Concern as plans submitted to gate off Boston housing estate over hospital parking issues

Larkfleet Homes wants to put an electronic gate at the access to the 66 home Boston Gate estate on the A16 Sibsey Road because of issues with hospital visitors and staff parking on its roads.

But concerns have been raised about the impact the gate will have on the road access, particularly with emergency access needed for the hospital on the other side of Sibsey Road, and planners have also spoken of the issue of creating a ‘gated community’.

Despite this though, members of Boston Council’s Planning Committee will be recommended to approve the scheme at their meeting next Tuesday.

The proposed gates will be set back about 11 m from the junction leading to the the new housing estate road from the A16 and will be approximately 1.8m in height and about 5.7m wide.

In its supporting statement, Larkfleet say multiple residents have already complained about parking on the site by hospital users.

It says the gate would be operated by a pressure plate either side, so it will open on approach.

But Cllr J Skinner, who called for the report to go before the committee rather than be approved by officers, said: “My concerns are for ambulances going out from the hospital on blue lights. Other traffic is already restricted for getting out of the Ambulances way because of the island created for pedestrians to cross the road in this area.”

His concerns have been echoed by Fishtoft Parish Council, which said: “Delivery vehicles accessing the site could cause tailbacks onto Sibsey Road which would exacerbate the issues already experienced for vehicles accessing Pilgrim Hospital, particularly emergency vehicles.

“If the purpose of the proposal is merely to stop unauthorised parking, a more sensible solution would be for double yellow lines – as per the precedent set on Burton Close.”

But Larkfleet says double yellowing the site is not a plausible solution as it will cause issues not only for those living on the development but the majority of the roads are privately owned, so they would not be enforceable.

Highways authority Lincolnshire County Council said it recognised the gates could cause some queue back onto Sibsey Road, if they were slow in opening, or if there were several vehicles arriving at one time faster than the gates were able to operate or if the gates were to fail.

But it states in its comments that drivers of following vehicles “would not be expected to simply slam into the back of the last vehicle in a queue of waiting vehicles.

“Vehicles are routinely slowing and stationary on this part of the network and elsewhere without there being unacceptable safety implications.”

Recommending approval, the report to the planning committee recognises the concerns raised over highway safety and tailbacks onto Sibsey Road resulting in congestion and other highway issues, and the fact that it may create a ‘gated community’.

But it goes on to say: “Unauthorized on-street parking along the estate road especially by users of the Pilgrim Hospital is already causing highway problems and conflicts between motorists and residents. This application will help to alleviate these problems.”