Yaxley homes plans could 'compromise buffer' with Peterborough
At a hearing on Tuesday, lawyers representing the council said there had been changes in the national calculations that determined how many homes must be built in the area to meet housing demand.
'Overdevelopment'
Barrister Rowan Clapp said the council still believed that the homes would impact the visual and physical separation of Yaxley and the nearby Great Haddon development in Peterborough, but that it accepted this did not outweigh the benefits of extra housing.The planning inspector who led the hearing is yet to make a final decision on overturning the council's original refusal.Reuben Taylor KC, representing the developer, said at the meeting that there was no specific local policy stopping Yaxley and Peterborough from merging.Developers said 40% of the new homes would be designated as affordable.Yaxley Parish Council maintained its objection to the plans, raising concerns about "overdevelopment".Chair Andrew Wood said the housing would "compromise the buffer between Yaxley and Peterborough", which he described as a "confined area"."The fact that Huntingdonshire has a requirement for a significant number of houses does not mean, in our view, that Yaxley should be compacted even more," he said at the hearing."Yaxley has taken its share already. Other areas should do so."Developers would have to submit specific design plans before any houses could be built if the Planning Inspectorate agreed to quash Huntingdonshire District Council's earlier planning refusal.
Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
We can't take another tax raid, firms tell Rachel Reeves
Businesses yesterday warned the Chancellor that they cannot shoulder further tax hikes in the Budget after a sharp slowdown in economic growth. Leading City groups said Rachel Reeves must rule out another tax raid after GDP growth of 0.3 per cent between April and June – a dramatic drop on the 0.7 per cent recorded in the previous three-month period. The reading was stronger than the 0.1 per cent growth that economists had forecast, but the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) cautioned: 'The numbers mask the underlying pain being felt by businesses.' Growth was boosted by Government spending but household expenditure slowed to 0.1 per cent and business investment fell 4 per cent following the Chancellor's National Insurance hike. Reeves is expected to raise taxes in the autumn Budget to fill a £50billion hole in public finances. 'There must be no more business taxes in the Budget,' BCC research manager Stuart Morrison said. CBI lead economist Ben Jones said that 'the UK is walking a narrow path between resilience and stagnation', adding: 'Policy uncertainty in the run-up to the Budget risks tipping the balance. 'With the business tax burden at a 25-year high, the Government must chart a steadier course by ruling out further tax rises and prioritising policies that can quickly lift investment and productivity.' And the Institute of Directors (IoD) said it was 'striking that momentum is coming from the public sector, with consumer spending slowing and business investment contracting'. IoD chief economist Anna Leach said: 'Private sector growth is being held back by both global and domestic policy uncertainty, with speculation over forthcoming tax increases adding to the headwinds. 'We urge the Government to adopt a strategic approach to policy, prioritising removing blockers to growth, particularly in the planning system, and enhancing the efficiency of the tax system.' The pound spiked after the GDP figure, rising to just below $1.36, a one-month high, before giving up ground later. Against the euro, the pound rose above €1.16, also the highest in a month. That was after the firmer-than-expected GDP figures from the Office for National Statistics added to fears that there will be no further Bank of England interest rate cuts this year – amid concerns about rising inflation. Analysts at HSBC said: 'The GDP data suggests the UK economy, while not booming, is still trundling along and creating jobs. This strategy has so far proved unsuccessful. The risk is the Bank chooses to pause or slow the pace of rate cuts.'
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Shein's UK sales surge 32% higher amid stock market float plans
Fast fashion giant Shein has revealed its UK sales surged by almost a third last year ahead of plans to float the company. Fresh accounts filed on Companies House also showed higher profits as its low-price products continued to attract growing popularity, particularly among younger shoppers. It comes as the online retail group, which was founded in China and headquartered in Singapore, continues with efforts to secure a stock market IPO (initial public offering). The company had been widely tipped to launch on the London Stock Exchange but is reportedly nearing a listing in Hong Kong following criticism from politicians and failure to secure approval from China's securities regulator for the overseas listing. New filings for Shein Distribution UK Ltd, the retailer's UK operation, showed that sales in the region grew by 32.3% to £2.05 billion in 2024. Shein said it benefited from the opening of two new offices in Kings Cross and Manchester, the launch of a pop-up shop in Liverpool and a Christmas bus tour across 12 cities in the UK. Meanwhile, it also reported a pre-tax profit of £38.3 million for the year, having risen from £24.4 million in 2023. In the accounts, the company warned that pressure on consumer sentiment could pose a potential risk to future trading. The retailer focuses on low-cost fashion but has also expanded to sell products including toys and crafts. Shein has come under pressure in the US over the past year, with President Trump's administration scrapping a 'de minimis' duty exemption on low-value packages. Shein had been accused of bundling small packages in a bid to reduce its tax payments. The Labour Government has said it is reviewing a similar policy in the UK, amid concerns it is giving retailers such as Shein and Temu an advantage over rivals.
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Business news live: FTSE 100 rises and Warren Buffett's new $1bn investment
The FTSE 100 rose in early trading on Friday morning, following a mixed session overnight in Asia and a flat day of trading in the US - though it has emerged Warren Buffett, the outgoing CEO at Berkshire Hathaway, has made a new £1bn purchase. Investors and analysts alike are still dissecting Thursday's UK economic data which showed a strong rise in productivity for June - but still a drop overall for the spring quarter of the year after a big first three months of 2025. With interest rates having been cut last week the hope will be for businesses to step up their investment levels somewhat - but the jobs market remains uncertain and several businesses and organisations have said they are simply hamstrung by cost pressures, including National Insurance Contributions being hiked, still-high inflation and concerns over what comes next in the autumn Budget.
