March 31, 2022 5.30 pm This story is over 24 months old

Council rejects £1m of education funding from 400-home plans near Grantham

But developers will pay more for roads
An artist's impression of the new housing in South Kesteven.

Developers planning to build more than 400 homes near Grantham will not need to pay almost £1 million of education funding.

The plans for 228 homes on land at Rectory Farm by Vistry East Midlands and for 220 homes next door by Jelson were originally recommended to include a combined Section 106 contribution of £2,673,318 towards education.

However, final sign off on the proposals has been delayed over the past two years and the plans will now have to be approved again, but this time the developers will be asked to pay £1,716,408 – a difference of £956,910.

“LCC Education have stated that this is because there is additional primary school capacity available compared to when the application was previously considered in 2020,” said officers in a report before South Kesteven District Council next Thursday, where they will recommend approving the proposals.

The document, however, also details that a request to contribute to £1.6million of improvements at the A1/A52 junction will “more than offset” the reduction in education funding according to the applicant.

The works have surfaced after a Designer Outlet Village approved the year prior had not come forward for development in time to progress the improvements, leaving the Rectory Farm proposals to pick up the baton.

Image showing how the site would be laid out.

Both plans have had a number of amendments, including changes to house types and roadways, including some tree lined avenues, and better connections to future phases of the site.

Recommending approval, council officers said: “This is an allocated site in a sustainable location and the proposed development will form part of the wider North-West Quadrant Sustainable Urban Extension to Grantham, which would contribute significantly to the Local Plan housing requirements and the overall growth ambitions.

“The proposal has been designed to a high standard, which is in keeping with its context.”