A new housing development in Whittlesey will have a “contemporary and clean aesthetic”, developers say.  

19 new homes have been approved on the paddock area behind 158 Stonald Road – which is due to be knocked down to create the development’s access point.  

All but one of the houses will be built over two storeys, developers Rose Homes (EA) Ltd say, and all will have three or four bedrooms.  

Their modern feel will be achieved by using boards rather than bricks on the buildings’ facades, they add, as well as having slate grey roof tiles to match their grey windows and doors.  

The company submitted their designs to Fenland District Council (FDC) for approval this month, almost three years after the council granted permission to redevelop the land.  

The initial proposal received 28 objections from the public, with residents raising concerns over the loss of green space and the possible strain on local amenities.  

But the proposal was approved, with planning officers noting that the remaining paddock area, which is long and narrow, is already hemmed in by multiple other housing developments.  

Developers say they have taken the concerns raised by residents into account in drawing up their designs, as well as other concerns over flooding and drainage solutions.  

Large back gardens will accompany every house, Rose Homes says, and most will have back gardens too.  

Permeable paving on driveways is also proposed, it adds, and it has “tried to retain and provide as much green space as possible to the front and rear of the plots”.  

There will also be a “natural green space”, not accessible to residents or the public, to retain a small amount of the paddocks’ biodiversity in line with FDC policy.   

One element of the development not fully agreed yet between developers and FDC, though, is the provision of affordable housing.  

The council expects that at least 25 per cent of houses in new developments of 10 or more are affordable, but “this may require a variation”, developers say, “subject to discussion with the council and their specialists”.  

A decision on the design proposals from FDC remains pending.