London based Peace Developer and Investment Ltd has snapped up the former gas works site in Chase Street, Wisbech, for £121,000 and hopes for planning permission for 19 two storey homes on the site.

Yar Qand, the company's sole director, has used local agents Peter Humphrey to submit a planning application to Fenland District Council that will add a further piece of the Nene Waterfront regeneration jigsaw that was proposed nearly 20 years ago.

Maxey Grounds has put in a separate viability assessment justifying why the council should not require some of the new homes to be designated affordable.

This report examines the likely costs of building the homes and the profit expected in an area where houses are said by Maxey Grounds to have a maximum selling price of £160,000-£180,000 "which is mixed-use and adjoining a commercial area".

An email on the planning files of Fenland Council shows that Mr Qand tried to sell the site to Clarion Housing back in February.

"I can confirm that we are not in a position to make an offer for your site," wrote Fiona Coulson, head of new business for the eastern region for Clarion.

"I have also a confirmation from the management team that we would not support access to your land through our development as this would cause too much disruption for our residents."

She added: "I understand that you have an alternative access from Chase Street so this should not cause a problem."

In a design and access statement, Mr Humphrey describes the site as "a large vacant piece of land, mostly covered in concrete hard standing.

"The proposed development will continue the recent residential development of the area (Cotterell Way, Ogden Gardens and Ettie Close).

He says the existing vehicular access off Chase Street will serve the new homes after talks with the county highways and Clarion broke down over a link from Ettie Close. Mr Humphrey confirmed that Clarion had blocked use of the "ransom strip" that would have allowed Ettie Close to be used.

He said the entire shared road would remain private and therefore not adopted by the county council. A management company will be set up to manage and maintain the private drive.