It's Horncastle nil and Woodhall Spa 312!

East Lindsey District Council's Local Plan has been formally adopted with hundreds of new homes earmarked for villages in the Horncastle News area - but none in the town itself.
New homes - none had been allocated to Horncastle in the Local PlanNew homes - none had been allocated to Horncastle in the Local Plan
New homes - none had been allocated to Horncastle in the Local Plan

The Local Plan was approved by the Government’s Planning Inspectorate earlier in the year and was adopted at the full meeting of ELDC last Wednesday (July 18).

It sets out the district council’s policies for growth and development across East Lindsey, up to the year 2031.

It also explains how communities across East Lindsey will respond to an increasing population and changes in lifestyle, as well as ensuring that housing, employment land, schools, shops and other facilities are provided for, while preserving and enhancing what is special about the district.

After a lengthy public examination on the Local Plan with two Inspectors from the Planning Inspectorate last year, ELDC carried out a final public consultation on the main modifications earlier this year.

Following last week’s formal adoption by ELDC, the Local Plan now carries full weight in the planning decision process.

A key element of the plan is housing allocations for communities.

Horncastle has not been allocated any new homes, but that is because more than 800 new dwellings have been approved - enough to satisfy the house building commitments for the next 15 years.

Interestingly, neighbouring Louth has been allocated 1,204 homes - on top of the hundreds of homes already approved.

Smaller communities include Woodhall Spa (312 homes), Coningsby/Tattershall (417), Mareham le Fen (113) and Wragby (32).

It should be stressed the numbers are a minimum and there is nothing to stop additional projects being approved.

In Horncastle, for example, that could still open the door for any re-submitted plan by Crowders.

While East Lindsey stressed they carried out a comprehensive review of all communities during the process of drawing up the plan, there will still be raised eyebrows at some of those allocations.

Councillors in Woodhall Spa and Coningsby have previously questioned whether their communities have the infrastructure to cope with hundreds of new properties.