Plans for 50 homes on site of former school in Newmarket
A consulation has been launched on the plans for the former St Felix School
A six-week public consultation is to be launched on plans to turn a former middle school site in Newmarket into a new 45-50-home development.
Suffolk County Council has prepared a development brief for the former St Felix School site in Fordham Road, allocated for 50 homes in the Forest Heath site allocations local plan in 2019.
West Suffolk Council’s cabinet on Tuesday night agreed for the plans to go out to public consultation to gather feedback.
Sara Mildmay-White, Conservative deputy leader of West Suffolk Council, said: “I thoroughly endorse this going out to consultation. As we know the school closed in 2012 and the site has been empty for all that time. Quite frankly, it is certainly time something wa done with this site.”
The plans propose developing homes on the already-developed part of the school site, and moving the tennis courts onto the public open space which will be provided on the former playing fields.
David Roach, Conservative cabinet member for planning, said: “The site, allocated in the former Forest Heath site allocations local plan 2019, is for 50 dwellings.
“The policy requires the developer to make provision for the retention of the existing tennis courts and open space for public use, and to provide connectivity through to the George Lambton Playing Fields.
“Any development must also protect and enhance the amenity and biodiversity of the ‘Yellow Brick Road’ which is adjacent to the site.
“The draft development brief is in line with the requirements of the allocation except that the existing tennis courts are proposed to be re-provided in the public open space in order to achieve the most efficient use of the space for the residential element of the scheme.
“Whilst this is a departure from the policy requirement, this is considered to be acceptable as it improves potential for better residential layout.”
The site is one of five plots of land Suffolk County Council owns which it is proposing to develop for housing over the next 15 years in a new joint venture.
The two headline schemes are for the west of Mildenhall and north Lowestoft, each comprising 1,300 homes.
The other two are for 106 homes in West Row and 114 on county farm land in Bramford, near Ipswich.
In its development brief for St Felix School, the county council said it “will be important that the appearance and materials are appropriate to the location and in keeping with the character of Newmarket,” and said it “should prioritise non-car modes of travel and reduce vehicle movements onto the network to manage impact on horse movements around the town”.
It plans to keep most of the trees on the site, and 30% of the new homes would be designated affordable.
Rachel Hood, Newmarket East ward councillor who is also a member of Newmarket Town Council and on Suffolk County Council’s cabinet, said that in an ideal world the site would become open space and sports facilities for Newmarket, but recognised that was not possible because it is allocated for housing.
There remains the possibility for future sports facilities to be built on the site, although that is still up for discussion between the district and county councils.
A date for the consultation is set to be announced in due course.
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