‘Eco’ development convinces council… but not village residents

Angry villagers have said they will “never accept” what is being described as an eco-housing estate despite its approval by the local authority.
Uttlesford District Council has backed the 89-unit development in Newport by Trivselhus UK; the properties will apparently have electric charging points and triple-glazing… hence the ‘eco’ tag.
Some councillors criticised the request by Trivselhus to build only 25 affordable homes, substantially less than the standard provision of 40 per cent, on the grounds that eco-friendly dwellings are more expensive to build. But the concerns did not persuade the council’s planning committee to reject the scheme.
A different developer had won permission on appeal to build 94 homes on the site in 2017, having previously been denied it by the council.
The latest proposal upset Newport residents, who said the village’s infrastructure would be overwhelmed by the hike in population. One was reported by the Saffron Walden Reporter as saying: “We as residents are totally against this new application and we will never accept it.”