Major plans had no community support
More than 370 homes and a care home across South Kesteven have been rejected by district council bosses.
Proposals before the authority’s planning committee on Wednesday included 110 affordable houses and an 80-bed care home off Beaufort Drive in Bourne, and 260 homes off Millfield Road in Market Deeping.
Officers said the proposals did “not have substantial community support” and the site was “not sustainable”
More than 400 objections had been received from local residents.
Bourne’s town council and neighbourhood plan groups also both objected to the plans over concerns about sustainability, need, highway safety and the proposals’ place in the local plan.
Town Councillor Philip Knowles said Longhurst Group’s 110-home and Alysia Caring’s care home would see traffic generated by the development “plough through the town centre”.
How the 110 homes in Bourne would be laid out if approved.
County Councillor Sue Woolley said the proposals “sit in an area recognised as the green lung of Bourne”.
“They are not needed and would create an eyesore on the landscape,” she said.
“These proposals are not in the interest of Bourne residents.”
Other residents said local roads were already used as “rat runs” by morning traffic.
Andrew Hodgson, speaking on behalf of both applicants, said they were “disappointed” by the recommendation.
“We do not consider, in light of the national housing crisis this is the right recommendation,” he said.
“SKDC and Bourne have a clear need for housing.
“This is a sustainable development and represents a very high quality design.”
He argued that many of the objections carried little weight and that it appeared “people just do not want to see development on this site”.
He added there was a need for affordable housing in Bourne, and that none had been built in 2020.
Outline plans for where 260 houses could go if Lincolnshire County Council was given permission.
Lincolnshire County Council’s 260-home plans, officers said, also had no community support, but would be in a sustainable level and to a high standard of design.
The county council is not planning to build the houses, but wants to sell the land once planning is approved.
Market Deeping Town Council and West Deeping Parish Council both opposed the proposals, along with 182 local residents.
Concerns included that the Draft Deepings Neighbourhood Plan wanted to designate the site as a local green space as well as the impact of traffic on Millfield Road and the A1175.
Market and West Deeping ward district councillor Ashley Baxter said the site was a “much loved public space” which had been used for years to host events, leisure and recreational activities including for the Deeping Show.
He supported the Friends of Mill Fields campaign to save the area and and application by them to turn it into a village green.
“Nobody wants this application which is a willful effort of wanton vandalism against the countryside by the county council,” he said.
The area is being considered as a village green and an inquiry is due to take place in the future, confirmed Deepings Town Councillor David Shelton.
The county council, however, says it is private land and used primarily for agriculture.
Pamela Shelton, chairman of the Friends of Mill Fields said the site was “historically and culturally important” to the town.
She said the green space application by the Friends was “localism at its best and should not be ignored or swept aside by powerful councils”.
The Friends of Mill Field and their supporters outside Lincolnshire County Council’s offices in September 2019. Photo: Daniel Jaines
Lynnette Swinburne, a spokesman for Lincolnshire County Council, however said that apart from a path through the site, it was a private area.
She said the proposal was sustainable and included a “generous” amount of green space – 22% of the overall site area – and a pathway around the outside.
“It is a very small proportion who seem to be concerned about the development nearby,” she said.
Congestion spotted across the county
Drivers in Lincolnshire have been scrambling to fill up their vehicles with fuel after supply issues sparked panic buying and long queues at petrol stations across the country.
It comes as a handful of BP and Esso-owned stations were forced to close on Thursday due to having a lack of readily available delivery drivers.
Gaps in the HGV driver industry have been heightened by the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit, and it has resulted in around 1% of the UK’s 8,380 petrol stations being closed due to a lack of supplies.
Cars were seen waiting to access the pumps at Morrisons on Tritton Road in Lincoln. | Photo: The Lincolnite
In response to the frenzy, transport secretary Grant Shapps has encouraged people to continue buying fuel as normal despite the noted supply issues.
Large queues have been reported at filling stations across Lincolnshire on Thursday as people try to get petrol or diesel for their car, with some being accused of panic buying.
The HGV driver shortage has prompted many to ‘panic buy’ and stock up on fuel. | Photo: R S Mortiss
ASDA and Sainsbury’s petrol forecourts in Grantham both had big congestion as people were waiting to fill up on Thursday afternoon, as well as multiple sites in Lincoln, too.
BP announced on Twitter that they will be minimising closures and prioritising fuel supply for motorway service ares and main roads, after some of their smaller garages were seen to be closed.
Sainsbury’s fuel station in Grantham was also busy. | Photo: R S Mortiss
Council and locals still have objections
Campaigners fighting a controversial animal rendering plant in Norton Disney are celebrating after the proposals were withdrawn by the applicants.
Lincoln Proteins Ltd resubmitted their planning application for the facility at Villa Farm on Folly Lane, in May. It was previously refused in February 2020 by Lincolnshire County Council amid concerns over heritage and location.
But now the company has withdrawn the plans in order to carry out further surveys.
Alan Asker, operations manager, said: “We’ve taken the decision to withdraw because we realised there were still some surveys that need to be refreshed.
“We felt it was better to withdraw the plans than waste the council’s time.”
He said once the surveys were done the company would take a decision whether to resubmit them or not.
The new proposals included changes to tackle planning issues previously raised, including a reduced height for the factory’s flue (chimney).
Lincoln Proteins Ltd’s proposed development at Villa Farm.
The controversial plans had seen objections from more than 1,100 local people along with North Kesteven District Council
Objectors said there was no need for the development and feared the facility would “overshadow” the Lancaster Bomber gateway sculpture being built off the A46.
Richard Parker is Secretary of the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group, which has campaigned to save ancient artefacts on the site – including Iron Age treasures and a Roman Villa.
He said: “Clearly we’re absolutely ecstatic that the threat to the very significant Iron Age and Roman archaeology has been removed.”
He said the site was now better protected as a consequence of previous planning decisions, adding he felt the plans had “backfired” on Lincoln Proteins.
However, he added: “We appreciate this might not be the end of the battle. We’re going to carry on researching and documenting the archeology that’s up there.”
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