Security concerns not enough to justify new home at karting track
THE owners of a karting track have been told their security concerns are not a good enough reason to build a house in order to live next to the business.
Rally Karting, based near Huntingdon, had said without an owner or manager being able to live next to the track they may not be able to continue running the business.
A planning inspector said they recognised the business had faced “severe difficulties” with security, however, they said the security concerns on its own were not enough to allow a new home to be built in the countryside.
The owners of the business, based in Sapley Road, had asked for permission to build a new threebedroom home near to the karting track where the owner or manager could live.
The plans were refused by Huntingdonshire District Council last year on the basis that “insufficient justification” had been given that building the new home would meet the “limited and specific” reasons that allow for development in the countryside.
The business owners appealed to the planning inspectorate to try and overturn the district council’s decision.
However, the planning inspector said they agreed with the authority and dismissed the appeal.
In the planning inspector’s report they highlighted that the karting business had been running for more than 30 years, and that the current owners had been able to run the business while living four miles away in Houghton.
The inspector said they recognised the “severe difficulties” the business had faced with security, but said they did not think on-site accommodation was needed to run the business.
The planning inspector said: “There is considerable evidence regarding the history of break-ins and theft. The appellant advises that theft is an influencing factor in the success of the two businesses.
“It results in financial loss but also the failure of the businesses to deliver the promised experience to customers with late cancellations due to equipment being stolen or damaged.
“There is therefore a loss of revenue, loss of organisational costs such as catering and possible loss of goodwill and future bookings.
“The appellant has advised that as of October 2023, the business cannot obtain insurance and that without permission to reside-onsite. It is likely that the business will be unable to continue trading.”
Despite recognising the concerns, the inspector said the security issue on its own was not enough to justify building a home in the countryside under planning policy.
NEIGHBOURS of a potential new science development in Cambridge are divided over the safety of creating cut-through routes for pedestrians and cyclists.
Plans have been submitted to Cambridge City Council to redevelop the Westbrook Centre into a new science and research campus.
The four existing office blocks in Westbrook Drive, off Milton Road, would be demolished to make way for three new life science buildings.
Divisions have emerged between people living on streets around the proposed development as to whether new access points should be created to allow cyclists and pedestrians to travel through the site.
Two petitions have been submitted to the city council on the issue, one calling for new access points to be opened up, and the other arguing that no new cut-throughs should be created.
Representatives of the developer, Forge Bio No.4 GP Ltd, said there were currently no plans to create new access points from the redeveloped Westbrook Centre into surrounding streets.
However, they said the layout had been designed in such a way that access points could be opened up in the future.
The representatives told a development control forum meeting on Wednesday (April 16) that they were listening to people on both sides of the debate, but said it was “difficult” to balance the opposing views.
Nick Flynn, representing the petitioners calling for new routes through the redevelopment, said the area needed more walking and cycling links.
He said the lack of connectivity to the Lilywhite Drive d e v e l o p m e nt behind the Westbrook Centre meant the places residents could walk to within 10 minutes was “significantly smaller” than in other parts of Cambridge.
Mr Flynn argued that the lack of any cut-throughs in the existing site made it difficult for people to avoid walking and cycling in “dangerous areas”, highlighting in partic
The developer said they would take away the comments made by both sides at the meeting...