Stamford North approved unanimously by councillors

A headteacher is among those who spoke in favour of a 1,350-home development which has won unanimous council approval.

Victoria Lloyd, head of Stamford Welland Academy, said the Stamford North development on 200 acres of land close to the Green Lane School would help fund sports and arts facilities for pupils and the wider community, as well as a sixth form.

There is currently no state school sixthform provision in Stamford.

Mrs Lloyd said a significant number of 16 year olds finish their final two years of education at Stamford College, or travel to sixth forms in Oakham and Bourne, needing a bus pass that can cost about £950 a year.

The question she is asked most at parents’ evenings is when the school will provide a sixth form, she said. ‘Section 106’ money, which developers give to councils to spend on infrastructure such as schools, health and sports facilities, would be used to improve Stamford Welland Academy.

Also keen for Stamford North to be approved by South Kesteven District Council at its planning meeting today (Thursday, December 5) was Richard Baker, director of Stamford Association Football Club (AFC).

Speaking after Mrs Lloyd, he said Stamford North master developer GummerLeathes planned to remove Borderville Sports Centre’s grass ‘junior’ pitches to make way for part of a park running east-west through the development, from Little Casterton Road to Ryhall Road and the River Gwash.

To compensate for the loss of the pitches, the developer will have to provide facilities that are the equivalent or better, which could include all-weather grounds.

Mr Baker said the wider Stamford North development will also allow Borderville to become “even more of a community hub” because of its location within the site, and said they were “not just supportive but excited about the positive change this project could bring”.

People also attended the planning meeting in Grantham to object to Stamford North, focusing on the developer’s plan to remove a noise and light-screening earth bund between homes in the Berrybutt Way area and Borderville’s sports pitches.

Councillors decided this objection would not sway their support because the removal of the bund and how noise and light screening could be carried out in future could be decided within the more details ‘full’ planning application, and not the ‘outline’ application they were there to determine.

The effect on Stamford’s road network, including six junctions that are already ‘over capacity’ when it comes to traffic, was also discussed.

Councillors were told by planning officers that it was the responsibility of Lincolnshire County Council, as the local highways authority, to improve the junctions because they were already not up to scratch, and not GummerLeathes.

Despite this, money from the developers of Stamford North will be spent on improving existing roads, including installing traffic calming in Arran Road, Little Casterton Road, Radcliffe Road and Scotgate, and upgrading the pedestrian crossing on Sidney Farm Lane to one with traffic lights.

The developer will also give the town £40,000 a year for five years to spend on public transport.

A technical detail relating to changes to the sports facilities means the planning application will have to go to the secretary of state for housing, Angela Rayner. If she doesn’t ‘call in’ the decision for further scrutiny within 21 days of receipt, Stamford North will move to the next stage.

This will involve detailed plans being submitted about housing, which will include almshouses and ‘affordable’ homes, and about a two-form entry primary school, land for a medical facility and sports facilities.

The positioning of the east-west link road and east-west park will also be on those plans.

After agreeing to Stamford North, South Kesteven planning committee members discussed their response to a 650-home development at Quarry Farm, between Casterton Road and Little Casterton Road, which lies to the west of Stamford North but is over the county border in Rutland.

This application will ultimately be decided by Rutland County Council, but members of South Kesteven council feel their neighbouring authority is not proposing to put enough developer money into infrastructure around Quarry Farm, and will instead spend it elsewhere in Rutland.

The committee resolved to send a strong response to Rutland regarding the financial contributions and affordable housing.