South Kesteven District Council approves Balfour Beatty’s plans for 71 homes in Morton

Plans to build 71 homes in a village near Bourne have been approved by councillors.

Members of South Kesteven District Council’s planning committee voted in favour of the reserved application for the land to the east of Folkingham Road in Morton, at a meeting today (Thursday, May 16).

Outline plans from Lincolnshire County Council were approved in November 2020.

The latest application was submitted by Balfour Beatty for up to 71 properties, a new road from the A15, and some public spaces.

The homes will be a mixture of apartments, two-storey terraced, semi-detached, and detached, and all have off-street parking provision.

Since the application was submitted, the applicant had worked with officers to make a series of improvements, including a 3m tarmac shared footway and cycleway linking the development to the High Street, revised layouts for attenuation sites, improved public rights of way networks, and more.

In design terms, the developments are expected to make a positive contribution to local distinctiveness vernacular and character of the area,” said Venezia Ross-Gilmore, the presenting officer.

“The design has been through several iterations following the consultation… and there's been significant improvements to the design.”

She praised the entrance gateway to the area for pedestrians.

Concerns had been raised previously about the safety of the nearby busy A15 road, but Lincolnshire County Council’s highways department said there would be no significant or severe impacts on highways as a result of the development.

Others revolved around drainage issues, mud on the high street from heavy machinery, surface water, and sewage.

A statement read out on behalf of ward councillor Sue Woolley (Con) raised concerns about drainage from the site.

“Earlier this year following Storms several properties in the village suffered flooding,” she said, noting that a drain on the High Street had been unable to cope, and several covers were displaced.

“The plans for the application include a pipe from the site to the High Street so there is an expectation additional water will be directed there,” she added.

Paul Slater, on behalf of Balfour Beaty Homes, said the scheme had been significantly improved by a number of design meetings.

He expressed pride in the materials the developments were using and that market housing would look the same as social or affordable housing.

He highlighted a number of ecological improvements being made including bat and bird boxes, reptile habitats and more than 1,000 metres of hedgerows, as well as having tree-lined streets.

He noted that flooding was due to surface water run-off on the clay-based field which he noted was blank with very little planting.

“With all we’re doing on SUDS, Swales and permeable paving, we will be holding all that water on the site and releasing it at a low rate into the existing drainage system,” he said.

“So this will not make things work and should, in fact, improve it.”

Councillors raised further concerns around highway safety and sought reassurance over the flooding and energy efficiency of the site.

However, others were happy with the site.

Coun Sarah Trotter (Con) said found the plan “refreshing” adding “what a joy it is to hear that solar panels are going on roofs and not on primary agricultural lands.”

Mr Slater noted that a 30mph zone along the entrance was expected to be expanded to the north which he felt would also improve the situation.

The plans were passed with a minor condition to approve aome additional safety features on the footpath and cycleways.

Of the 71 properties, 21 would be affordable homes.

Sufficient children’s play equipment would also be installed on the site within the public space.