Major 450-home Lincoln estate approved but critics say it’s ‘bland copy-and-paste’
The first stage of a 6,000-home project on the edge of Lincoln has been granted full approval after hours of debate. Critics described the 450 homes in Bracebridge Heath as ‘bland copy and paste’ with too many properties squeezed into the land north of Canwick Avenue. However North Kesteven District Council’s planning committee said it was the best plan on offer, and it was too late to do anything about the density. The South East Quadrant Sustainable Urban Extension – as the entire project is known – will eventually stretch all the way to the Eastern Bypass, built stage by stage. This section, dubbed Bracebridge Heights, had received permission for 450 home in 2022, with this application determining the layout and design of the homes. Councillor Lindsey Cawrey (Con), who represents the area, told the planning committee: “The density is out of character with the adjacent neighbourhood. Were the developers working from Croydon without ever visiting? “This doesn’t belong in rural Lincolnshire. We want community, not urban sprawl.”
The road off Canwick Avenue which will eventually lead to 450 new homes
(Image: Lincolnshire Live)
She argued that the design was dominated by “bland copy-and-paste cul-de-sacs”, and said views of Lincoln Cathedral would be blocked unless you used “a fish eye lens”. Councillor Sue Sanders of Bracebridge Heath Parish Council said she was also “disappointed with the quality of the application – as the first stage, we expected it to set high standards for the future”. Councillor Richard Wright (Con) responded “that ship’s sailed” on reducing the number of homes. “In a perfect world, we would like everything to be better, but we’re in a world of housing pressures,” he told the meeting. “We need homes to be built – this area is put aside for the Urban Extension. We knew what was coming down the line for years, and there are no policy reasons to defer it.” Several attempts were made to find reasons to defer the plans, but none were accepted as strong enough by the planning officers. The properties would range from two to five beds, with 20 percent being marked as affordable. The plan was recommended for approval by the council’s planning officers, with no objections except from local parish councils. Matt Collerson, speaking for applicant Taylor Wimpey, said it had worked closely with the council and local bodies to ensure the plans delivered “a high-quality neighbourhood.” The plans were approved by nine votes to three after nearly three hours of debate. Access will be created off the existing roundabout on Canwick Avenue, and a strip of green space will act as a buffer between the new and existing properties. Land has been transferred to Lincolnshire County Council to create a new primary school next to the development, which will go through a separate planning process.
You may also like
Leave a Reply