Major plans for 190 homes in Loraine Way, Bramford, near Ipswich, given final approval

Councillors have given plans for 120 new homes off Colwick Loop Road the go-ahead.

The homes will be built on agricultural land to the south of Burton Road, near Carlton le Willows Academy, but they were not passed without concerns from councillors and residents alike.
It had been previously noted the fields were once used to process sewage sludge from the nearby Stoke Bardolph Waste Water Treatment Works.

Due to this the crops grown on the land, which are not suitable for human consumption, are therefore used in a bio-digestion plant offsite, which generates energy for the sewage works.

However an environmental risk assessment, conducted a few months ago, emphasised the site was not registered as "contaminated land" under legislation.

During a Gedling Borough Council planning meeting on Wednesday, October 13 Conservative councillor, who represents the Trent Valley ward, also raised issue with resulting traffic levels.

He said: "Burton Road is mainly at a standstill at peak times.

"It took me 20 minutes the other day to get to the traffic lights on Nottingham Road on the A612 through the traffic lights on Burton Road where the entrance of this development is to be.
"That is with the current levels of housing – adding to that will make the traffic flow even worse. We should refuse the application."

The application, submitted by Miller Homes, was however passed and given planning approval by councillors.

The scheme was submitted in its reserved matters stage after it was previously approved in its outline stage for the development in January earlier this year.

The proposals debated by councillors involved the development’s layout, scale, landscaping and appearance.

Councillor David Ellis, who represents the Ernehale ward for Labour, said he believed they were "good quality proposals and a healthy development" for the area.

Councillor Paul Wilkinson, Labour councillor for Carlton, added: “It is an excellent scheme.

"All the objections raised were matters covered in the outline stage and not material to what is in front of us this evening and I am happy to support.”

Ten letters of objection were sent to Gedling Borough Council in response to the plans, all from neighbours on existing streets such as Linden Grove.
One resident, William Cox, a 58-year-old of Linden Grove, previously told Nottinghamshire Live that existing residents would be overlooked by the new houses.

Major plans for 190 homes in Loraine Way, Bramford, near Ipswich, given final approval
Final approval is being given to plans for 190 homes in the Gipping Valley – with properties set to be finished in 2024.

Bellway Homes’ reserved matters application around landscaping, appearance, scale and layout for development on land east of Loraine Way, in Bramford near Ipswich, was granted by six votes to two on Wednesday morning, after securing outline permission in July 2019.

That development will feature 67 affordable homes and a pre-school, as well as a large portion of open space to the north or the site.
20mph zones within the estate have been agreed, while the 40mph zone on Loraine Way will be extended.

In addition, nearly 100 new trees are set to be planted, as well as provision of play equipment in the open space.
Bellway was widely praised for working with the ward councillor and parish council on improving designs over a number of months, but concerns were raised over the heating of homes.
Government legislation dictates that gas boilers must no longer be used in new developments from 2025, with Bellway confirming it planned to finish homes in 2024 to prevent it needing alternatives, but councillors said the developers should have been more forward-thinking.

Matthew Hicks, chairman of Mid Suffolk District Council’s development control A committee which gave the green light, said: “The problem with this housing development is installing a heating system we know will be phased out in four years’ time.

“There are some great wins here – the biodiversity when you look at what is being installed, what is going north of the site, a lot of thought has gone into working with the parish and the ward member.

“That’s all the stuff we really appreciate from a developer and Bellway have done a fantastic job with that, but the thing that really lets this down is the fact that they think they are going to rush this out before the 2025 deadline so they can roll out gas boilers.
“That’s really disappointing but something, unfortunately, we have no say over.”
Authority has been delegated to the planning officers to issue once the final ecology matters have been sorted.

Laura Dudley-Smith, agent from Strutt and Parker on behalf of Bellway, said: “Over 55 per cent of the entire site area is proposed to be delivered as open space, allowing for the enhancement of the Gipping River Valley, and its enjoyment by both new and existing residents”.
She added: “Our engagement with Bramford Parish Council throughout the project has been extremely constructive with a number of improvements being agreed regarding local speed limits, amenity of neighbouring residents, enhancements to local play provision for the community, and design of the open space to encourage its enjoyment as a natural and biodiverity-rich environment.”