Holbeach developer Ashwood Homes is set to build nearly 150 new homes in the area after planners gave the go-ahead to separate developments in Cowbit and Donington.
South Holland District Council’s committee granted permission to the building of 73 dwellings in Town Dam Lane in Donington and 72 homes off Backgate in Cowbit at its latest meeting on Wednesday, December 6.
Both applications have fewer homes than when they were deferred by the committee in October after councillors raised concerns.
The Donington application was unanimously passed for 73 homes, down on 81 homes previously.
Councillor Rodney Grocock said of the development: “I was pretty vocal at the first meeting about this. I said it was boxes in the country. We talked then about elderly residents dragging rubbish 90 metres to points to be collected but all that’s gone, the adopted road situation is gone and the site looks absolutely fine by me.”
As a concession an NHS contribution which would have cost £32,412 and education contributions that had been calculated of over £400,000 for the 81 home application will no longer be made by the developer as part of the Section 106.
There will also be only three affordable homes included in the plans, way below the 20 per cent planning policy guidelines.
Coun Peter Coupland said: “With 19 affordable homes down to three, it’s the second month in a row we’re more or less having to accept this. I hope it’s not going to be a continuous trend month after month after month.”
The Cowbit application will also have a reduced number of homes from when it was last in front of the committee in October; down to 72 from 80 with the number of affordable homes reduced to five from 19.
A larger public open space has been included in the revised plans following previous concerns with MP John Hayes among those who raised objections in relation to the size of the developments in Cowbit and over traffic.
The development, which will sit next to Ashwood’s recent new development in the village, was passed unanimously.
Coun Anthony Casson said of the new application: “It has been reduced and it is better than it was previously. I’m disappointed with losing a few affordable homes.
“Highways haven’t put any objections in even though people are moaning, complaining, objecting on the extra volume of traffic which will be on Backgate.”
