NIMBY

Not in my back yard!  I mentioned in my last post that I had walked behind our house. There's a wide expanse of fields with tracks running through giving a wonderful open space, with glorious sunsets (like yesterday).  The fields have been farmed for two thousand years. Underneath are Bronze Age artefacts and Roman remains.  It offers a splendid vista with a couple of farm houses in distant trees, and winter wheat appearing in green bands running off into the distance.  It's a popular area of walkers, especially for dog owners.  Ever since we moved here we have marveled at this countryside backdrop right behind our garden fence.


However, plans are going through to build completely over it with 1750 housing units in a vast development including shops, school, and some high rises of four storeys.  We have followed the planning debate, attending local meetings to discuss this huge expansion. You can imagine the agitations of some of our neighbours. Our main road which is clogged now will have to cope with hundreds more cars emptying out from this new estate Many of our neighbours have lived here for over forty years and have come to love the wide open countryside backing onto our properties.


It really has been interesting to be thrust into this highly contentious debate. I do understand the NIMBY attitude.  So much will change for the worse.  However, there is a desperate shortage of cheaper accommodation in Cambridge.  Younger people are unable to get on the bottom rung of the property market. All round our city, housing is acutely needed.  How can we possibly deny others homes? Seriously?


They scheduled the first building work to begin September 2014.  We braced ourselves for promised massive earth movement as new main roads and services were built.  But, as yet, nothing has happened!  So, I confess that I am enjoying every minute while the fields stay the same, hoping for a few months' respite!