Elsea Park residents in Bourne to have safer lives thanks to new footpath

The lives of residents living on the Elsea Park development in Bourne look set to be made safer.

Kier Living has applied to South Kesteven District Council for planning permission to build a footpath on land south of West Road, between West Road and Welland Drive.

The move follows campaigns by residents of Bourne Heights and the Elsea Park Community Trust, who complain the lack of a footpath means they have to negotiate a busy roundabout to get into town on foot.

When property developer Larkfleet built Bourne Heights, the proposed footpath was not built because the land it is to be built on is owned by another developer Keir Living.

Lincolnshire County Council Highways were approached about the footpath and the county council offered to fund part of the scheme if residents waited until 2020 or all of the scheme if they waited until 2021.

The community trust said it would fund the footpath and then Bourne Town Council offered to pay a third of its budgeted £15,000 cost.

Elsea Park Community Trust manager Barry Cook said there were ‘boundary issues’ affecting the scheme and the land also contained utility services underground, which also complicated matters.

However, Kier Living, who he says, was not responsible for the footpath not being built, kindly offered to spend several thousand pounds on the survey work and submitting the planning application.

Barry said: “They were bailing out something someone else should have done.”

Now, Kier Living has submitted its planning application to SKDC, Barry is keen for Elsea Park residents to have their say as the proposal undergoes its consultation process.

Should the plan be approved, he says a contractor is on standby to start work.

He added: I have expressed thanks to Kier Living. It’s very much appreciated. the trust is extremely grateful for the effort Kier has put in.”

The Mercury sought comment from Larkfleet but they did not respond as we went to press.

Last year, its technical director Dan Endersby told the Mercury the proposed footpath was not built as it was not in the approved plan for the
development.

The land was owned by a third-party, meaning that building the footpath was outside Larkfeet’s control, he added.