West Lindsey Council's Planning Committee voted to grant outline planning permission for the construction of nine homes on land off North London Avenue and Westmoreland Avenue in Scampton. The decision, opposed by local residents, was made after a site visit and a lengthy debate about the impact on the environment and local infrastructure.

Proposed Housing Development in Scampton

The committee revisited a planning application for nine homes in Scampton, a village near Lincoln. This was an outline planning application, meaning that only the principle of development and access to the site were being considered at this stage. The details of the design, layout, and landscaping would be determined later.

Marcus Tams, representing the applicant, Annington, addressed concerns raised in a previous meeting, assuring the committee that:

...we've addressed all the design principles, the policy principles, and importantly the technical issues that were put in front of us at the time.

Ownership and Environmental Concerns

Addressing concerns about the ownership of the land, Mr Tams confirmed that the entire application site belonged to Annington. He also clarified that the development would involve the removal of a small number of low-quality trees, while a significant number of trees along the western boundary would be retained and enhanced. He emphasized that the development would result in a net gain in biodiversity.

Highways and Infrastructure

Mr Tams explained that the roads surrounding the development are privately owned and maintained by a management company funded by homeowners, including Annington. He assured the committee that the development would not negatively impact the upkeep of roads, footpaths, street lighting, stormwater systems, and open spaces. He also mentioned that a drainage strategy had been submitted with the application, detailing how foul and surface water drainage would be integrated into the existing site-wide system.

Councillor Smith raised a point about a legal dispute between Annington and the Ministry of Defence concerning former Ministry of Defence housing stock. This dispute, he noted, could potentially impact the management company responsible for the Scampton site. However, he acknowledged that this was not a direct planning consideration for the current application.

Residential Amenity

Concerns were raised by neighbours about the impact of the development on the privacy of existing homes, given that the new dwellings would be situated on higher ground. However, Ian, the case officer, reminded the committee that the detailed design of the development, including the final siting of the homes, would be assessed at a later stage.

Ecology and Wildlife

Councillor Barrett, a self-described 'twitcher', shared his observation that the trees on the site seemed too small to support nesting red kites, a concern raised in the previous meeting. The case officer clarified that a professional ecology survey had been conducted, which included measures to protect nesting birds during construction.

Decision

After considering all the information, Councillor Smith proposed granting outline planning permission, a motion seconded by Councillor Bell. The committee voted unanimously in favor of the proposal.