Inquiry opens into new homes plan

Mereham is to be built on agricultural land near the A10

A public inquiry is opening into plans for 5,000 homes to be built in a new town by the company responsible for the Wembley Stadium.

Local councils and residents are fighting proposals for the new town of Mereham near Ely in Cambridgeshire.

A campaign against the project is aimed at the developers Multiplex.

Multiplex said Mereham was the right site for the scheme and the community would be built on "land at the heart of a growth corridor".

Residents have raised concerns about the lack of provision for traffic, congestion and access to busy main roads.

Councils join protest

Shona Johnstone from Cambridgeshire County Council said: "There are no plans for good public transport and the impact of extra traffic on the A10 will be horrendous."

Multiplex said: "If projects like Mereham are turned down, there's little chance of the prime minister's stated aim of building 3m new homes by 2020 ever being met."

Cambridge County Council and East Cambridgeshire District Council have published a newsletter to outline their objections.

The new homes are planned on a greenfield site alongside the A10 road between Stretham and Wilburton.

The councils have claimed no provision has been made for infrastructure and the scheme would create traffic hazards but developers say they have taken this into account.

The public inquiry is due to open at the Arkenstall Centre in Haddenham on Tuesday.