Bid for £100k cemetery funding from 400-home Pinchbeck development

The construction of up to 400 new properties in Pinchbeck could help fund the village’s new cemetery.

Pinchbeck Parish Council have requested Ashley King Developments - which has made the planning application to develop land at Yews Farm - offer a £100,000 ‘developer contribution’.

It is proposed the funds would ‘directly benefit local residents’ as the council looks to transform their site at Blue Gowt Lane.

In a letter to South Holland District Council’s planning department, Pinchbeck Parish Council states the proposed new housing development is on land they believed would ‘remain agricultural in nature’.

“Development of housing at Yews Farm will have a direct impact on the natural setting of the new cemetery, and will change this quiet and natural aspect forever,” the letter continued.

“The new houses will be in relative close proximity, as will the road network, bringing with it associated traffic and noise during, and post, development.

“Given the cemetery project is in its infancy (expected to be operational in one-two years) we believe it is fair to request a developer contribution.”

Ashley King Developments has applied to build 100 new homes along with outline permission for up to 300 further homes.

The firm’s Section 106 payment - a legal obligation to mitigate the impacts of a development - would help fund part of Spalding’s Western Relief Road, which aims to link A1175 and A16 to the south and east of Spalding.

“We understand the need for affordable housing, and potentially health and education contributions,” the letter continued.

“Should there be contributions toward health and education, SHDC has no control over where and how these monies will be spent, and they could possibly be spent outside the boundary of South Holland, providing little or no benefit to local residents.

“On this basis we believe it would be appropriate to target a level of developer contribution toward delivering the new Pinchbeck Cemetery, thus preserving this portion of spend within the district, directly benefitting local residents.

“Based on the above, Pinchbeck Parish Council politely request a developer contribution of £100,000.”

The parish council believe the final costs of their new cemetery to be ‘substantially higher than this amount’.