A skydiving instructor has been jailed for life after being found guilty of the murder of his girlfriend – as “red mist” descended over being accused of sexually assaulting someone.
Ashley Kemp, 55, was convicted of the murder of mother-of-three Clair Armstrong, 50, on Elm Way in Messingham in November of last year. He denied murder but admitted manslaughter, and a jury at Grimsby Crown Court unanimously found him guilty of Clair’s murder following a six-day trial.
A derelict barn which has been described as “a blot on the landscape” is likely to be demolished in a long-running planning saga.
The owners of the building on Messingham’s Scotter Road want to demolish it and build up to 20 houses on the site. Previous plans were turned down by North Lincolnshire Council over concerns about flooding.
Officers have recommended that the scaled-down plans be approved at the next planning committee, but residents say that the village’s sewerage system still can’t cope. The parish council has urged for a halt on all developments until problems are resolved.
It submitted an objection to the plans, saying there are “concerns of the increased pressure that will be placed on the present ineffective and already overloaded system. During periods of heavy rainfall, the nearby Manor Farm development experiences WCs not flushing and overflowing inspection covers, resulting in raw sewerage entering water courses.”
However, applicant Jackson Philips Asset Solutions says that a survey proves that the new homes wouldn’t have an impact on the community’s drainage. There are no other suitable sites of this size within Messingham, it adds.
“The provision of up to 20 new dwellings will have a positive economic benefit for Messingham and help sustain local services. Messingham has undergone little new development for more than a decade because of restrictive development limits,” the application says.
It also claims that another reason that plans were originally turned down – concern about protected species on the site – has been removed. A new report has confirmed that it is a brownfield site with no wildlife.
It adds that the barn is a “blot on the local landscape” and the scrubland is “overgrown and unattractive”. It goes on to say that “the proposed development will create a new attractive area of open space with access for the enjoyment of residents.”
Another sticking point for the application is whether the developer will make a contribution to local schools and facilities. This is common for housing developments, but the latest application says there is little need as Messingham’s schools are under-subscribed.
Members of the planning committee will visit the site before making a decision at the meeting on Wednesday, April 6.
