October 22, 2021 10.41 am This story is over 29 months old

Officers reject ‘poor quality’ 200-home development in Stamford

They’re not impressed
The entrance to the planned site. | Image: Google Streetview

South Kesteven District Council officers will try to block plans to build more than 200 new homes in Stamford.

The authority’s planning committee will be asked to consider an application from Vistry Partnerships, Cross Keys Developments, Wm Morrisons and New River Retail to build 213 homes on land north of Uffington Road on Thursday.

However, officers have said the proposal is “of poor quality design and layout, falling well short of an acceptable standard” and that it “fails to suitably reflect the gateway location to the town”.

“The proposed density is excessive for the context, resulting in deficiencies in public open space and landscaping provision and in dominant and incongruous buildings at the site entrance which is a key entrance point to the town,” said a report before members.

“Furthermore, the proposal, considered together with the submitted masterplan and design code fails to demonstrate that the wider site allocation would be developed holistically and with provision of suitable connections to the surrounding area and town centre.”

They added the loss of employment land was not “adequately justified”.

How the site would be laid out.

The new homes would include a mixture of one and two-bedroom apartments and two to four-bedroom houses. The plans would also see 136 of the properties (64%) allocated as affordable.

Objections from Stamford’s town council and civic society along with several residents raised concerns over the impact on local infrastructure, noise and light, drainage and highways.

In documents to the council, the applicants said the proposals would contribute “a range of high-quality new homes on a redundant brownfield site, to meet the demand for housing supply in the region”.

They added it would connect pedestrian links, create access to public transport, and incorporate existing green infrastructure.

“It will provide a range of new homes, in a coherent layout and of a style that will create a unique sense of place,” they said.