A developer building more than 300 homes in Barton-upon-Humber has applied to remove planning conditions requiring almost £3m for local infrastructure and 50 homes to be affordable housing.
Keigar Homes got planning permission in early 2022 for 317 homes on land off Canberra View. It is phases five and six of the Falkland Way development. As part of the permission conditions a S106 agreement was reached requiring £3m towards local infrastructure, including £2.4m towards local education. 50 homes were to be affordable housing too, where they are at least 20 per cent below market value to buy or rent.
The developer has applied to waive these conditions, with the exception of £97,500 already paid off-site recreational contributions. Land has also been gifted for a cemetery’s extension. An independent financial viability assessment has been submitted supporting the view the development is not viable without the removal of these conditions.
Read on below for more about the developer’s application, and for other recent North Lincolnshire Council area planning developments – including a planning appeal that went against the council’s previous refusal.
317 homes Barton removal of £3m S106 and 50 affordable homes
Devvia Property Consultancy has done the independent financial viability assessment for Keigar Homes. It finds if the S106 and affordable homes conditions were kept, the residual land value after development and other costs would be in the negative by over £2m. But if there are no such conditions, it would be positive by £3.2m.
Devvia note previous phases of the Falkland Way major housing development have already delivered significant S106 cash and 24 affordable homes. These prior phases have seen £1.9m total S106 contributions paid out, including over £1m for education.
The property consultancy also note the S106 contribution expectations on the latest phases are notably higher: “Whilst we are only assessing the last two phases of the scheme, we do note the expectation that phases 5 and 6 will make greater contributions and on-site affordable housing than all of the previous 4 phases combined. This is despite the total housing delivered in phases 1 to 4A being the same as phases 5 and 6.”
The independent viability assessment concludes, “The viability of the remaining phases is now too low to ensure that it will be delivered.” That is, unless the S106 and affordable homes conditions are removed.
Children’s home allowed on appeal
A planning inspector has gone against council refusal, and allowed a children’s home on the east side of the River Trent not far from East and West Butterwick. It will comprise six en-suite rooms for short break and respite accommodation for children and young people aged 0-25 years. The property is currently used as a guest house.
The council had refused it on the grounds of going against its spatial strategy, and flood risk. The inspector did not dismiss this reasoning entirely. However, because of its existing use, they did not view an increased risk on flood concern grounds, nor that it would result in material harm. A condition has been specified that no bedrooms are on the ground floor, due to flood risk.
(Image: Google Streetview)
Hibaldstow Village Hall extension
Hibaldstow Parish Council has regained permission to extend the village hall. The extension would include a committee room, shower and changing room, storage space, a small kitchen area, WC and a ladies/baby changing area.
Mark Simmonds Planning Services stated in a planning document on behalf of the parish council that the extension was “very much needed” to provide improved and extended services at the village hall. The parish council previously had planning permission, but did not make progress with the project in time for it to not lapse.
A hitch in the re-application’s permission was a holding objection from Sports England. It was concerned about the shifting of the adjacent cricket pitch to accommodate the village hall’s extension. The placing of the cricket pitch and four trees that will be planted were consequently amended.
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Pub conversion approval again
Finally, planning approval has been granted again for homes on the site of a former pub in Scawby Brook. Like Hibaldstow Village Hall’s expansion, previous permission had lapsed for the development on the former site of the King William IV public house.
North Lincolnshire Council’s planning committee granted outline permission at its last meeting for three new homes on the site, and the demolition of a single-storey extension to the former pub.
Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
