Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence and notification of substitutes (if any).

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Claire Rylott, with Councillor James Cantwell substituting, and Councillor David Brown, with Councillor Stuart Evans substituting.

To receive declarations of interests in respect of any item on the agenda.

Standing declarations of interest were received for all members of the Council who are also members of:

The South East Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee:

Councillors Peter Bedford and David Middleton.

The Internal Drainage Boards: Councillors Peter Bedford, Anne Dorrian, David Middleton, Chris Mountain, Claire Rylott, David Scoot, and Suzanne Welberry.

To sign and confirm the minutes of the last meeting.

The minutes of the meeting held on 25^th February 2025 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To answer any written questions received from members of the public no later than 5 p.m. two clear working days prior to the meeting – for this meeting the deadline is 5 p.m. on Wednesday 30^th April 2025

No questions were received.

Major - Full Planning Permission

Proposed Residential Development Comprising 142 Affordable Dwellings and Associated Works

Land adj to 78 Puritan Way, Land off Puritan Way, Boston, PE21 8NW

Major - Full Planning Permission

Proposed Residential Development Comprising 142 Affordable Dwellings and Associated Works

Land adj to 78 Puritan Way, Land off Puritan Way, Boston, PE21 8NW

The application had been called in for Committee determination by ward member, Councillor Anton Dani, to allow discussion of the following issues:

? Flooding to neighbouring properties.

? Overlooking other houses.

? Only one exit via Puritan Way for such a large residential area.

The application site was a roughly triangular piece of flat farmland extending across 4.6882 hectares, currently in arable use and located on the north-western edge of the built form of the settlement of Boston. The site was bounded to the west by Fenside Road, a rural cul-de-sac beyond which lay open arable farmland. To the north-west was Pioneer Wood, an area of woodland. To the immediate north at the apex of the triangle was a residential dwelling with a large domestic curtilage. The eastern boundary was formed by the River Witham, which at that point had high embankments. To the south was existing residential development centered on Puritan Way.

The application site formed the northern part of a larger area allocated for housing in the Local Plan, which extended to 8 hectares in total, and was described as allocation Fen006, Land East of Fenside Road, in Inset Map 1 and Policy 11 of the South-East Lincolnshire Local Plan. The southern part of the allocation had already been developed.

The site was in Flood Risk Zone 3 (FRZ3) and was also within the Coastal Hazard Zone. Environment Agency mapping indicated the hazard level as being in the category ‘Danger For All’.

The proposal was for the erection of 142 dwellings with associated infrastructure, drainage and open space. All the dwellings would be affordable housing.

After the initial submission of the application, amendments were made to the layout to incorporate a wildlife corridor and natural planting, to add additional drainage at the boundary with existing neighbours and other detail changes.

The recommendation was to approve the application, subject to conditions and the signing of the Section 106 agreement.

The Principal Planning Officer presented his report. He drew the Committee's attention to matters in the supplementary agenda, which contained an assessment of a comment made by a third party in relation to barn owls. The reporting officer’s recommendations remained unchanged and the supplementary agenda included a complete list of conditions and informatives which had been recommended for the application.

By way of update, there had been an additional comment received by the Barn Owl Trust who had reiterated that they considered that a suitably worded condition was an appropriate resolution, and that a mitigation strategy could be achieved if it was well designed. Their representation acknowledged that it was not ideal and best practice would include a robust strategy “up front”. Part of the reason for this was a potential delay in works arising from identifying suitable alternative offsite routes. However, the recommendation included a condition (condition 16) in the supplementary agenda which had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

Major - Full Planning Permission

Construction of 102no. residential dwellings     

Agricultural land adjacent to White House Lane, Fishtoft, Boston PE21 0BE

Major - Full Planning Permission

Construction of 102no. residential dwellings

Agricultural land adjacent to White House Lane, Fishtoft, Boston

PE21 0BE

Prior to the consideration of this item, Councillor Sarah Sharpe left the committee table and took a seat in the public gallery. She did not take part in the committee’s deliberation on this item.

The application had been called in for committee determination by ward member, Councillor Sharpe, for the following reasons:

Policy 2 – Development Management:

·       That the number of dwellings exceeded those allocated to the site under the Local Plan

·       That there were concerns about accessibility to the properties given that they each had steps leading to the access point.

·       That there were concerns about road safety and infrastructure.

Policy 3 – Design of a new development:

·       That the plans were incongruous of the existing properties in the area.

·       That there was also limited public transport available.

·       That there were issues with the accessibility of the properties.

The application site was on the south-eastern edge of Boston to the east of White House Lane. It was 3.01 hectares in size and had been in agricultural use although currently fallow. To the north was 72 White House Lane and allotments. To the west was White House Lane with existing dwellings facing the application site. To the south was 1 White House Lane with agricultural fields beyond as well as to the east. The site was predominantly open with a few trees and hedgerows dotted along the northern and southern boundaries.

The application site was agricultural land and, according to the Borough wide Defra records, designated Grade 1. The site was within the Environment Agency Flood Risk Zone 3. The Council’s Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) 2010 identified the majority of the site as having a Flood Hazard rating of ‘Danger for All’ and a ‘medium’ tidal flood probability. The site had a depth from flooding for the 200-year event (2115) predominately in the range 0.5m – 1.6m.

There were no listed buildings or tree preservation orders on the site.

Running approximately east-west through the middle of the site were overhead power lines and a pylon approximately 50 metres from the site boundary with White House Lane. A Tree Preservation Order (Fishtoft No 5) applied outside of the site, the closest protected tree was within the rear garden of Jasmine (number 76), to the north of the application site on White

House Lane. This would not be affected by the development.

In 2019 the South East Lincolnshire Local Plan had allocated the site for residential development as allocation Fis003, Land east of White House Lane, with a notional estimated capacity of 90 dwellings (see Inset Map 1 and Policy 11).

The Development Manager outlined that the application was for 102 dwellings and associated infrastructure and had been recommended for approval, subject to conditions and the completion of a section 106 agreement. He referred to the original report and the supplementary report, the latter of which was in response to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44.

Major - Full Planning Permission

Proposed residential development of 89 dwellings and associated infrastructure, drainage and open space in accordance with amended plans received by the Local Planning authority on 31-Oct-2024

Land to the East of Gaysfield Road, Fishtoft, Boston PE21 0SF

Full Planning Permission

Proposed residential development of 89 dwellings and associated

infrastructure, drainage and open space in accordance with amended

plans received by the Local Planning authority on 31-Oct-2024

Land to the East of Gaysfield Road, Fishtoft, Boston PE21 0SF

Councillor Sharpe returned to the Committee for deliberation on this item.

The application had been called in for Committee determination by ward member, Councillor Helen Staples, to allow discussion of the following issues:

1. The impact of the new development on existing neighbours;

2. The number of dwellings and the density of the proposal and its relationship to the character of the village;

3. Access and egress, and the impact on the local highway network;

4. Access to the development for emergency vehicles;

5. Design of the dwellings including room sizes and storage space, and their suitability as family homes; and

6. Flood risk and drainage, and the drainage impacts of the proposal on existing residential neighbours and other buildings.

The application site was an area of arable field 3.83 hectares in extent lying to the east of Gaysfield Road, Fishtoft. The western boundary was marked by existing linear housing development on Gaysfield Road with further residential development around Fishtoft Manor on the northern boundary. To the south and east was open farmland. There was also an existing Scout Hut, located to the west, with an enclosed triangle of land also associated with Scouts’ facilities to the south, which would be adjacent to the development.

The topography was largely flat although there was a slight rise toward the northern boundary. Access would be via a new connection adjacent to the Scout hut, the southernmost building on Gaysfield Road. The existing housing on the western boundary were mixed, with mostly modern houses and bungalows. The site was in Flood Risk Zone 3 (FRZ3).

Fishtoft was classified as a Minor Service Centre in Policy 1 of the Local Plan. Part of the site had been allocated for housing in the Local Plan as allocation Fis046 on Inset Map 15.

The proposal was for a residential development of 89 dwellings and associated infrastructure, drainage and open space. The submission included 20% affordable housing. The application had been amended  since the original submission, including revised layouts, amended house types and materials specifications and an augmented drainage strategy.

The Development Manager presented the officer’s report and referred to the supplementary report, which included an amended plan that had been received from the applicant, showing the location of the affordable dwellings proposed, which had been accepted by the Council's Housing Team. The supplementary report also included comments that had been received from an objector which had been addressed. He confirmed that the supplementary report did not alter the officer's assessment of the proposal.

The site plan was presented to the Committee. To the east of the site was open countryside. The plan demonstrated the location of existing properties that formed the current limits of Fishtoft in that locality. The proposed access points on to the public  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.