Plans for 434 Spalding homes lodged - but councillor says residents are being ‘pushed to the limit’

A developer has been warned that it must deliver their community cash and affordable housing quota - after lodging plans to build up to 434 homes on the outskirts of a town.

Seagate Homes has submitted a request to construct 160 two-storey dwellings on land off Monks House Lane in Spalding, plus outline planning application for the approval to create an additional 274 properties.

Among the planning paperwork, the developer argues it would not be able to pay its full amount of ‘section 106’ money or deliver 25% affordable housing.

S106 cash is community contributions provided with large developments to ease the pressures additional residents would put on education, highway and healthcare services. Developments in this area are supposed to be contributing towards the costs of Spalding Western Relief Road - which has been mothballed due to lack of funding.

Speaking to LincsOnline, Coun Ingrid Sheard - the deputy mayor of Lincolnshire, who represents this part of Spalding on both Lincolnshire County and South Holland District Council - stated she wants to make sure residents receive ‘everything we deserve and are owed by this developer’.

“People feel that as we get an influx of housing and traffic and a lack of services, then we’re being pushed to the limit,” Coun Sheard said.

“It’s not acceptable and allowed to go on for too long.

“I will work hard to make sure we receive everything we deserve and are owed by this developer.”

Seagate Homes was given approval to build 70 homes on the former Ivanda Nursery site, also off Monks House Lane, last year.

In September Seagate attempted to have the £1,031,882 in S106 cash and 18 affordable homes for this site slashed to £225,000 and 17 affordable homes, which was later passed following an independent viability assessment.

However, planning committee members did not hold back, stating they were ‘depressed’ and ‘disgusted’ by the outcome.

Seagate states in the current application’s documents that the financial viability statement shows they would not be able to meet either its full S106 contribution or provide 25% affordable housing. This document is not made public due to what are determined as ‘commercially sensitive’ details.

“In reality we have to have s106 money,” Coun Sheard argued.

“We’ve seen it in the past where its put forward, promised and nothing really happens. we need to make sure any section 106 money that is proposed within the planning is achieved. That money has to provide infrastructure improvements for the people of Spalding.

“We also have to look at affordable housing. At the end of the day, the statement is it’s one in four. If they cannot do that we have to question what is their intention to bring the residents anything. We have rules and regulations in place and needs to stick to them.”

Coun Sheard also suggested building up to 274 new homes on land off a road which forms the outside boundary of that part of town - and is serviced by one road - was ‘far too many’, especially due to the close proximity of Monkshouse Primary School.

“I don’t know that the area can warrant it. It the plans go ahead then we certainly need to highlight various concerns,” Coun Sheard added.

“These homes will bring large families to the area and bring an increased pressure on the school, the healthcare facility and other services.

“I’m concerned about congestion and, in particular, parking challenges we have in the area already. I speak with residents on a daily basis regarding these issues.”

Pointing to improvements her ward is crying out for, Coun Sheard added she would like to see Seagate Homes provide an area for overflow parking, particularly helpful during school drop-off and pick-up times, along with a boost to road infrastructure.

“Roads are a definite concern on Monks House Lane itself,” she added. “It’s open to boy racing at night, in particular.

“If we are going to have an increase in traffic we need to find a way to put in some speed limitation mechanism, whether its raised ramps or even moving the traffic flow down to one car at a time.

“With the number of houses (planned) - we cannot have one in and out road. There has to be roads going out to Bourne Road itself as otherwise the congestion at the traffic lights and in the area, especially during rush hour, wont be manageable. I wouldn’t be accepting that without a fight

“We need to look at the parking at each house. Each house will probably have a minimum of two cars, three or four with large families.

“The size of the house needs to offer adequate parking so we don’t rely on the side of the road.”

The design and access statement said: “The planning application is a hybrid submission which consists of a full planning application for 160 dwellings and associated infrastructure together with an outline planning application for the remainder of the allocation for up to 274 dwellings on an overall area of 14.35 hectares.”

The 160 homes would be made up of 65 three-bed houses, 58 two-bed houses, 19 four-bed houses, 16 one-bed houses and two five-bed houses.

“The application site lies on the western side of Spalding and north of the Monks House Lane/Broadway/Bourne Road/Winsover Road junction,” the design and access statement added.

“On the Monks House Lane frontage there a number of vacant buildings associated with the former Monks House Bulb Company Ltd which are to be demolished as part of the overall development of the site for housing.

“There is little in the way of vegetation on the site (some hedgerow to the Monks House Lane frontage) and overall, the site forms part of a larger, flat agricultural field in monoculture with a ditch running east/west.”

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