Layout, appearance and landscaping details approved for 40 affordable homes on site of former St Wulfram's School in Grantham

The details of a 40-home affordable development on a former Grantham school site have been given the green light.

Details of the layout, landscaping and appearance of a development of 40 affordable houses on the former St Wulfram’s School off Queensway were approved unanimously by South Kesteven District Council’s planning committee earlier today (Thursday).

The school was demolished in 2014, with outline planning permission for the development granted in January 2021. The land was purchased by MyPad Ltd in 2022.

The officer’s report said that the application had been “subject to a number of revisions during the course of the determination period following extensive engagement between officers and the applicant”.

It added that no objections had been raised by technical consultees.

In terms of access, the former school entrance off Queensway will be the primary entrance and exit to the site.

Each house will have access to an electric vehicle charging point, with space for two cars per dwelling and additional visitor parking on the site.

The outline planning permission was originally granted with only 20 per cent of the housing being designated as affordable. However, the current proposals are submitted as a 100 per cent affordable housing scheme.

A range of one-bedroom apartments to four bedroom houses will make up the 40 proposed homes, including a mix of semi-detached and detached properties which will all be two-storeys high.

There will be four one-bed apartments, 20 two-bedroom houses, 14 three-bedroom houses and a pair of four-bedroom homes.

Louie Sneddon spoke at the meeting on behalf of MyPad, the developer.

She said: “All of the dwellings will be affordable housing units, exceeding the 20 per cent affordable housing requirement.

“This represents a significant, much-needed contribution to affordable housing within the area.

“The applicant has worked proactively with the local authority since the application was submitted to ensure a high quality scheme was brought forward.

“This includes working collaboratively with officers as part of the Design Pad service to ensure all the design and highways comments were addressed.

“This includes a feature open space upon entry into the development, the retention of the tree belts on the northernmost boundary of the site, and ensuring that a high quality landscaping scheme is brought forward.

“A gap in the landscaping has been included to the northern boundary to ensure a potential future connection between the site and the Green Lane cycle path to the north.”

Councillor Phil Gadd (Belmont, Ind), said he thought the connection between the site and Green Lane is “absolutely crucial to this site in the long term”, because it will provide access to nearby parks, Sunningdale and the cycle path down to the riverside.

Councillors enquired about solar panel provisions, fire hydrants and whether the properties would all be sold or rented out.

It was explained that these details would come forward at a later stage in the process.

A children’s play park will not be added to the site, but due to a condition of the outline permission, just over £154,000 will go towards providing play equipment at Harrowby Lane playing fields, with another £154,000 going towards Walton Academy.

Just over £69,000 will go to improving the sports pitches at Harrowby Lane playing fields, £26,400 will go towards remodelling St. Peter’s Hill surgery to provide additional healthcare capacity and £13,771 will be used to enhance the Riverside Walk in Grantham.

Vice chair of the planning committee, Councillor Charmaine Morgan (St Vincent’s, Ind), said: “We are desperately short of new housing.

“This particular site has been vacant for some time and this scheme does seem to be a very good way forward. It will provide new homes in an area where we desperately need them.

“There might be some niggles, but it looks like none of them justify refusing this and it looks like a lot of effort has gone into the design.”

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