Considerations & Opportunities
FRIDAY BRIDGE FUTURE
Building for the Future
These proposals set out a vision for a high-quality, landscape-led residential development at Friday Bridge. Informed by early discussions with Fenland District Council, the scheme would deliver much-needed new homes, including affordable housing, alongside new green spaces, biodiversity enhancements, sustainable drainage features and improved pedestrian connections.
We welcome your feedback as we continue to develop the proposals and prepare an outline planning application.
Landscape Strategy
Key Considerations and Principles
- Respond positively to the pre-application advice received from the Local Planning Authority.
- Comply with the emerging Fenland Local Plan by delivering high-quality design, green infrastructure, and mitigation measures to protect local character.
- Support the infill development of existing agricultural land along the settlement’s eastern boundary.
- Provide low- to medium-density housing to complement the surrounding context, including
much-needed affordable homes to contribute to the housing needs of the District. - Commit to a landscape-led design, incorporating new tree planting, open spaces, and viewing corridors that respect and enhance existing village landmarks.
- Maintain key views of the Grade II listed water tower and church spire within the layout.
- Create improved public open spaces and a softer settlement edge, replacing the current hard garden boundaries.
Key Opportunities
- Expand green space linked to the existing play area.
- Integrate Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) into the landscape/green space along the eastern boundary to provide multifunctional benefits.
- Create high-quality open space, children’s play areas, and biodiversity corridors to enhance local amenity.
- Enhance pedestrian connectivity within the site and to the wider village.
Development Context
Why are new homes needed?
- The Government is committed to delivering 370,000 new homes per year over the current parliament; it is already significantly in arrears with only 208,600 delivered in 2024/25.
- Fenland District Council’s Local Plan, including the emerging Fenland 50, sets the framework for development, housing, infrastructure and land use in the district up to 2050.
- New homes will need to be built across the District, helping young people stay in the area, families to grow and to provide homes for downsizing and retirement.
- This development is designed to assist to support all of those with a range of properties that will help to sustain Friday Bridge’s local economy.
- 25% of this development will be affordable homes of a range of tenures including social rented and affordable shared-ownership opportunities, for which there is a strong demand in Friday Bridge.
Preparing an outline application
- A number of technical studies will form part of the application - these will assess what investment into infrastructure and mitigation is needed to accommodate the development.
- We are sharing our early ideas for the site today and welcome your feedback as we prepare the outline submission. Once you have reviewed the information you can provide feedback at this link <NSERT LINK>.
- The Council will also organise formal consultation once planning applications are submitted providing a further opportunity to comment.
Water management, drainage and utilities
- The site is within Flood Zone 1 with a low risk of surface water flooding.
- Sustainable Drainage Systems including water features, such as ponds, will attenuate of surface water run-off and provide enhanced ecological benefits.
- We continue to work closely with the local water authority (Anglian Water) regarding the design of foul sewerage and potable water, and any reinforcements that need to be carried out to support the
new homes would be delivered as required. A strategy would be agreed, particularly in terms of surrounding drains. - The Utility Assessment within the application will evidence deliverability of electricity, potable water, high speed broadband, telephone and foul water connections.
Other technical reports will address matters such as noise and air quality as part of the outline planning application.
Environmental Strategy
Sustainability and energy
- This strategy will be submitted with the outline application. It will set out intended standards and measures that will be integrated into the development to facilitate the transition to a low carbon economy.
- The development will meet high standards of energy efficiency resulting in lower bills for future residents through the integration of sustainable design and construction principles. This will minimise energy and water use, reduce waste generation and pollution, and promote sustainable transport.
- Homes continue to improve in terms of fabric insulation and air tightness, along with other initiatives to minimise energy consumption and associated bills. A passive design and a fabric first approach will reduce the energy needed to heat homes. They will be all-electric with no fossil fuel use.
- Onsite generation of clean, renewable energy will be provided through rooftop solar panels, which will also help to reduce energy bills.
- As well as providing more access to nature, it will also be a healthy, accessible community with sustainable travel opportunities to reduce car use and encourage public transport, walking and cycling.
- At Wisbech for example, our development offers residents zero energy bills – this bill free living is guaranteed for the first 10 years and is delivered by our partner, Octopus Energy. It includes Air Source Heat Source pumps, solar panels and battery storage.
Green infrastructure, landscape, ecology and biodiversity
- A Green Infrastructure strategy and Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment will form part of the forthcoming planning application.
- The proposals and landscape-led, respecting existing trees and hedgerows, with new planting to enhance landscape buffers.
- A characterful development, it is designed to reflect the rural edge.
- Multifunctional green space to permeate the site incorporating footpaths and cycleways allowing wider access to the area.
- The landscape planting will also provide buffers to the more sensitive areas around the site, allowing wildlife and biodiversity to thrive.
- Careful height, orientation and a minimum 20 metre back-to-back separation to maintain privacy for new and existing residents. We are proposing landscape planting at the ends of gardens to provide a green buffer as well. This option was selected as it is more secure than having a footpath or park,but we welcome your views if you live adjacent to the site.
- Public open spaces will be provided, and consideration has been given to the position of this to retain some of the openness and ease of access for local residents. We are proposing to extend and enhance existing public open space on West Drive and/or providing onsite play space. We welcome your views – would you like to see more kids play and equipment, a trim trail for all ages,habitat areas, places to sit, grassed parkland, wildlife meadows, or do you have other ideas?
- An Ecological Impact Assessment will include details of habitats and species and assesses potential effects of development and recommends mitigation/enhancement measures.
- There will also be a Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment which will set out how the development can achieve a minimum of a 10% net gain of biodiversity through the proposals, supported by a management and maintenance strategy.