Mereham

Mereham is a potential new town near Ely in East Cambridgeshire. The developer, Multiplex Stannifer, has applied for planning permission but has not yet received it. The application for planning permission was turned down by East Cambridgeshire District Council but the developers have appealed to the Planning Inspectorate and the decision has been called in by the Secretary of State. The inquiry closed, after a number of adjournments on 8 January 2008. The Planning Inspector, Richard Ogier, made his report in April 2008, and in August 2008 the Secretary of State for Communities, Hazel Blears, announced that permission for the development had been refused.

Mereham is a controversial issue, as the plans have already been rejected by East Cambridgeshire District Council, who were supported in the decision by Cambridgeshire County Council, and the refusal of necessary associated works to the A10 in the adjacent |District of South Cambridgeshire. The main issue is the size of the town which would consist of around 5000 new homes and the transport links to the development sites both to Ely and Cambridge. The site is south of the A1123, west of the A10, north of the River Ouse, and east of the B1049 Twenty Pence Road.

The three Local Authorities were represented by barrister Simon Bird and the developer by Robin Purchas QC and Craig Howell Williams. Over a week of the Inquiry was taken up by hearing evidence from local residents on a number of issues including traffic, impact on local wildlife and the potential drain on local services.