Histon & Impington Parish Council is excited by the potential of a mixed use housing and public open space development on the edge of the community along Milton Road. At a special meeting earlier this month the Council considered an outline idea from Flagship Homes which would deliver a mix of affordable and market value housing and make land available for the development of a community park.

For several years Histon & Impington Parish Council has looked for additional public open space to make up the shortfall in the community’s provision and to meet the growing demand for leisure and sports use.

It is also acutely aware of the shortage of affordable housing within the community with over one hundred on South Cambridgeshire District Council’s waiting list and a perceived but unquantified demand for affordable housing in general.

This Milton Road opportunity has arisen through the commitment of a local family which wishes to provide a lasting permanent community legacy. It is making an 18 acre site available for community open space use and affordable housing specifically for local people.

Flagship Homes, a local  housing association, is promoting the development and is keen to work with Histon & Impington Parish Council and the landowners to deliver land for a community park and a residential site including affordable and market housing. The market housing would finance the affordable housing and the provision of freehold land for the Parish Council to develop as community space.

Andy Slaymaker, Strategic Land Manager at Flagship Homes said: ‘We are delighted to be a part of this exciting project. Flagship Homes focuses on enabling people to live happy, healthy and contented lives and this coincidence of housing and open space does just that.’

The site is in the Green Belt but South Cambridgeshire District Council has a policy that allows the building on such sites, which would not normally gain planning permission, provided that there is an element of affordable housing provision.

Neil Davies who chairs the Parish Council’s Recreation Committee said: ‘This is an exciting opportunity. The Parish Council alone cannot afford to purchase land on the village boundary because of the long term hope value of development use. This could provide some affordable housing that our community needs and a community park which hopefully will include building provision for children and young people’s organisations and clubs’.

As a part of its support for the development Histon & Impington Parish Council will initiate a participative planning process with the local community including a project weekend in October which will provide the basis for the proposed use of the site and subsequent planning application.  There will be a public meeting on Thursday 30^th June at 6.45 pm at Histon Junior School.

The Parish Council will also be carrying out a Housing Needs Survey to assess the affordable housing requirement specific to the needs of local people.

David Jenkins, chair of the Parish Council said: ‘This project could do so much to support the people of our community. It will provide more opportunities for all ages to be active and that means a healthier community and a better quality of life for its residents.’

(10 Jun 16)

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The Committee met in the last week in November and discussed a number of key issues affecting the Recreation Ground which included:

Safety cricket netting – the committee are going to ask the Parish Council at its January meeting to consider proceeding with the safety netting to increase protection for the play area and Bowls Green

New cricket nets– a meeting has been held with the appointed contractor and it was hoped that work would start in February

MUGA ( multi use games area ) – the committee agreed to discuss the replacement of the present surface and perimeter fencing in the first quarter of 2016.

Recreation Ground Play area- decision taken to proceed with remedial action for the mound and install new posts and bridge beams.

Tennis court project – the Committee received a detailed report on the potential project to replace the four grass courts with new floodlit artificial grass courts to provide all year round play. The Project had stalled because of an historic drainage anomaly which would require addressing if any project within the area proceeded. Minimum drainage work cost £77k if car park surface only undertaken and £123k if tennis project proceeded. A review of sporting facilities was likely to take place in 2016.