The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A Sutton St James man’s bid to build a new carbon negative home built to the same design as a Fenland agricultural building has been refused by planners.
Electrical engineer for the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Michael Peace had already had one plan for the home turned down.
He likened his plans to the Low Fulney house featured on Grand Designs as an example of a home built in the countryside and urged councillors to ‘maintain South Holland’s position as a forward thinking district’.
“This proposal sets out to respect the character and nature of the area, enhance biodiversity and make a positive impact,” he said. “Over the course of a year the house generates more electricity than it consumes so it reduces CO2 being produced elsewhere.
“Our proposal will allow us to build a home that will meet our current and future requirements while making a contribution to the housing need for self-build plots.
“Sutton St James is where my wife grew up and her family have lived for generations. It’s an area our family love and we’d like to remain.”
Councillors praised the design and “innovative” ideas behind the project.
Coun Andrew Tennant said: “I was struck by how a house could look so much like an agricultural building in our Fenland landscape
“It made me think of modern building on the continent where people take notice of what their environment is like and built houses to match them. It would never survive in Spalding and Long Sutton as the whole notion of the property is to fit in with its environment and driving by you’d think there’s a tractor inside. It’s fantastic.
“I think it would be a great advert for our Fenland area that people are developing properties like this and making them carbon negative.”
But other councillors argued it was in open countryside.
“The local plan says building in countryside should be only approved where its necessary to the location,”
Coun Michael Seymour. “I don’t think it’s necessary there. I think it will be a blot on the landscape.”
Coun Rodney Grocok said: “Ask yourself the question, is it innovative ideas or is it SHDC policies? It’s in the open countryside and not in the local plan.”
