150 new homes for Beck Row?
UP TO 150 new homes could be built in Beck Row following a building firm's move to have a restriction on a previous plan lifted.
Persimmon Homes has asked Forest Heath District Council to lift a restriction limiting the firm to building homes for USAF personnel only on a site just off The Street.
It now wants to build new houses for general sale, which would include a number of affordable homes.
In 2002 the building firm submitted a plan to Forest Heath applying to build 150 new homes for US servicemen and women on the site formerly occupied by a car sales lot and Domino's Pizza.
But in December 2003 that plan was thrown out by district councillors who voted 16 to 5 against the plan after it was felt that insufficient evidence had been provided to prove there was a need for more housing for USAF personnel.
Since then the land has remained unused.
Jon Gibbs, sales and marketing director at Persimmon Homes, said: "We have asked the council to lift a restriction on our previous plan but that it as far it has got at the moment.
"If this does get lifted then we would have to re-plan the development, There is certainly enough land to build 150 homes on the site.
"If it does become a site to build private homes then I am sure that the local authority would want a number of affordable homes built there to.
"This could be as little as 20 per cent of the properties or, at its most, up to 40 per cent, depending on what the authority wants.
"If we do get it lifted then we will put in a proper plan along with finding a working partner who would be willing to work with us."
Among those against the original plans submitted eight years ago was Beck Row Parish Council, which felt that there was no need for the additional housing in the village at the time of the application, and former district councillor for The Rows and Eriswell Terry Waters.
Jennifer Gates, parish clerk at Beck Row Parish Council, said: "No-one from the council will be giving a comment on the issue until it is discussed at the next month's full parish council meeting."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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