A plan to build houses on a former shop on a Spalding residential street has been refused.
In 2024 an application to turn the former Memory Lane furniture store in Albert Street into a One Stop Shop was refused due to the impact on neighbours and the premises being deemed too big for such a shop.
Now an application to demolish the building and build four homes on the site has also been refused.
Tulips Fields Homes Ltd had initially applied to South Holland District Council to build five homes on the land, but had reduced that number to four following representations.
Documents submitted with the application state: “The commercial buildings have been vacant for a prolonged period and have become increasingly dilapidated, attracting anti-social behaviour and vermin complaints.
“Their removal therefore represents an opportunity to improve the environmental quality and safety of the area.
“The existing commercial buildings detract from the streetscape and represent a clear opportunity for regeneration.”
However, officers have refused the application with arguments that the three storey buildings built in two pairs would be overbearing for nearby residents.
The report of the deciding Chairman’s Panel also says that the applicant had not demonstrated that there were no other more suitable sites.
That’s despite ‘substantial weight’ being given in the application’s favour because it is on land that’s already been developed.
“The proposed dwellings would be three-storey and of a significant height. Given the relatively low building heights in the immediate vicinity and the flatness of land, the proposed dwellings would be highly dominant in the street scene and would appear as an incongruous feature,” the report of the panel states.”
“The significant height means that the development would be visible within a larger area, including areas of Willow Walk/Osier Road, in turn resulting in a more impactful development.
“This would result in any negative effects being exacerbated, whilst also fundamentally altering the established character of the area and changing established architectural focal points in the area.
“Whilst it is clear that the design is an homage to features which are present in Spalding, they are from a distinct and separate area within Spalding; and therefore, the introduction here would still be incongruous and would not contribute to a sense of place in the area.”
