By Patrick LowmanA COUNCILLOR has welcomed plans to build 53 new homes to help upgrade a run down part of an historic market town.H and E Properties have submitted ambitious plans to build the residential units in the troubled Station Hill area of Bury St Edmunds, which has been labelled an “eyesore.

By Patrick Lowman

A COUNCILLOR has welcomed plans to build 53 new homes to help upgrade a run down part of an historic market town.

H and E Properties have submitted ambitious plans to build the residential units in the troubled Station Hill area of Bury St Edmunds, which has been labelled an “eyesore.”

Station Hill is one of the most used entrances to the picturesque town, but in recent years the area has deteriorated so much that local councillors have called it an “embarrassment.”

Earlier this year the developers submitted plans to build 56 homes on the site, but the proposal hit a hiccup over the design of the buildings. The new plan is a mixture of houses and two, three and four story apartments.

St Edmundsbury Borough Council member David Nettleton said: “The greatest disadvantage to the town is the first thing visitors see when they come off the trains is the Station Hill area, which is just an eyesore.

“The area is very run down and there is a problems with noise at night, it needs upgrading.

“The council is always looking for brownfield sites and this is one, so we have a good opportunity here.

“I have seen the new plans and I certainly support them in principle, because anything which will help improve and make the area more attractive has to be good for the town.

“I think there might be some initial problems with the designs, but I hope we can get around this so we can get some suitable and well designed houses on the site, which we hope will eradicate many of the problems in the area.”

Stan Beanland of Beanland Associates, acting as agent for the developers said: “We have lodged an appeal against the planning authority because it still hasn't made a decision on our original plan.

“We have now issued a new application to encourage the authority to a make a decision.

“The concept of the new application is almost identical to the original, but with a few minor amendments. The latest plan will be a mixture of affordable and private modern houses and two, three and four story flats and apartments.

“The Station Hill area is in desperate need of development and I can't understand why the authority is taking so long to make a decision.”

A spokesman for St Edmundsbury Borough Council said it was unlikely the authority would consider the application before July.