Kier's plans for 29 homes off Kettering Road in Stamford switches to five properties by a different developer

A five-year battle over housing on the edge of Stamford has taken a fresh twist.

After Kier Homes won a planning appeal for 29 homes on the site off off Kettering Road, a smaller scheme for just five homes has now been proposed.

The new scheme from Simon Boon Homes comes before the development management committee of South Kesteven District Council on Tuesday (March 2) and is recommended for approval.

Earlier, in 2014, Kier Homes sought to build 48 homes on the ‘historic greenfield site', leading to a public uproar. Numbers were then reduced to 29 but despite being refused by SKDC, Kier won their application on appeal.

David Hemming, of Kier Homes, said his company had never bought the site and was unable to strike a deal, something that often happened in housebuilding.

Simon Boon Homes submitted its latest proposal for a 0.9ha western section of the former grazing field last June, which would have featured 12 homes under the old plan. It said of the approved scheme: “The proposal resulted in massive objections from the local community and stakeholder groups who were extremely disappointed with the outcome of the appeal n respect of the principle of development and the nature of the proposal and its impact on the character of this approach to Stamford.”

The homes would be ‘substantial’ five bedroom homes “constructed of natural limestone and slate and all have elements of both vernacular and Georgian architecture which is inspired by historic properties located within and around Stamford”.

They would also have “significantly less impact and therefore less harm to the setting or heritage assets than the approved scheme.”

The latest proposal attracted 26 letters of objection, with two in favour. Objections included lack of affordable housing, the scheme still harming heritage assets such as Burghley Park and the Stamford Conservation Area. People also opposed housing south of Stamford.

But SKDC planning officers said: “The level of harm would be significantly less than that of the extant permission.”

District and town councillor David Taylor (Con), one of the co-founders of the Stamford Protect Our Green Space group, which fought the earlier plans, said he would reluctantly support five homes.

“I would rather there wasn’t any development but we are beyond that. At least the five houses are in keeping with the conservation area. I would rather have this five than 29.”