South Kesteven District Council issues ultimatum to Rutland over Quarry Farm housing plan

Carys Vaughan, representing the protest group 'Protect Quarry Farm' spoke at the start of the meeting, telling members of the committee that 1,600 people had signed a petition against the Allison Homes development, and residents had crowd-funded £6,000 to pay for legal advice.

She said: "Our main concern is the impact on wildlife and we are calling on South Kesteven District Council to object to the housing which would go on an environmentally sensitive area."

She highlighted two areas to the east of the site which were 'environmentally sensitive'.

Stamford town and district councillor Amanda Wheeler (Lib Dem aligned with Ind) also spoke, saying with more than 300 homes being built at the St Martin's Park site off Barnack Road, and the 'Stamford North' development which will see hundreds more properties built to the east of Quarry Farm, in Lincolnshire, homes on the Rutland side were not necessary.

She also quoted Michael Gove, who, speaking recently on housing targets, said local authorities would have "no kind of success simply to hit a target if the homes are shoddy, in the wrong place, don't have the infrastructure required and are not contributing to beautiful communities".

Each of his criticisms, she believes, can be levelled at homes proposed at Quarry Farm.

South Kesteven District Council planners do not have the final say on Quarry Farm - that will be down to their counterparts at Rutland County Council.

Those living in Lincolnshire fear the 650 homes will count only towards Rutland housing targets, will give priority to Rutlanders when it comes to offering 'affordable' homes, and that those moving in will pay council tax to Oakham. Yet they will also be heavy users of services in Stamford that are paid for by Lincolnshire residents.

Describing the application as "a pig's ear", Coun Ian Selby, (Grantham Harrowby - unaligned) said: "With 650 houses you're looking at 1,300 people who will need feeding. Where are they going to shop?

"To my knowledge there are no major supermarkets on the west side of Stamford. They are all in the east and people are going to have to travel to them. That is not environmentally friendly."

Those in the council chamber in Grantham were told Quarry Farm would have a 'local centre', in which a convenience store would be permitted, and there would be shuttle buses to larger supermarkets.

Former mayor of Stamford Gloria Johnson (Stamford St George's - Con) said the whole scheme would 'devastate' the town, adding: "Stamford cannot cope with these houses at all. We have not got the infrastructure."

She asked if it was worth requesting Rutland County Council delays its decision, or if there were any way to stop the development completely.

Assistant director of planning for South Kesteven District Council, Emma Whittaker, said they needed to respond carefully - by delaying the decision, Rutland County Council could open the way for Allison Homes to go over the council's head and ask the planning inspectorate to decide on the application instead.

"That is not a comfortable position to be in," added Ms Whittaker.

She also cautioned that South Kesteven should not base its objections on an east-west road that would run through Quarry Farm, because that road would be integral to the infrastructure of the neighbouring Stamford North development, which South Kesteven needs to meet its own housing targets.

The planning committee resolved that, should Rutland County Council 'be minded' to recommend its planning committee approves the Quarry Farm development without giving enough consideration to South Kesteven District Council's concerns, then South Kesteven would request the secretary of state calls in the decision for a rethink.

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