Plan to build houses on Harrowby Road upsets Grantham residents

A planning application has been submitted to build eight new houses on Harrowby Road, but it is causing upset to surrounding residents.

The application is for the redevelopment of the former Shirley Croft Hotel site with eight new dwellings and new access provided from Harrowby Road.

There are a number of trees that surround the north western corner of the development site, and the report states the trees will be "retained" and "unaffected by the development", but Jim Smith, who lives on Croft Drive, has seen that some trees have been cut down.

Jim said: "The trees have been a focal point going up Harrowby Road.

"They are lovely trees on the right hand of the site. It is lovely to see them coming up the hill. The trees coming down would be a tragedy."

Residents who live along Croft Drive and St Vincent's say they are also unhappy with how the proposed homes will overlook their properties.

Jim added: "It's going to ruin people's lives. Privacy is going to go for all of us, just for money."

District Councillor Charmaine Morgan is supporting the residents in their opposition.

Coun Morgan said: "I opposed the original demolition of the Shirley Croft Hotel. It was an important local and national historic site where Barnes Wallis worked on the bouncing bomb during WWII.

"The new developments coming forward do not seem to be in character with the area at all and there is a genuine concern regarding the preservation of the trees, which have a significant impact on the character of the street and neighbourhood.

“Of particular concern is the fact that all proposals coming forward appear to be cramming too many houses into a small space and this may well have a negative effect on the existing properties in the area."

After speaking to planning enforcement officers about the site, Coun Morgan was told that there had been no breach of planning rules on the site.

Coun Morgan said: "The works that have been done have been in accordance with permissions previously granted for the site. However, I have noted that a number of the existing trees on that site do not have tree preservation orders on them, therefore I am working with SK to see if it is possible to increase protection for trees on that site.

“I’m extremely concerned at how many trees have been lost within the Grantham area, especially over the last few years and it’s possible to request for a tree to have a preservation order placed on it by contacting householderteam@southkesteven.gov.uk and I would strongly recommend contacting a local councillor if you have a concern."

The site is located to the south east of Grantham town centre, and is on the eastern side of Harrowby Road.

The construction of two of the dwellings has begun after the redevelopment proposals were partly "mothballed".

The site will include a mix of three-bedroom houses, which will include two car parking spaces each.

Grange Developments, which has submitted the plans, has confirmed that two trees have been removed. In an arboricultural impact report to the council, it is confirmed that a total of four trees would need removing regardless of the proposed development.

Mark Howard, managing director of Grange Developments said: "No trees have been removed from the site without the required planning permission.

"Two unsafe trees were removed with all the required approvals of SKDC in place - these permissions were pre-existing when the site was purchased and have been in place for several years.

"The council’s own tree officer was on site at the start of the removal last Monday (July 11).

"In addition, since we purchased the site a few months ago, an arboricultural survey has been undertaken by a professional third party company for SKDC.

"This survey found that some of the remaining trees on the site are inherently unsafe - to the point that there is a risk of them coming down on existing homes.

"It is their recommendations that have been put forward to the council.

"No other trees have or would ever be removed without all the required permissions (despite the fact that some are still unsafe).

"Secondly, this site has pre-existing planning permission for eight large houses which has been in place for over 10 years.

"This is not a new site with zero planning permission.

"We have been fully within our rights to have started building based on the existing scheme and will do so if the new permission is not forthcoming.

"However my personal view on the the current planning is that the houses are too large and not aesthetically pleasing.

"Our updated planning proposal is for a development of 10 smaller and more affordable homes, and the total square footage of our proposal over the entire development is only a couple of hundred square feet more the existing plans for eight houses!

"There is a real need for smaller, well built and attractive housing in Grantham and our proposals are intended to fill that requirement."