Council rejects 120 new homes in Sutton Bridge over flooding concerns

Councillors have rejected plans for more than 120 homes in Sutton Bridge on flood safety concerns despite the applicant’s arguing that the Environment Agency had not objected.

Loyd Homes had seen its plans for homes on Nightingale Way thwarted previously by South Holland District Council’s Planning Committee and on Wednesday night they again rejected proposals for 123 homes, including 34 classed as “affordable”.

Officers do not believe building the homes would be safe and have concerns over flooding on the site, as well as noting it is outside the boundaries of the local plan and showing no necessity for them.

The plan was previously withdrawn at the last minute from the council’s May Planning Committee. Officers told councillors that the proposal continues to fail to meet tests for flooding.

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David Harvey QC, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said the plans would address the county’s need for housing, in particular affordable housing.

He said the council had “no cause for complacency” around its housing needs, as it had not met certain targets.

“In terms of flooding there was no objection from the Environment Agency,” he said.

He said that despite the planning officer’s report based on 2017 data, EA data showed the site was “at no more a risk of flooding than the allocated site [for housing]”.

Plans for the layout of part of the site.

Councillors, however, sided with the recommendations with Councillor Chris Brewis moving the vote with “absolute enthusiasm”.

Councillor Roger Gammba-Jones argued that the local plan was “based on the information that we have” and what was “considered to be acceptable in planning terms”.

The plans had been objected to by Sutton Bridge Parish Council, along with a number of residents, with concerns raised around the access to farmland, the visual impact of the properties and the impact on local infrastructure.