Plans for 14 homes off Main Street in Quadring have been passed despite a concern that there are no infrastructure contributions.
Outline permission had already been granted for the site which is defined in the local plan for housing.
South Holland District Council’s Planning Committee was told the only reason the application was brought to it was due to the applicant being Crossroad Nurseries, which district councillor Henry Bingham is involved with.
While usually a member of the committee he was substituted out of last week’s meeting for Coun Elizabeth Sneath and did not take part.
The meeting was told that the application was meant to have three affordable homes on the site as part of its Section 106 and health and education payments.
The NHS had requested £660 a dwelling or £9,240 towards Gosberton Medical Centre, Swineshead Surgery and Kirton Medical Centre.
Lincolnshire County Council had requested £54,502.68 in total to pay for four primary school places in Donington or Gosberton and two secondary school places in Donington which it said the new homes were likely to generate.
However Crossroads submitted an independent viability study to say the applicant would not make enough profit on the site.
Planning officers stated the authority’s own independent analysis backed the applicant.
Speaking on behalf of Crossroads, Alan Finch told the committee that the applicant had offered three affordable homes but the council had requested one be for a first time buyer and two for rent.
He described that as ‘disappointing’. as there was ‘no interest from registered providers.
“This gave us no option but to assess the viability not just in financial terms, but in viability.”
The application was passed with only Coun Sophie Hutchinson abstaining.
“I understand where there’s exceptional circumstances where we’d reduce contributions due to viability but I do struggle when it’s being done before permissions have been granted,” she said. “They (the applicant) know what the contributions will be. The education and health contributions are done on a calculation.
“The affordable housing is clear in the policy.
“It’s obvious what the costs are going to be for any developer.
“I struggle understanding how they put something forward that’s not going to be viable.
“It seems to be we’re in a situation where nearly every development coming forward has some viability concerns in one way or another, which means we’re not going to be able to deliver the infrastructure we need.”
