37-home development in Whaplode labelled ‘accident waiting to happen’

A proposed 37-home development has been labelled an ‘accident waiting to happen’.

South Holland district councillor Thomas Sneath made the remarks when discussing plans for a housing estate in Whaplode.

With drawing showing eight driveways and entrances leading onto Stockwell Gate - a narrow country road used regularly by heavy agricultural machinery - members of the planning committee raised a number of concerns.

“We’re asking people to reverse onto their drives or off their drives onto a very busy road,” Coun Sneath said.

“It is an accident waiting to happen.

“Visibility; if plot one puts three cars on their drive, it means plots two to six will not be able to see oncoming cars if they are reversing.

“I can see why it’s been done like this because of the density, but I don’t like it.”

Having already agreed the development in principle, councilors were discussing the reserved matters – including road layout, scale, appearance and landscaping – put forward by applicant Stinders Homes.

Designs showed access points from plots numbers one to six leading straight from drives onto Stockwell Gate while plots 23 and 24 shared a single point of entrance onto the same road.

The main access road the development also led onto Stockwell Gate.

“The main issue a number of residents have raised is the concept of having so many drives coming onto Stockwell Gate, which is a very narrow road used heavily by the local farmers,” said Coun Allan Beale, a ward member who lives opposite the site.

“When you do look at the design a number of the plots have miniscule gardens, they’ve altered that by moving the houses forward or taking space from the play area at the back.

“But that’s having the effect of reducing the parking ability. The houses at the front will be more forward, running the risk home owners will park, if not on Stockwell Gate, then highways land going over the drain there.”

Coun Paul Redgate raised concerns about emergency services accessing the development.

“I’m looking at this and thinking cars are going to park on this road and if there’s a fire, heaven forbid, how will these vehicles get down there?”

Meanwhile, Coun Jack Tyrrell said the homes look ‘crammed on’ to the site and wondered how refuse collection vehicles could access the site if cars were parked along the roads to the plot.

Councillors agreed to defer their decision.