Persimmon ordered to stop work on housing estate

PERSIMMON, who account for one in ten of every home built in the UK, has been ordered to stop work on a Fenland housing estate after falling foul of planners.

The company, who started work in the summer on 63 new homes on a 3.75 acre site in Chatteris, has been issued with a stop notice after failing to meet conditions set out by Fenland District Council.

Steve Robshaw, planning enforcement officer, said: "The developer has commenced works on the site prior to the discharging of any of the pre-development conditions.

"As a result all work currently undertaken are unauthorised and the planning permission has, technically, been voided."

Mr Robshaw told Fenland District Council Planning Committee that the pre development conditions for the Blackmill Road/London Road site include:

- Hard landscaping,

- Land contamination and groundwater,

- Lighting of the completed site,

- A scheme for traffic calming measures,

- Junction between the site entrance and the highway,

- On-site parking during development

- Foul drainage disposal.

Mr Robshaw said: "A substantial amount of written information has been received from the developer but, as yet, none of the pre development conditions have been formally discharged.

"Officers have spoken to the developer and requested that urgent contact be made to resolve the issues. To date no response has been received to this request."

The conditions were imposed when the committee approved plans in May.

But last Wednesday the same committee heard from Mr Robshaw that unless a stop notice was issued immediately "irretrievable harm to the area may be caused."

Planning enforcement officers moved workers off the four acre site, where footings have already been laid for the first homes.

Neighbours said pipes were being laid last Thursday before enforcement officers arrived.

One said: "I saw someone putting the signs up but it was not until the day after that I read it and saw what was going on.