“So ugly I don’t want to live with it” – Grimsby village homes plan sent back

A developer’s plan for 66 homes in a Grimsby village has been deferred after councillors said the designs were “ugly”.

Snape Properties’ reserved matters proposals for land at Bradley Road, Barnoldby Le Beck, were given the go ahead at North East Lincolnshire Council’s planning committee on Wednesday.

Officers told members the principle of the site has already been agreed with the outline permission and that it accorded with a number of planning policies.

However, councillors said the proposals would not fit in with the street scene of the local area and asked officers to negotiate better designs with the applicant.

Councillor David Hasthorpe told councillors that it would appear “like a totally different world” from its current aesthetic if the plans were allowed the go ahead.

“The whole thing is so ugly that I don’t want to live with it,” he said.

“It’s not an imaginative design, and I don’t want to be disrespectful to Mr Snape and his company, they have put a lot of work into it as have the planners, but I just think that this could look so much better.”

Some of the house designs offered by the developer.

The development will be a mix of detached and semi-detached properties and will include 13 homes classed as affordable.

Applicants in 2016 were given outline permission for the build. However, in 2020 the land went back before committee with plans to build 82 homes. That was rejected due to an adverse impact on local infrastructure and the highway network. The latter application has had an appeal lodged.

Where the new homes would be built.

Objections had been received from three separate parish councils covering Barnoldby Le Beck, Bradley and Waltham, along with a number of residents.

Concerns included an increased risk of flooding, “significant additional” traffic, highway safety, the impact on the character of the area and the village’s identity as well as the effect on the ecology of the area and pollution.

Ward councillor Philip Jackson said: “Clearly this is a greenfield site, and it’s a development that was never wanted by local residents or by the adjacent parish councils, all of whom have submitted further objections to the application this morning.

“Unfortunately we are in a position where there is outline consent for the application site, but as you’ll see from the numerous objections this morning, opposition has to this site over the years, has not reduced.”

Kevin Snape, speaking on behalf of the application, said: “Bradley Road would be another exciting addition to our developments and your approval today is key to enable us to contribute further to delivering the government’s targets on sufficient and affordable houses in this area.

“We are very confident this site, when completed, will be an asset to the village,” he said.

The company are hoping to begin building within two years.