A development of 42 affordable homes is to be built off Cowbit Road in Spalding.
Minister Property Group were last night (Thursday) given permission to build the homes on the former Loxmill Farm site.
In September South Holland District Council’s Planning Committee deferred a decision on the application amid concerns that there was no park for young people.
But that’s now been included as part of changes to the application.
Jake Stentiford speaking on behalf of the applicant told the Planning Committee meeting: “We have an even better development under consideration. There’s a desperate need for affordable housing in this area and we have the chance to right now secure an excellent scheme of affordable homes which will make such a difference to those families on the housing register.”
The application has met opposition with planning officers outlining several concerns from residents including the density of the development, without saying how many objections had been received.
September’s meeting also heard that some councillors had concerns after years of planners attempting to integrate affordable homes alongside market value homes, rather than have full estates of them.
But it was passed with the new changes and subject to a Section 106 agreement.
Coun Roger Gambba-Jones told the meeting: “I’m pleased the applicant took on board the comments and the support the committee gave on that.
“We need to continue to express our concern about the concentration of affordable housing given the fact it’s been a long standing wish of this council to see a good mix of housing on sites that see a mixed community and affordable housing integrated with open market housing from day one.
“But at the end of the day this is now what’s being encouraged by Homes England to deliver their funding and certainly they’re making it very difficult to access their funding in any other way.
“Smaller developers feel that they are being squeezed out if not frozen out from that access to funding if they come up with any other schemes that don’t offer complete site delivery on affordable housing schemes.
“Ultimately if we want to see affordable housing delivered in South Holland we have little choice other than to support those who are attempting to deliver such schemes in this way.
“While there’s still reservations of seeing this form of affordable development in locations such as this, notwithstanding the availability of certain local services nearby, it does address a pressing local need for our communities.”
