Keep our roads near Skegness clear - call

In April, councillors gave the green light to Hardy’s Animal Farm for a new £9.5 million holiday centre in Ingoldmells.

The flagship development set in landscaped woodland with lakes, includes wildlife trails and a cross-country path, low-density accommodation, a 40-bed hotel, a family pub, petrol station and leisure facilities with a gym and swimming pool over a 10-year period.

But, with fears the development would make the already congested roads in the area even worse, Lincolnshire County Council wanted an extra £300,000 for highways improvements.

The decision by ELDC to throw out this request was described by Orby resident Margaret Cooper as ‘disgraceful’.

On Friday, Mrs Cooper – who has already complained to the Standard about the volume of traffic on the road outside her home which is used by visitors travelling to Ingoldmells from Gunby roundabout – sent an email to 12 ELDC councillors and officers expressing her intention to make a formal complaint.

The email, which Mrs Cooper said at the time of going to press had received ‘not one response’, stated: “This decision should be thoroughly looked into and the Planning Committee should be made to justify, to the electorate, why caravan site owners are given preference over residents.”

East Lindsey District Council is standing by its decision to support the £9.5m holiday centre plan for Ingoldmells without the developer paying £300,000 additional funding to Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) for highways improvement.

In spite of opposition from the public and concerns about congestion by LCC councillor Colin Davie, ELDC told the Standard the Planning Committee felt that the information provided by both Lincolnshire County Council and the NHS didn’t sufficiently justify the additional funding being requested from the developer.

Orby resident Margaret Cooper, who has lodged an official complaint to the council, told the Standard: “We residents have had enough of the constant stream of speeding traffic making their way to the coast, eight-hour traffic jams practically every weekend from traffic leaving, noise, pollution and huge amounts of litter.

“I am disgusted that this planning committee have seen fit to side with the park owners, and not the residents, who after all they are supposed to work for.”

However, East Lindsey District Council is standing by its decision. A spokesman said: “The developer is already required as part of the initial planning approval to make improvements likely to cost over £1m to the road junction at Anchor Lane/Main Road, Addlethorpe.

“On that basis, and as the project isn’t directly linked to the developer’s scheme, the committee felt that the county council requesting a further £300,000 as a contribution towards the GO

Skegness project wasn’t justified.

“In terms of the contribution the NHS requested, the Planning Committee felt the services the developer was being asked to contribute towards are part of mainstream health service provision.”