Plans for gypsy/traveller caravan site in village near Boston rejected following flooding concerns
Plans for a gypsy/traveller caravan site at a village near Boston have been rejected.
After 18 months of work from officers on the application, East Lindsey District Council’s Planning Committee turned down the plans for Stickney Showground during a meeting last Thursday (February 13).
The applicant, Alan Gray, had hoped to establish a warden’s pitch with a static caravan or mobile home, 10 transit pitches (each accommodating no more than two caravans), a toilet/wash block and a day room on the site between East Fen Lane and East Fen Catchwater Drain.
If it had been approved, the site would have been divided into three sections, with the warden’s pitch at the southern end and 10 transit pitches at the northern end.
Before the meeting, officers had recommended rejecting the application for several reasons, including that the site is in a flood zone. This also led the Environment Agency to object to the plans.
Recognising this, Coun Neil Jones, a Conservative member, said: “We wouldn’t even consider this for development if it was for houses.”
Ward councillor Carleen Dickinson, of the East Lindsey Independent Group, urged the committee to follow the officers’ recommendation, pointing out that at a recent public meeting held by the local parish council, residents filled the room to share concerns about the proposed development.
“Residents are worried about the potential impact on property values or their ability to sell their homes when they wish to move,” she said, highlighting some of the objections.
“I urged residents to use their right to comment on the planning application via the website, but many were too scared to do so as their details would then be in the public domain,” she explained.
Although she advised them they could comment anonymously, few did. However, the plans still received 14 formal objections from neighbours.
Coun Alex Hall, also a Conservative, sympathised with the concerns and proposed refusal, which was quickly seconded by Coun David Hall, a Labour member.
“Clearly, there are reasons for refusal. It’s a high flood risk, and insufficient information has been provided by the applicant to mitigate concerns,” said Coun Hall.