right turn lane and will be  ...  view the full minutes text for item P94/25

To determine the application.

Danielle Brooke presented the report to members.

Members received a presentation, in accordance with the public participation procedure, from Callum Wright and Mark Kelly, the applicants, and Mark Hetherington, the landowner.Mr Kelly explained that PACE is a UK headquartered clean infrastructure developer, builder, owner, and operator and he added that he is accompanied by Callum Wright, the Planning Manager at PACE and the landowner and farmer Mark Hetherington.

Mr Hetherington explained that he has farmed here since 2008 along with his brother and he added that his family have been farming the land that he owns in Fermanagh for over 200 years and his son is currently at Newcastle University studying agriculture and hopes to take over the land in due course. He explained that over the last 15 years, he has been operating an intensive beef finishing unit, predominantly growing maize and feed wheat on the proposed solar land which is then fed to the cattle, with the introduction of solar across his farm will see his business diversify from intensive beef production to extensive sheep production and as he comes from a beef and sheep farm in Ireland, it is something that his family and himself are very excited about.

Mr Hetherington added that he believes that he will see an overall increase in sustainable meat production from that land and the financial offering from solar will enable him to farm in a more extensive manner, grazing the land directly instead of intensively farming forage crops fed by artificial fertilizers and chemical sprays. He explained that farming in this way is a well-documented way to improve soil structure, fertility, and organic matter in the soil and not only will the solar income secure the financial viability of his business, but the regenerative approach that that extensive farming will offer will secure the long-term soil health for future generations.

Mr Hetherington asked the committee to recognize the perilous position very many small farms are in today as the supermarkets will not pay a sustainable price for his products and Government is offering farmers less support and without projects such as this, smaller farms like his will cease to exist with every large landowners such as pension funds hoovering up that land. He stated that this will mean far fewer jobs for local people as the land will be run for the benefit of corporations and not communities.

Mr Wright explained that the development of the scheme, Middle Fen Solar, has been an exercise of ensuring all material planning considerations are fully addressed to ensure there is minimal harm while still allowing significant public benefit in the form of clean renewable energy. He stated that the benefits will enable the powering of 24,000 homes and the displacing of enough CO2 to remove 13,000 cars off the road and he added that the proposal will also bring with it significant biodiversity net gain uplift.

Mr Wright explained that the application was submitted in May 2025 and has been subject to  ...  view the full minutes text for item P95/25

To determine the application.

This item was withdrawn.