The Save Wenny Road Meadow campaign is for residents concerned about the proposed development of houses on this beautiful area of pastureland in Chatteris.
The meadow is surrounded by mature trees, has picturesque views and a tranquil environment. Many people use the area for walking, relaxing and to refresh the soul. It has been described as the last remaining undeveloped land within the town boundary.
The broad concept plan retains roughly one third of the meadow as managed open space, but we are campaigning for the plans to be revised to preserve the meadow in its entirety. We believe that truncating the meadow, carving access roads through it, and building on the remainder will destroy the essence of this beautiful natural amenity.
The land was selected for development and identified in the Fenland Local Plan (which was adopted in 2014). Consultation took place in 2013, but most Chatteris residents were not aware of this decision.
The land has now been removed from the “settlement boundary” in the emerging local plan, but this has yet to be adopted. Councillors can choose to give weight to the emerging local plan when making a decision. We expected the next version of the plan to designate the entire site as a designated Local Green Space.
We acknowledge the the land is currently in private ownership, and that a long term solution for purchase and maintenance of the land would need to be resolved. A new group, “Friends of Wenny Road Meadow”, has been formed to explore options for long-term ownership.
