An artists' impression of the care home set to be rejected in Bourne. | Illustration: ADG Architects
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.
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It has been a tragic week with three deaths on Lincolnshire’s roads after two male motorbike riders and a man on a pedal bike lost their lives.
The roads are now busier again after further lockdown restrictions were eased on April 12, but since then three men have sadly died.
A man died after falling from his pedal bike in Branston on Wednesday, April 14 and police said his death is not being treated as suspicious.
On the same day, a 34-year-old male died after a crash involving two motorcycles near Gainsborough.
The man who lost his life in the collision was riding a silver Wuyang motorcycle. The second motorcycle was a blue Suzuki being ridden by a man in his 30s, who was taken to hospital with suspected serious injuries.
A 54-year-old man from North Lincolnshire also died after his motorbike crashed with a Royal Mail post van on the A631 near Glentham at around 4pm on Thursday, April 15.
This comes after it was revealed on March 11 that for the first time in over three decades nobody had died on the county’s roads in the first months of the year, according to Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership.
Lincolnshire Police revealed earlier this week that between 2018 and 2020 twenty five motorcyclists lost their lives on Lincolnshire’s roads.
There have been 285 coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire and eight COVID-related deaths so far this week – a 7% drop in cases and one less death from the previous week.
The government’s COVID-19 dashboard on Friday recorded 32 new cases in Lincolnshire, eight in North Lincolnshire and three in North East Lincolnshire.
On April 16, three deaths were registered in Lincolnshire and none in Northern Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.
NHS England reported two hospitals this week so far, compared to none this time last week.
On Friday, national cases increased by 2,596 to 4,383,732, while deaths rose by 34 to 127,225.
In local news, Lincolnshire health bosses expect COVID-19 cases to rise in our region as lockdown is eased, but are optimistic that if numbers are kept low enough, then people will be free to enjoy the summer.
Andy Fox, Deputy Director of Public Health at Lincolnshire County Council, said the lifting of coronavirus restrictions this week had not caused any specific concerns yet.
Since Wednesday, Greater Lincolnshire has again seen a decrease in its infection rates overall, against an increase nationally.
All districts have seen a fall in their rates, except small increases in North Lincolnshire and South Holland. Lincoln has stayed the same and has the lowest rate in the region.
Boston has the highest infection rate of COVID-19 in Greater Lincolnshire and is ranked 9th in the UK.
Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates up to April 16:
Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Apr 9 to Apr 16. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite
England’s R number has dropped slightly to between 0.7 and 1 according to the latest data this week. This means for every 10 people infected with COVID-19, they will pass it on to between seven and 10 others.
The new Indian variant of the COVID virus that’s been detected in the UK has all the hallmarks of a very dangerous virus.
It has two new significant mutations in the spike protein that help it infect cells and evade the immune system.
People are “likely” to need a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine within 12 months of getting the first two, Pfizer’s chief executive has said.
Dr Albert Bourla said a booster jab could be necessary “somewhere between six and 12 months” after the second one – and every year thereafter.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Friday, April 16
Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.
58,919 cases (up 43)
41,028 in Lincolnshire (up 32)
9,275 in North Lincolnshire (up eight)
8,616 in North East Lincolnshire (up three)
2,185 deaths (up three)
1,613 from Lincolnshire (up three)
304 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
268 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)
of which 1,302 hospital deaths (no change)
810 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)
41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
450 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)
4,383,732 UK cases, 127,225 deaths
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF the latest update. postcode data includes deaths not in healthcare facilities or in hospitals outside authority boundaries.
Plans to demolish part of a former play centre and Chinese takeaway to build 41 new student flats, have been submitted to the City of Lincoln Council.
Killingbeck PLG has applied for permission to demolish “most” of the existing facade of the former home of Imagination Station and Big Wok, on Beaumont Fee, and rebuild it as part of the development.
The main hall, a warehouse and a recently built “link block” to the rear of the building will also be demolished, and will be completely replaced with a new extension.
In documents to the council, the applicant describes how the 41”study bedrooms” will be en-suite and open off a central circulation area.
The build will form part of the Iconinc post-graduate residential units development next door and will sit opposite the Park Court student accommodation on Park Street.
It will include 12 apartments on the ground floor, 11 at first and second floor and seven units on the third floor.
How the build could look.
The application said: “There is a clear need for good quality, post-graduate, city centre, residential accommodation and the economic case for the redevelopment of the site is reinforced by the fact the site can be linked with the new Iconic development so amenities can be shared.
“The demolition of the existing property and the proposed redevelopment will bring positive benefits to the area economically and aesthetically.”
As part of the build, residents will gain shared access to existing facilities including the gym.