House to be built on ‘grot spot’

A detached house is to be built on a Crowland grot spot after planners ‘made a mess’ of a previous application.

The land on Broadway in Crowland had been designated as open space as part of a previous planning proposal.
Tuesday night’s meeting of South Holland District Council heard that it had not been very well kept.
A previous application for two homes on the site had been refused, but applicant Churchfield Developments is now set to build one home there.
Coun Bryan Alcock said: “This whole site doesn’t demonstrate our finest hour because in a nutshell we made a mess of it.
“It’s overgrown and looks a ruddy mess.
“The developer has shown no signs of maintaining it.”
Coun Jack Tyrrell told the meeting he was shocked that the drainage board hadn’t raised concerns about building so close to a pumping station.
“It still feels like a squeeze,” Coun Paul Redgate added. “I don’t iike the design.
“I’d like to refuse it but I don’t see how we can.”
Coun James Avery said: “It stops the site continuing as a grot spot and I’m not hearing anything saying loud and proud it should be refused.”
Planning officer Mark Simmonds said: “Things might have been done differently now.
“We’ve tried to work with the developer and this is the best scheme we’ve got coming forward.
“We think this is a one-off which we don’t think will be repeated and it’s a learning experience.”