The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A big crowd is expected for the first public meeting of a new group set-up to oppose plans for a relief road around Spalding.
The Spalding and Pinchbeck Against Relief Road group (SPARR) is also organising two protests against the scheme.
The group has been created to establish a united voice against the Western Relief Road proposal.
One of the founder members, Stacy Barneveld-Taylor said the organisers were hoping for a good turnout for the public event at The Vista on Saturday from 1pm.
She said that South Holland and the Deepings MP Sir John Hayes had accepted an invitation to attend.
“We have also given out 2,000 leaflets to residents in Pinchbeck, Spalding and Bourne Road,” she said.
The leaflets were also available from a stall at Spalding market on Tuesday.
The public meeting on Saturday will also act as the official launch of the group which will outline objectives and priorities of SPARR.
The group wants to stop the initial application for the western section of the road from going through and is demanding further public consultation on the project.
It also wants to promote ‘conscientious progress’ by urging planners and developers to take into consideration existing homes, the environment and pressure on infrastucture.
It is also urging people to object to the application for both the north and south sections of the new road.
There will also be a public protest on April 1 and 2 at the Priory Road offices of South Holland District Council.
SPARR is encouraging people to take placards and signs to the events, organised to coincide with a series of ten-minute meetings with potentially affected residents.
The meetings start at 5.30pm and SPARR wants to show support for those invited to take part.
A number of homes on Bourne Road could be demolished to make way for the new road.
There was a public outcry after public consultation events in February revealed the potential loss of homes as a result of the scheme.
Residents said they had not been informed and Lincolnshire County Council apologised for the upset caused by the revelation.
The authority is hoping the proposed road would ease congestion in the town.
But SPARR says it is being created to open-up land for future development.
Some 4,000 new homes are already planned for land accessed by the road.
“It’s going to have a huge effect on the area, environment and traffic,” said Stacy.
The Fern Drive home she and partner Petra share will be looking at a new high bridge over the railway which is part of the application.
When the couple bought their home, the proposed road was shown much further away from it.
