Agenda and draft minutes

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

Apologies for absence were table by Councillor Lina Savickiene. No substitute member.

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

Standing declarations of interest are tabled in these minutes for all members of the Council who are also members of

Lincolnshire County Council: 

Councillor Alison Austin

The South East Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee:

Peter Bedford and David Middleton.

The Internal Drainage Boards:

Councillors Peter Bedford, David Middleton, Claire Rylott, David Scoot, and Suzanne Welberry.

To sign and confirm the minutes of the last meeting.

With the agreement of the committee the Chairman signed the minutes of the previous meeting held on the 5November 2024

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. Thursday 28 November 2023.

No questions tabled.

Change of use of a dwelling to a children’s home for a maximum of six children (Use class C2) and a garage conversion into a habitable space.

Walnut Tree Farm

Punchbowl Lane

Brothertoft

Boston PE20 3SB

Virtue Therapeutic Care and Education (East Sussex Ltd)

Rose Consulting.

Change of use of a dwelling to a children's home for a maximum of six

Children (Use class C2) and a garage conversion into a habitable

space

Walnut Tree Farm, Punchbowl Lane, Brothertoft, Boston PE20 3SB

Virtue Therapeutic Care & Education (East Sussex Ltd)

The Senior Planning Officer presented the report advising that application had been called-in to committee by the ward member Councillor Stuart Evans.

The site to which the application related was an existing, detached, two-storey residential dwelling located on the northern side of Punchbowl Lane, Boston. The site was extensive, which included the dwelling itself, a wooded area to the west and two paddocks to the north, with the larger of the two extending past the eastern boundary. The site had a neighbouring property to the east (Orchard Meadow), but it was separated by the large paddock and was approximately 107.9m from the side elevation of Walnut Tree Farm. Opposite ‘Orchard Meadow’ were two other residential dwellings. The site sat within a countryside location and was approximately (when measured in a straight line) 2454.4m from the settlement boundary of Boston. Punchbowl Lane did not benefit from street lighting or a pavement. The site had no immediate neighbours and is surrounded by agricultural fields to the north and west. The site is located within Flood zone 3.

Planning permission was sought to convert the existing dwelling into a Children’s Home that would house a maximum of six children (use class C2). Included in the proposal is the conversion of an existing garage into a habitable space. There is no increase to the overall footprint of the dwelling and no alterations to the existing access arrangements.

The home would facilitate and provide care for the children and young people for the duration of their placement. It was proposed that there would be four members of staff on site during the day and two members of staff during the night. The facility would be registered and inspected by Ofsted.

The site had been subjected to two previous applications, one for a single storey side extension granted in June 2005 and a further for the erection of single dwelling with a garage which had been refused in November 2007.

There had been significant objection to the application from residents who had cited concerns about the speed limit on the road outside the site; the lack of any street lighting and no pavements along the road; the proximity to farm buildings and a chemical store along with the impact on neighbours and concern at the issue of water run-off and flooding.

The Parish Council had also objected along similar lines as the residents with added concerns in respect of the impact on local wildlife and increased noise levels.

Whilst concerns had been voiced by the statutory consultees, they had been mitigated by conditions.

It is noted that significant representation and member commenting and questioning followed (including repetition of commenting) and the minute below provides the key matters tabled. A recording of the full  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

Major – Full Planning Permission

Change of use from haulage and storage depot to housing development of 23 no. residential dwellings, estate roads and services in accordance with amended plans and supporting documents received by the Local Planning authority on 31st July 2024

G H Kimes Haulage Depot, Main Road, Wrangle, Boston, PE22 9AW

Mr Colin Pape, H H Adkins (Contractors) Ltd

Change of use from haulage and storage depot to housing development of 23 no. residential dwellings, estate roads and services in accordance with amended plans and supporting  documents received by the Local Planning authority on 31st July 2024          .

G H Kimes Haulage Depot, Main Road, Wrangle, Boston, PE22 9AW.

The Senior Planning Officer presented the report confirming that the Ward Member Councillor Callum Butler had called-in the application on the grounds of concern is respect of drainage and flood risk, neighbours’ residential amenity and the scale and dominance and density of the proposed buildings.

The proposal was for change of use from the historic use as a haulage yard to residential, for the erection of twenty-three dwellings with associated roadways and infrastructure.

The application site was a former haulage yard of approximately 0.5 hectares in area. The main buildings were on the eastern side of the site but following fire damage previously and all buildings had been removed, and the site was currently bare and with (95%) surfaced in concrete. There was an inspection pit in the south east corner - otherwise the site was featureless.

The location was to the north of the A52 Main Road, Wrangle, in the eastern part of the settlement. A wide concrete entrance joined the highway, and there were residential neighbours on the southern boundary and opposite on the south side of the A52.

To the east was an open arable field, and further dwellings were located to the west and north of the site. The site was flat, as was the local topography, and the location was in Flood Risk Zone 3 (FRZ3). Wrangle was classified as a Minor Service Centre under Policy 11 of the Local Plan.

The planning history on the site had included an initial application for 27 dwellings in which had been granted. That had been followed by a new planning permission to replace an exant permission in order to extend the time limit for implementation which was agreed. A further application was granted for the implementation of an extant permission and the most recent application had been granted for outline permission for between 21 and 27 buildings.

As a result of publicity 36 representations have been received at the time of writing from 12 private addresses.

All third-party representations could be viewed in full on the Council’s website. Summaries incorporated multiple responses from an individual address. The objections and comments were summarised as follows:

§       Inadequate village infrastructure (drains, school, GP

    surgery, roads) cannot cope with further new housing.

§  The local sewage system struggles to cope with existing volumes and problems will be made worse by new housing.

§  Surface water drainage is extremely poor locally; groundwater levels are high making percolation drainage and SUDS unsuitable; some riparian drains shown on historic maps are not included in the plans; surface water run-off from the site is a threat to neighbouring properties especially when levels for new housing are raised.

§       Local fresh water supply is inadequate.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.