Residents of an East Cambridgeshire village could see a new housing development on their doorstep according to plans. 

Swallows Rest is a proposed seven-house development that would replace an existing bungalow and sit north of Woodditton. 

The development would consist of a range of properties as well as landscaping works and proposes an upgraded access drive from Ditton Green that takes users further into the site. 

A design and access statement from PiP Architecture said: "The dwellings have been designed in a New England, Scandinavian style, and the indicative scale, massing, siting, and materiality presented in this proposal responds to the architectural vernacular of Woodditton whilst also creating up to seven unique homes of high quality design.

"The proposal will incorporate soft landscaped areas and hardstanding surfaced in a permeable material, to minimise rainwater run-off from the site to the main drainage infrastructure, and therefore reduce any flooding risks further.

"The developments layout and landscaping has sought to retain existing trees and hedgerows, and the addition of an ecology buffer will enhance the biodiversity of the site to deliver a biodiversity net gain."

The proposed dwellings would be designed with the aim of achieving net zero carbon, with units insulated to a high standard, incorporating energy-efficient lighting and measures to limit air leakage. 

The developer added that the site’s layout seeks to make efficient use of the site, whilst allowing for "areas of high biodiversity".

While the land already contains a large building, the proposed development has sparked concern among residents around drainage, parking spaces and space for children's play.  

One neighbour said: "We are very concerned that the existing surface water drainage system on the site will not be able to cope with the run off from another seven houses.

"The east end of Ditton Green is already regularly flooded during heavy rainfall despite attempts by Anglia Water to address the situation, as demonstrated by the surface water frequently gushing out of the drainage access hatch by the pavement."

Another added: "I think the proposal of seven new dwellings there is excessive, far too many.

"Imagine the amount of traffic it will create going in and out off the village street, making it quite dangerous and noisy for neighbouring houses, let alone the rest of the village"

The plans can be viewed in full on the East Cambridgeshire District Council planning portal. This can be done using the reference: 24/00521/OUT.