Developer told to look at plans

A housing developer has been accused of pulling ‘tricks’ by the chairman of the local planning committee.

Coun Roger Gambba-Jones said an application by Ashwood Homes to build 32 homes, eight of which would be affordable, adjacent to Spalding United Juniors FC “sickens” him.

The developer had previously been granted permission to build 26 affordable homes on the site.

Coun Gambba-Jones told last week’s meeting of South Holland District Council’s Planning Committee: “This was approved by this committee as an exception.

“They said if you let us build these affordable homes on this site, north of the A17 where we don’t like homes to be placed, isolated from Holbeach, we will build the football academy

“We said ‘that’s a really good idea. On this occasion you can do it’.

“The academy appeared. They’re now using that approval to beat us with and say, not only did you give an approval at that time, but we think we should be able to build market housing – oh and by the way, we want to build them this way.

“Frankly it sickens me that a developer can pull these sort of tricks on us.

“It’s not the first one and won’t be the last one.

“I’m perfectly supportive of going back to them and saying what you’ve suggested here is substandard as far as we’re concerned.

“It’s not a great amenity for the residents.

“Not only is it on the A17 which we accept, we have no choice about these days with the way planning appeals go, but you can certainly do a better job than that.

“If that’s what you’re going to insist on doing you’re going to have to manage it yourself on behalf of the residents.”

On the number of homes being reduced dramatically, the council’s planning officer Richard Fidler told the committee: “Housing is housing. There is an emerging policy compliance which this committee has accepted of 25 per cent on the site.”

Councillors on the committee raised concerns over the layout of the plans for the development, particularly with regards car parking and waste collection. They unanimously voted to defer the application to ask Ashwood to look at the plans again.

The councillors concerns were echoes of why they had deferred another Ashwood development earlier in the meeting.

The company was also told to take a second look at its plans to build 47 two, three and four bedroom homes on Crease Drove in Crowland.

Of those, 13 per cent were affordable, below the council’s policy of 25 per cent, but officers said this was offset by contributions of nearly £140,000 to The Deepings School and over £20,000 to Abbeyview Surgery.

As well as worries over parking and refuse, councillors also expressed concerns over the site’s proximity to Crowland Cranes and the impact that would have on residents.