Washingborough 60 home plan approved after ‘significant changes’

North Kesteven District Council has approved plans for 60 new homes in Washingborough.

HICHSS Homes’ plans, which will see 15 Canterbury Drive demolished and replaced, were given the go ahead by the authority’s planning committee on Tuesday.

Councillors had originally discussed the proposals in October, but deferred the decision after committee members felt developers failed to “enhance or reinforce the local distinctiveness of the area”. There were also concerns over the absence of measures to combat climate change.

Since then the developers amended the plans including a wider range of larger house types, rearranging the layout to increase the number of plots to the south-west, changes to the roofs and cladding, adjustments to a proposed footpath and the installation of solar panels on 16 of the homes.

During Tuesday’s meeting, officers told councillors that the scheme was “appropriate” and “responds positively to the character” of the nearby village. They said it would meet local needs, including 25% of the housing (15 homes) being classed as affordable.

The agent for HICHSS Homes Louis Smith said: “Overall, these significant alterations serve to create a more consistent architectural approach throughout the development and we hope will set our scheme apart from others with regard to the efforts to meet the climate change emergency.”

A photo of the Washingborough site looking towards Canterbury Drive.

Objections to the plans from local residents, however, included concerns over the density of the development, the character, the loss of privacy, flooding and the traffic and highways impact on Canterbury Drive.

Objector Jeanna Stafford suffered a number of technical issues in getting her statement out, but said: “Although, I appreciate we need housing, it should be in the right place and of the right type.”

Councillors were mostly keen to note that the applicant had listened to the concerns raised.

Ward member Councillor Ian Carrington who at the previous meeting called the plans an “anywhere estate” acknowledged the changes and said many of the new aspects were “typical Washingborough”.

“We now have a much better development that’s going to fit into its host community more than it did before.”

“All of those are very positive changes,” he said. However, he added that he had some problems around amenity provision, noting some of the homes had “extremely small back gardens”.

He noted that although he had concerns over the access, Lincolnshire County Council’s highways department had not objected.

The developer will also be asked to contribute £37,317.50 to local NHS services and £5,000 towards a nearby footpath.