£1.2bn Lincolnshire Lakes backing after three-year delay

A series of plans for the £1.2 billion Lincolnshire Lakes project have been approved after three years of negotiations over developer contributions.

The plans, which include new homes in Burringham and a  £13.5 million roundabout junction off the M181, were backed by North Lincolnshire councillors today.

The first phase will feature up to 2,500 new homes including a village centre, a health care facility, community facilities, a primary school, new roads and footpaths.

Council leader, Rob Waltham, said it was a “milestone” for the project and housing in the region.

“This development has been nearly twenty years in the making and this is a milestone moment for confidence in housing development in North Lincolnshire,” he said.

“The scheme has been delayed for the past few years until we were able to keep our promises to local residents to put the right infrastructure in place first.

“Throughout the planning for this visionary scheme, we’ve been clear that we must get the infrastructure right in order to ensure that Lincolnshire Lakes develops sustainably over the next 20 years. With the Government-funded flood defence scheme nearing completion on the Trent, and the green light earlier this year for the new motorway junction, the pieces are falling into place.

“Now planning permission is in place, the Lincolnshire Lakes scheme can really start. Children growing up across the region today will have the opportunity to start their families in lakeside communities in North Lincolnshire.”

Councillor Len Foster, leader of the Labour opposition on the authority, said while he supported the project, he had concerns about the contributions.

“I have always supported this project since it was in its infancy,” he said.

“I am still supporting it, but I have some reservations about what is not included in the contributions.

“The viability work done to the affordable homes has left me with some concern. It is within the urban area and a reduction to 5% does give me some concern.”

Councillor Foster added that he also had reservations about foul water sewage facilities in the project plans.

Meanwhile, Councillor Mick Grant said the authority had been waiting a long time for the project.

“Just get on with it,” he said.

“We’ve been waiting for this since we started talking about it over 10 years ago.”

Councillors gave the project the green light in June 2016, but needed agreement over developer contributions.

This resulted in a delay of more than three years and a request by the authority to extend the deadline to September.

Meanwhile, the M181 junction was also given initial backing by councillors in January as part of the 6,000 home project.

As part of the negotiations, affordable housing provision and contributions to secondary school eduction of £11.2 million will be reduced.

It is due to a lower expected income from the housing and large upfront infrastructure costs.

Instead, the changes to the heads of terms mean the developers will now be asked to provide:

• No affordable housing in first phase, 5% target for all future phases
• Three form primary school/£6,000,000 financial contribution and 3ha of land for it
• Two destination parks in village one and five and one allotment
• The construction of one lake, which will be transferred to council ownership on completion
• £250,000 extension to an existing school off-site
• A secondary school contribution of £5,000,000
• £518,000 towards junction improvements to the B1450 Burringham Road/Scotter Road
• £1,000,000 further improvements to the B1450 Burringham Road
• A potential £1,343,977 public transport contribution
• £500,000 towards the detrunking of the M181 motorway agreed earlier this year.

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