The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A decision on whether a Spalding care home will be allowed to keep a biomass burner next to residential gardens has been deferred by a planning committee.
Residents in Westminster Drive were left shocked when the biomass boiler and its nearly 30 foot chimney appeared metres from their homes in May.
After complaints to the council, Tanglewood Care Home submitted a retrospective application in May.
South Holland District Council planning committee heard at its meeting on Wednesday, that two other boilers (at sites in Boston and Horncastle) had also had to gain retrospective permission for the same company.
Officers had recommended that the boiler be approved with conditions, including relocation and recolouring.
Planner Polly Harris-Gorf told the committee one complaint about smoke from it had been put down to a “one-off” calibration, but a second complaint had been made.
Eric Dumper, whose property the boiler backs on to, said to councillors: “The construction is an industrial development designed in use for farming and commercial environments and not in residential areas where it is totally out of place.
“Whatever the application claims, it can be smelled indoors even with doors and windows closed.
“Several local residents have respiratory problems and are concerned this will adversely affect them.”
He continued that moving the flue “will make very little difference” as it would be “four metres away from where it is at the moment”.
Coun Jack Mclean spoke in favour of the residents and said in one day he’d collected over 100 local residents signatures for a petition against the boiler.
“These are largely elderly residents and this isn’t pumping out fresh air,” he said. “There were residents in Tavistock Road, which is quite far away, aware of the smell.”
Ben Parkins, speaking on behalf of the applicant, told the committee that the boiler met health standards requirements and was being installed to avoid boiler break downs.
He said: “Given the high vulnerability group of its residents, the operator is very keen these problems do not happen again. It also reduces the service’s carbon footprint.
“We believe moving flue further away from neighbouring properties and changing the colour will substantially reduce its prominence.”
Committee chair Roger Gambba-Jones moved to defer the application to see an artist’s impression of the new flue and urged the council’s environmental officer to attend a future meeting.
The deferment was backed by councillors including Christine Lawton who said: “I wouldn’t like this at the bottom of my garden and if that’s the case I don’t see why residents anywhere in the town should have it at the bottom of their gardens.
“It should go somewhere where it doesn’t impact the wellbeing of the residents.”
