Plans for 60 new homes in Lea take next step forward

Rippon Homes’ reserved matters application for land off Willingham Road, in Lea, appeared before West Lindsey District Council’s planning committee at a virtual meeting on Monday, August 24.

An officer’s report before members said: “In light of the assessment, the scale, appearance, landscaping and layout of the development is acceptable.

“The development will not have a harmful visual impact on the site, the street scene or the Area of Great Landscape Value.

“The proposal will not have a harmful impact on living conditions of neighbouring dwellings highway safety, drainage or biodiversity.”

Lea Parish Council has objected to the plans saying it will have an “unacceptable outlook” on Willingham Road, particularly with some plots being raised.

They say the site layout doesn’t comply with the Lea Neighbourhood Plan and raise concerns including drainage and the safety of a play area near to a pond on the site.

Coun Jessie Milne, from Lea Parish Council, said: “I don’t support this application.

“There are issues of flooding, the entrance and exit to the development, the speed limit on Willingham Road and there is an abundance of wildlife.

"These issues need to be addressed now, not later on.

"I ask the committe to please refuse this application, to take away the stress of the residents and it falls short of what the planning committee are used to seeing from an application.”

Nearby residents have also raised concerns over the distribution and a lack of affordable housing along with flooding and highway safety worries.

Speaking at the meeting, resident Frank Powell said: “The current sewage system gets overloaded after heavy rain.

"My property has flooded and Gainsborough Road, Lea, has flooded with sewage on a regular occurrence.”

Despite the objections raised the reserved matters application was approved by the planning committee with conditions to be added to the plans.

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