Campaigners in North Lincolnshire village 'devastated' after plans for 38 houses approved
They've opposed it for years
Planning permission has been granted on appeal for 38 homes in Wootton, described as a “devastating blow” to the village by campaigners who have opposed it for years.
The campaign group set up to oppose the development has said it may try to take the case to the High Court.
Lincolnshire Estates Ltd originally proposed 90 homes three years ago but scaled down their plans to 38 homes and a small-scale retail unit on land south of High Street, Wootton. This was rejected by North Lincolnshire Council in November 2021 on the grounds that it would have a harmful urbanising effect on the village and was an unsustainable development, being based in open countryside outside the development boundary.
An appeal was lodged by the developers last May and in February, the planning inspectorate ruled in favour of development. During the appeal process, North Lincolnshire Council admitted it could no longer show a five year housing supply and withdrew all their reasons for refusal.
Currently, when a local authority cannot demonstrate a five year housing supply a tilted balance in favour of housing outside of development boundaries is engaged. As pointed out by Wootton Stop The Build committee chair Mandy Atkinson, the five year supply requirement may soon be ditched by the government. Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary Michael Gove indicated last year he will scrap the obligation.
“We’ve actually had residents knocking on the door crying, devastated,” said Ms Atkinson. “It’s took three years and now it’s a big blow. We’re not giving up, definitely not.”
She added her frustration with the changed housing supply position of North Lincolnshire Council had left campaigners “high and dry”. “It is a beautiful village,” Ms Atkinson said, estimating Wootton had a maximum of 200 residents and featured in the 1086 Domesday Book.
“We have regrouped as a committee and we are looking into what went wrong,” she said of the Stop the Build Wootton campaign group. Ms Atkinson said that apart from one member right by the proposed site, no-one had received direct notice of the appeal decision. The group wanted a full explanation for the appeal’s success.
The application has had over 200 comments, mostly opposed to the development, and was objected to also by the parish council and Martin Vickers MP. Residents feel the build will irrevocably change the village for the worse, do not think prime agricultural open land should be built on and raised various infrastructure concerns.
Mandy Atkinson highlighted for example the village’s primary school, which she said had 61 pupils currently. “You’re looking at a lot more children with no school to go to,” she argued of the impact of the 38 new homes. There is also considerable scepticism that the proposed retail unit will have enough demand to survive.
“A shop in a small village I don’t think is going to be viable,” said William Atkinson, chair of the parish council and husband to Mandy though not involved with the campaign group. He estimated around 95 per cent of the village had opposed the new build.
Appeal documents online not only detail the council’s changed position due to housing supply, but also set out the planning inspector’s assessment of the proposal. It was found that the 38 homes were not in a location that would be well served by existing village facilities and being located outside the development boundary, it did not wholly meet all sustainability principles.
But this was outweighed by the council’s inability to demonstrate a five year housing supply. There was scope also for residents of the new builds to access nearby services by public transport. Overall, they found the benefits and tilted balance in favour of the build “significantly and demonstrably outweigh the adverse impacts”.
Fellow campaign group member Nick Shoot said: We think it’s quite wrong. Everything that’s against this build is there. They kind of promote the five year housing plan.
“However, when you really look into it, the development site is actually out of the development boundary, it’s in open countryside on Grade 1 agricultural land.” The campaign group has a matter of weeks to find grounds to challenge the appeal and consequently take the case to the High Court.