Baytree Nurseries founder behind Weston homes plan

The founder and owner of Baytree Nurseries in Weston has applied to build 53 homes in the village.

Reinhard Biehler, and his wife Yvonne, want planning permission to build a mix of bungalows and one-storey houses more than seven acres of land off High Road, Weston.

If approved, the new development would be near to where outline permission for a development of at least 57 homes on more than 15 acres of land off Pinfold Lane, Weston, was given by South Holland District Council last month.

A statement on behalf of the Biehlers said: “The proposal is for a mixture of 53 bungalows and houses, together with a proposed road network and public open spaces.

“This site is considered to be in a sustainable location, with public footpaths available connecting the site to local facilities.

“Discussion have taken place with Lincolnshire County Council highways in respect of the proposed site access and each property will have provision for the parking of two cars.

“It is proposed for the site to have enough houses to meet South Holland District Council planning department’s affordable housing policy.

“The scheme will have minimal impact on the surrounding area due to the single storey bungalows and houses.”

Mr and Mrs Biehler originally set up Baytree Nurseries as a market stall in September 1970 before rapid growth resulted in the business becoming a garden retail centre, including restaurant, coffee lounge, leisure site and conference centre.

But the housing plan has been opposed by Weston Parish Council whose vice chairman Coun Chris Dicks claimed that some people living in High Road would be “completely encircled by this estate if it’s built”.

Coun Dicks said: “I’ve knocked on the doors of everybody who would be affected by this development and they are all concerned about privacy.

“There are issues with existing homes being overlooked by these new ones, noise pollution, extra traffic, primary school capacity and the impact on public medical facilities.

“Also, different reports have recognised that this piece of land has the potential for flooding and drainage issues.

“Some of the residents are going to be completely enclosed by this estate if it’s built because the developers will be almost running two large estates together.”

In contrast to Coun Dicks’s view, a Flood Risk Assessment report for the application concluded that the site “is in a defended floodplain” and “the actual risk of site flooding from any Environment Agency river system is very low”.

A pre-planning advice report from the district council suggested that a five-year housing supply shortage across South Holland would have to balanced against rural development only being allowed either for agricultural workers or “small scale” affordable housing.

The report said: “New residential development is normally only allowed in such locations if it is proven essential to meet the needs of rural workers or if the proposal is for small scale, rural exception affordable housing.

However, the council does not currently have a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites and therefore housing applications should be considered in the context of a presumption in favour of sustainable development, with social, economic and environmental dimensions that are mutually dependent.”