More and more people are becoming aware of The Grainger Danger of around 170 new dwellings on The Green Gap. However, it turns out that this is merely a ‘Trojan horse’ development.

Another developer, Nurton, has an option on the rest of the site (see map). Their agent submitted the site to SODC for consideration for housing in 2014 and they have been busy since creating what they call their ‘masterplan’.

Grainger’s proposed development would give them precedent and, potentially, access. The combination, given that Nurton’s site is over twice the size of Grainger’s, would amount to perhaps more than 500 houses.

As MP Ed Vaizey has pointed out, neither site is in SODC’s strategic plan or adopted policies for housing development. As such both developments are completely speculative. Yes we need new houses but SODC has a clear, agreed and published plan for them.

However, there is nothing to stop developers being opportunistic. And if you don’t say no, they’ll take it as a yes. What do we want – Great Eastern Park or The Green Gap?