The next phase of plans for nearly 400 new homes in Littleport have been approved after more than three years. 

An application submitted by Barratt Homes to East Cambridgeshire District Council in October 2020 requested full planning permission for 180 new homes on land to the north of Saxon Business Park.

The developer also sought to obtain outline approval for an additional 217 properties on the site. 

The first stage of the application was initially given the go-ahead at the end of November last year, with full approval granted by the district council on June 25. 

Consisting of a range of two, three and four-bedroom properties, including self-build plots and affordable housing, the applicant confirmed the plans also include provision for an open space and access from the A10. 

A design and access statement from Barratt Homes said: "The mix will include provision of smaller two and three bedroom homes for young people and families, as well as larger family homes and a proportion of homes which are adaptable and accessible for occupation by the elderly or people with disabilities.

"Twenty per cent affordable housing is proposed to be distributed evenly across the site in clusters of no more than 15 dwellings.

"These will be designed to be indistinguishable from the market dwellings. A variety of parking arrangements at an average of 2.4 spaces per dwelling is proposed to ensure that no one single typology dominates the street scene and visual impact of the private car is minimised."

The proposed development has sparked concern among a number of local residents over the years. 

In a letter responding to the developer's initial application for 450 new dwellings that has since been revised, Littleport Community Primary School said it "acknowledged" the need for new homes, but had "serious concerns". 

In a letter to the district council, headteacher Adam Rivett: "Our greatest concern for the safety of our school community has always been over the increased volume of traffic on Woodfen Road directly outside the School.

"While we are actively working with our families to review the ways by which they travel to and from school each day, we have significant worries about the impact this decision will have on safety outside the school."