Town councillors have given their seal of approval to a development of 330 homes in Royston.

At a planning meeting on Monday evening Royston Town Council voted in favour – in a four to three split – of the outline planning application for land off Newmarket Road.

The meeting featured a presentation from planning consultants Barfords which discussed the amendments made to the application, including a new road to the site from the A505.

Councillor Lindsay Davidson, who is head of planning at Royston Town Council, said: “When the original application was brought to us, the council was extremely concerned and lobbied hard for amendments.

“The decision not to object to the current application is due to the amendments that have been made, in particular the changes made to access the site.

“I completely understand the concerns of residents whose houses back onto the proposed site, but our job is to get the best possible deal for Royston, and I believe we have done that.

“The planners have consulted heavily and I was impressed with the presentation made at Monday’s meeting.

“There will be community land left over, 30 per cent affordable homes – which is badly needed in Royston – and Section 106 money kept aside for health and education uses.”

Derek Burt, who lives in nearby Hawthorn Way, said: “It is very disappointing that the councillors voted in favour of the application.

“It is overdevelopment and it is the loss of arable land for the people of Royston.

“Then there is the lack of infrastructure and the large amount of wildlife on a piece of land that is valuable to the town.”

The land off Newmarket Road is owned by the Hoy family, and is included in the North Herts District Council’s draft Local Plan as a possible site for housing development.

A spokesman for the district council said that the application is ‘likely’ to go before the planning committee on April 23.

The consultation period for the application closes on Monday.