A much maligned Spalding grot-spot will be renovated, but those against the 86-bed care home given planning permission on the site ask at what cost to the street scene?
The decision to allow Crispen Holdings Ltd to build the three storey building on the site of the former Bull and Monkie pub on Church Gate was narrowly passed by South Holland District Council’s Planning Committee last night (Wednesday, July 16) by eight votes to seven.
It had previously come before them in May 2024 where councillors voted to defer it to speak to the applicants about lessening the impact on the Spalding Conservation Area, including St Mary and St Nicholas Church.
Planning officer Greg Watkinson conceded the development will still have ‘some significant harm’ on the area but he said there had been ‘a very extensive programme of revisions’ and that were a ‘significant improvement’ including making it smaller.
The Spalding and District Civic Society member Howard Baxter argued against the development telling the meeting: “The building is enormous, will dwarf everything around it, and block the view of the grade one listed church.”
Initially Coun Andrew Woolf tabled that the application be deferred again.
“I think it is a better (design) but I don’t think it goes far enough,” he said. “We were talking about the height and it’s not gone down much.
“I also don’t see how Highways don’t have an issue with the access near the traffic lights. I think it’s ludicrous.
“Once a building’s on there we don’t want to be looking in another 16 years saying what the hell did we do?”
Coun Gary Taylor backed him saying: “If we block out that view its gone for generations. There’s an opportunity now to not accept the mundane and the mediocre.”
But the councillors were asked not to defer it on legal advice due to the time it had taken to get to this stage.
Committee chair Coun James Avery said: “The fairest thing for all concerned is to make one decision one way or another.
“If we refuse this we’re voting in favour of the hideous street scene that’s been there for 16 years,” he added.
Planning officers used historical pictures of now demolished buildings being in front of the church previously as part of their reason for recommended approval.
“Yes it will obscure the views of the church, but as we saw from the photos, that was done anyway,” said Coun Allan Beal who proposed the application be accepted.
Coun Sophie Hutchinson quoted planning law to say decisions shouldn’t be made where ‘deliberate neglect’ is a factor, though the meeting was told that legally the council did not consider that to have been the case on this site
“The conservation officer says there will be substantial harm,” Coun Hutchinson said. “That’s the highest level of harm you can possibly get and typically reserved for a complete loss or demolition.
“The justification for that must be there’s substantial benefits to justify the harm. Yes there’s benefits, but is the harm necessary?”
Councillors voted in favour of the application by one vote.
Coun Jack Tyrrell said: “The buildings are three storeys the other side of the river.
“Things grow. The council building the other side looks a right state.
“I kind of like the (plans for the) building as it is.”
Chetan Chouhan architect and planning agent said the application would ‘enhance the public realm’.
“We’ve listened carefully to the concerns of councillors and the community,” he said. “In response we have undertaken a thorough design review and have made a number of significant changes that amend the design to create something that’s more sensitive to the historic and prominent setting.
“It will bring 86 high quality wet room en-suite rooms in a new purpose built facility to benefit the local community.
“It will create at least 70 jobs during both the construction and the operation of the facility.
“Finally it regenerates a long standing vacant brownfield site that will bring a use that will serve the local community.
“We believe the revised scheme is thoughtful, respectful and a much needed addition to Spalding.”
