Developers hit back at fears about new pond in Horncastle

Town councillor Angela Birchall claimed the pond - part of the Langton Rise development - would be ‘a magnet’ to children.

Speaking at last week’s Town Council planning committee meeting, she said she feared a child could drown, even though the pond is only supposed to have a maximum depth one foot.

Coun Birchall described the pond as a ‘magnet for children’ and suggested the developers - Cyden Homes - should consider improving the height and standard of fencing around it.

Councillors also said they had heard reports of youngsters playing on the spoil heap, created by the construction of the new pond.

However, Cyden Homes insist the pond meets all design standards.

In a statement, they said: “We can confirm that construction of the development at Langton Rise is now underway.

“Following on from the Town Council meeting, we would advise that all new housing developments are required to include ‘Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems’ under government guidance, and such features aid in the prevention of the overloading of downstream sewers and watercourses by reducing the flow of water from development.

“The outline planning application for the development included these features and it was a requirement under that permission that they be included in any subsequent Reserved Matters Planning application.

“The balancing pond has been designed and constructed in accordance with the approved drawings and specifications to the relevant design standards and are commonly found in most developments across the UK within new planning consents.”

Meanwhile, the company went on to confirm that they had submitted a scheme for improving the road junction at the foot of Langton Hill with the A158 to Lincolnshire County Council.

The upgrade is part of the planning conditions laid down by a Government inspector when he gave the development the go-ahead on appeal.

Cyden Homes said: “The improvements to the junction have been designed and submitted and the implementation of those works are being programmed by the County Council to meet their requirements.”

No details have emerged about the improvements.

The junction is a notorious trouble spot in the summer.

A spokesperson for the county council has indicated it could be next September before work on the junction upgrade starts in a bid to ‘minimise disruption’ during the busy summer holidays.

In a statement, the authority also confirmed it would support varying a planning condition that stipulates no new houses on the development can be occupied - until the upgrade has taken place.

Town councillors have indicated they would not support the variation and will write to various bodies - including the government’s Housing Minsiter - for clarification on the legalities of the issue.