An application for a new holiday site and associated facilities near McDonald’s in Long Sutton looks set to be approved, 11 months after a similar plan was rejected.
The outline application is for up to 30 caravan pitches, 12 two-bedroom and ten three bedroom holiday cottages as well as a fishing lake, offices, caravan sales office, workshop and landscaping.
A similar application for the land to the west of McDonald’s but for 15 more caravans and two less cottages was refused by South Holland District Council (SHDC) last year.
The refusal decision stated it was because “the site is a landmark site located at an important and prominent entrance to the historic town of Long Sutton” and as the applicant had failed to provide sufficient evidence of surface water run off.
Despite remaining on the same site, the western border of which is 150 metres from Seagate Hall, the authority’s planning committee was recommended the new proposal be accepted ahead of tonight’s meeting (September 5).
In the report to the committee recommending outline planning permission be granted by planning officer David Gedney said: “The current proposal would not cause substantial harm to the setting of Seagate Hall and associated stable block, which are grade II listed.
“It is considered that the benefits of the scheme outweigh any harm to the setting of nearby listed buildings.”
The design and access statement accompanying the application says that “significant and substantial landscaping” will alleviate concerns over the application’s appearance.
Long Sutton Parish Council said it “vociferously opposed” the proposal in its representation to the application.
“The site is adjacent to McDonald’s and the two accesses to the site are within the McDonald’s traffic flow.
“The accesses are continually blocked by vehicles using McDonald’s and despite double yellow lines, HGVs, caravans and cars continually park along the narrow access road to McDonald’s.
“To allow further vehicular movements in this area will further exacerbate the problem. HGVs and caravans also park along Vicarage Lane and close to the access road corners and the junction with the A1101 causing further hazards.
“The Barns also have vehicular movements in the same area.
“Vicarage Lane is full of large, dangerous pot holes and the road is deteriorating rapidly due to the constant use of this single track road.
“The [district] council also highlight the danger of pedestrian access to the town over the A17.
“SHDC recently refused permission for a single dwelling in Roman Bank which is adjacent to Vicarage Lane due to unsustainability so has set a precedent in this area of Sutton Crosses for any development.
“To refuse a single dwelling and then approve a large development would not be in line with current SHDC decisions despite the Local Plan still not having been adopted.
“A threat of appeal should not continually be used as an excuse to allow large developments which the town is unable to accommodate.
Mr Gedney said in his report that the parish council’s concerns over McDoanld’s vehicles were “essentially a policing matter” while Lincolnshire County Council’s Highways department has raised no objections.
