Objections lodged over plans to build up to 130 new homes in Woodhall Spa

East Lindsey District Council first received the planning application for outline permission last summer, setting a deadline date of November for a decision or recommendation.

Submitted by the Woodhall Spa-based company Abbey Farming Ltd, it is for a housing estate on arable farmland spanning 20.6 acres (8.36 hectares) at Fieldside View, Tattershall Road.

However, planning officers are still mulling over a host of documents and submissions, including objections from neighbours and nearby residents, who say they are firmly against the proposal.

In posts on the council’s website, they claim Woodhall Spa does not have the infrastructure to cope with such a development, especially when considered alongside other significant housing projects recently approved or currently being built.

They fear it would lead to an increase in traffic, pollution and noise and would be “out of keeping with the character of the area”.

One resident said: “The cumulative effect of hundreds of new homes across various developments is a critical consideration that must be assessed.

"The existing healthcare services are already heavily subscribed, and local schools may lack the capacity to accommodate the significant influx of new pupils.

"Also, the drainage and sewerage systems are not designed for such rapid and extensive expansion.”

He believed the existing road network in Woodhall Spa would struggle to handle an increase in traffic, causing congestion and safety risks.

And he claimed the loss of another greenfield site would “lead to a collective loss of natural habitats and biodiversity in the area”.

Another resident feared the development would lead to more parking problems in the town and put a great strain on community facilities, which were already under pressure.

According to Companies House, Abbey Farming is a business run by 57-year-old Joanna Nelstrop and 55-year-old William Nelstrop.

Their application insists that the site is “an ideal and sustainable location for new housing to support the district’s growing population”.

It would have “no material impact on the local highway network” and would include a full drainage strategy.

It did not fall within a designated site for nature, and nearby wildlife sites would not be affected.

The plan also included lots of landscape features, including hedges, trees, habitats, watercourses and a network of green corridors to support biodiversity.

A total of 52 of the proposed houses (40 per cent) would be classed as affordable. All 130 homes would include electric vehicle (EV) charging points and cycle storage.

The scale, appearance and layout of the homes will be determined via a full application at a later date if outline permission is granted.

But the applicants’ agent, Fytche-Taylor Planning Ltd, of Lincoln, says “a sensitive design approach” would be followed.

It adds: “There are no significant constraints to the development. It is compliant with the East Lindsey Local Plan.”

THE details of many planning applications can be found in public notices advertised by local and regional newspapers. To catch up on all the latest public notices, go to https://publicnoticeportal.uk/