225 homes to be built on Scartho Top but link road not on the cards
Some 225 new homes have been approved for Scartho Top – but developers have poured cold water on the idea of a link road with Bradley Road.
Some residents were said to be “terrified about the traffic”, with calls to improve to the estate’s road network before any new houses were given the green light. However, landowner Brocklesby Estates said there had been no talks with North East Lincolnshire Council about this.
The planning application was a redesign of an already-approved scheme for 205 houses, offering more affordable homes and an improved layout. The question for the planning committee was whether an extra 20 homes in the area were acceptable.
Councillor David Hasthorpe asked directly whether there was any chance of a link road being built to alleviate traffic, saying: “I’m already getting letters from residents terrified about the traffic.” He was told it wasn’t on Scartho Top’s masterplan.
It was decided unanimously that the few extra homes were worth a better housing development. Councillors welcomed the new facilities that were being built in the area, including a new Aldi, a care home, and more shops.
A statement read out to the planning committee on behalf of the Brocklesby Estate said: “Scartho Top has been on going for well over 20 years. Recently, there has been media coverage expressing concern about traffic in the area. We would like to reassure the planning committee that we are resolved to realising this masterplan and vision.
“The new Aldi is to be opened this summer, and an application for four nearby shops will be submitted this year. We are working with the council to transfer four acres of land to create new primary school with 240 places.
“A road will eventually connect Scartho Top with Springfield Road. This is around two thirds complete, and will be finished by developers.
“However, there has been speculation about a road connecting Scartho Top and Bradley Road. This has never been a planning requirement, and there have been no discussions with the council about this.”
Land on Matthew Telford Park has been earmarked for 850 homes in the coming years in the area’s masterplan. This could bring an extra 2000 people to Scartho Top, effectively doubling the current size of the village.
Scartho ward councillor Charlotte Croft said there were a lot of concerns about the amount of traffic that had to use Matthew Telford Park to enter or leave the estate. She warned the new houses “aren’t going to alleviate the problem.”
Councillor Tim Mickleburgh said: “At long last, we are seeing facilities built so the area isn’t just housing, housing, housing and nothing else. I am pleased to see plans for the Aldi, other shops and a school in the area.”
225 new homes likely to get approval for Scartho Top
The next big Scartho Top expansion is likely to be approved with 225 new homes built despite traffic concerns.
Plans for the estate on land off Matthew Telford Park are part of an ongoing expansion to create a ‘new village’. They are recommended for approval at next week’s North East Lincolnshire council planning committee meeting.
However, local residents have raised fears about the level of traffic, with dozens lodging objects to the plans. There is currently only one road on and off the estate, and the new Aldi store is set to increase the number of cars when it opens in September.
A Pelham Avenue resident who opposed the plans wrote: “This development should be put on hold or stopped until the road infrastructure can support the additional traffic this will generate. Scartho Road is overloaded and heavily congested especially at peak times and there is currently only one road to access Scartho Top via Scartho Road.”
Another one said: “Before any further houses are built, surely the link road to Bradley needs agreeing and building. The traffic on Scartho Road is already up to its capacity. Pollution and safety must be a priority.”
A resident of Lancer Court said: “With one road only to get in and out of the estate, it’s already very heavy with traffic, especially at peak times, and will only get worse when the Aldi opens.”
The site already has planning permission for 205 houses, meaning the committee will consider whether an extra 20 would be too much. A report by council officers say the addition homes wouldn’t have a “severe impact on the highway network”.
The plans are being brought by Doncaster-based company Persimmon Homes. The land is owned by Brocklesby Estate.
A significant expansion of Scartho Top, which will double it in size, is set to eventually include 850 additional homes. This would bring around 2,000 more people to the area.
Scartho councillors have recently called for a new road to relieve traffic problems as soon as possible. They say council officers predict to could be a four year wait.
Councillor Ron Shepherd said: “We need action now. A new road is vital for the area now, not in four years’ time.
“We have the new Aldi opening by September and a new care home under construction and a new school planned for the area. There are another 850 new homes planned. These are only going to add to the volume of traffic.”
