Baston Parish Council discusses plans by Wates Development to build 250 homes on land off the A15 Deeping Road

People are being encouraged to share their views on a potential housing scheme which could increase their village population by a third.

Members of Baston Parish Council were invited to a meeting with Wates Development to learn about its vision for land off the A15 Deeping Road.

The land is already listed in South Kesteven District Council’s local plan as a potential development site for 86 homes, but Wates has its sights set on building up to 250.

Councillors are now urging residents to attend the next parish council meeting where they will discuss the plans.

Chairman Adrian Clarke said: “If Wates went ahead with 250 homes, that would add about a third of the size of the village again.

“We understand there is a need for new housing and particularly for different types of housing. Most of the properties on the market in Baston are upwards of £450,000 and that can be a problem for children who are born here but can’t afford to stay.

“There’s a sense of realism on the parish council and we know there’s a shortage of homes. When you look at the government’s plans for house building, I think we will see homes built in this area and the discussion will be about how many.”

Adrian said the land has previously been mentioned in a council minerals and extraction plan where it was named as a possible quarry site, but this was discounted.

He added: “We may end up between a rock and a hard place. Would the village rather have more housing or a quarry?”

The Wates Development proposal will be discussed next week.

The meeting is open to the public and takes place at The Barn in Main Street, Baston, on Thursday, February 13 at 7.15pm. It will start with a 15-minute slot for questions from the public and the proposal will be discussed in detail as a separate agenda item.

Adrian added: “People will be able to ask questions. It’s early days but we will encourage them to share their views so we can start to gauge the feeling in the village.”

A document outlining the proposal has been published on Baston Parish Council’s website.

It states: “Wates Development has an enviable track record of creating thriving new communities.

“The proposal addresses local unmet housing need and will deliver up to 250 new family homes of varying mix and tenure as well other community infrastructure.”