Developer wants to build 76 Spalding homes but argues affordable housing needs to be ‘subject to negotiation’
A developer is planning to build 76 new town homes - but wants to negotiate the number of affordable properties.
Seagate Homes has applied for permission to construct the dwellings on farmland at Horseshoe Road in Spalding.
Plans are for a number of different-style homes, plus affordable housing.
“Providing a mix of housing requires development to include housing to meet the current and predicted future needs of the local population,” the design and access statement prepared by agent Robert Doughty Consultancy said.
“The proposal includes a range of house types and sizes to meet a range of needs of the local population, including affordable housing.
“The proposal provides a mix of two-storey dwellings, similar in character to the existing dwellings in the surrounding area.
“A mix of smaller detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are located within the body of the site.
“Larger, detached dwellings are proposed along the Horseshoe Road frontage, similar to the existing frontage development to the east and west.”
Arguing that the development could not afford for a quarter of the properties to be affordable homes, the statement added: “Affordable housing provision on housing sites requires 25% of dwellings on sites over 11 dwellings to be affordable.
“The viability appraisal submitted with the application demonstrate that the site cannot deliver 25% of affordable housing.
“The affordable housing provision will need to be subject to negotiation.”
The site is located to the south of Horseshoe Road.
“The rear boundary is a continuation of the rear boundaries to the west, which is also the approximate line of the former Bourne and Lynn Joint railway line, (dismantled after 1952),” the design and access statement said.
“The site is currently farmed in an open flat landscape which continues to the south of the site.”
The land is allocated for residential development in the South East Lincolnshire Local Plan, with an original capacity for 88 properties.
However, this lower figure results from the need to provide on-site biodiversity net gain, which was not a factor when the Local Plan was adopted.
The statement added this decision was also helped by the need ‘to meet the specific character and grain of development in the area such as the larger houses on the Horseshoe Road frontage’.