Detailed plans for 174 home development on land south of Rougham Hill in Bury St Edmunds approved despite traffic concerns

Detailed plans for a 174 home development to be built in Bury St Edmunds have been approved despite traffic concerns.

The reserved matters application for 174 homes over four separate parcels of land south of Rougham Hill was backed by West Suffolk Council yesterday.

A council report said one parcel was to the east of a relief road which is being built, two between the relief road and Rushbrooke Lane and the other is to the west of Rushbrooke Lane.

The application, from Denbury Homes Ltd on May 10 last year, includes parking, access roads, a play area, landscaping and drainage.

It has received various amendments including changes to the design of the homes, removal of an access for vehicles onto Rougham Hill and the introduction of a cycle / pedestrian access and the details of the widening and narrowing proposed to Rushbrooke Lane.

Ten letters of objection were received from residents.

Among them they said a proposed new southern access onto Rushbrooke Lane would force traffic to use the driveways of other properties when pulling over to allow other vehicles to pass, which would cause damage.

They said access points serving the north west plot of housing should be reduced from two to one.

They warned of a ‘catastrophic’ safety impact as Rushbrooke Lane ‘cannot cope now with two way traffic’ and adding 300 per cent more traffic from the estate could result in ‘many accidents to deal with’.

The report said the officers were satisfied the roads and accesses were safe and appropriate and would function properly.

It added the development would create a ‘well-laid out attractive scheme that respects the aspirations of the original masterplan’.