The final part of a controversial housing development in Royston is set to get the go-ahead today (Thursday).

North Herts District Council’s planning committee will consider a plan to build 39 homes to the north of Royston adjacent to Housman Avenue and Lindsay Close, on land known as Site D at its meeting today. Also on the agenda is an access road to serve the site, which would connect to Old North Road between the Tesco and A505 roundabouts.

Royston Town Council is among a number of objectors to the scheme, which have been put forward by Fairview Homes, but officers are recommending both applications be approved.

Last month Fairview got permission to build 124 homes on another nearby plot of land, known as Site A, and it had been hoped the access road being considered today would serve sites A and D.

However, the application states that it will only reach Site D, with the potential to serve Site A, subject to Fairview acquiring more land and obtaining separate planning permission to extend it.

This has led to residents fearing construction traffic for site A will travel down the already-busy Burns Road.

Cliff Brazil, of Thackeray Close, told The Crow: “It’s completely bonkers to allow more lorries to use Burns Road when you consider it’s already very busy with people going to work and the nearby schools.

“There are already parked cars everywhere and this is going to make it even more dangerous. From a safety point of view it’s ridiculous, someone is going to get seriously injured.”

The North Royston Action Group have campaigned against what they consider to be “illogical development” in this part of the town.

Jayne Bratton, who heads the group, told The Crow she was concerned they hadn’t been consulted about this latest application.

Royston Town Council’s objection describes Site D as an “over-development” of the land, and adds that the access road would cause further congestion on and already-busy stretch of highway.

But in her report, planning officer Naomi Reynard said Site D is “a sustainable site which will inevitably be needed to contribute to any level of forecast housing supply in the district.”