Residents meet about Ivy Farm housing development

MORE than 40 residents living on the doorstep of a potential new housing development turned up for a public meeting last weekend.

The group, which included people from Heathfield, Baldock Road, and Green Drift, discussed plans for a 135-home development at Ivy Farm, off Baldock Road at the Heath Sports club in Royston.

Royston's mayor, Cllr Rod Kennedy, organised the meeting.

Cllr Kennedy, who lives in Heathfield, said: "It was a very positive meeting and very well attended.

"We spoke about the point of contention surrounding the development, and it was agreed that we would meet again next week to give people time to digest what they'd heard and come up with an informed view."

As reported in The Crow earlier this month, Cllr Kennedy told a meeting of Royston town council's planning committee that residents in the area would be making a joint response to the outline plans which were submitted to North Herts district council in December.

The development, being put forward by Bidwells on behalf of landowners EW Pepper, has already been scaled following public consultation exhibitions. It was initially mooted that it would comprise 190 properties.

Royston MP Oliver Heald will be in attendance at the next meeting, which takes place at the Sports Club on January 31.

He said: "I'm generally against the overdevelopment of Royston, though we do need a certain amount of new homes in the town, particularly for young people.

"But it is a question of the right development at the right time, in the right place. We need to make sure that the boundaries are not being pushed too much.

Mr Heald said he would "support the residents where he could", though the final decision about whether the scheme goes ahead would lie with the district council.

"I look forward to meeting the residents and listening to their views.