Persimmon Homes says Cadent gas works at North Haverhill development that will allow completion of relief road expected to finish in mid-January
Gas works which have delayed the completion of a much-needed relief road at a housing development are due to finish in the new year.
Persimmon Homes said Cadent’s gas main diversion works for the North Haverhill homes scheme have progressed well and are expected to end in mid-January.
It was the fourth delay to the road, which is needed to take traffic from the development around Haverhill to the Cambridge side of town, avoiding Wratting Road and the residential section of Withersfield Road.
When West Suffolk Council gave planning permission for the housing scheme a requirement was set for the relief road to be completed either within five years of the start of construction – March 2023 – or once the first 500 new homes have been occupied. Almost 1,200 homes are to be built in total.
In a community update, Persimmon said it had been in discussion with Cadent to explore the possibility of remobilising groundwork contractors while it finishes commissioning the diverted gas main.
All works need to be done under Cadent’s supervision and include completing the tie in of the relief road to Hales Barn Road roundabout and constructing the culvert and roadway across the ditch.
It said: “These works require Minor Works Agreements which are being finalised and with Suffolk County Council and we aim to start in January.
“The remaining works will be completed once Cadent have finished on site, with the aim of finishing the road in spring.
“Landscaping works along the relief road are also scheduled to take place from early January.”
Initially the road completion was put back to March 2024, with Persimmon saying it was hoping to secure funding in time for Cadent to start work on diverting a gas main that is in the way.
It was then announced that the road would be delayed until September 2024 before the completion date was put back again - to December 2024.
Persimmon said the hold up was due to its contractual agreement with Cadent taking longer to finalise than expected.
Last May, West Suffolk Council, as the local planning authority, said it was serving two breach of condition notices on Persimmon to ensure it stuck to the new delivery timetable that it had put forward.
Planning applications have been submitted for 112 and 83 new homes as well as a local centre with a supermarket and two commercial units.
