Flooding concerns amid major plan to build 250 new homes in Grantham

Plans have been approved to build 250 homes in a Lincolnshire town. Bloor Homes, headquartered in Measham, was previously granted planning permission to build 205 new homes on the site north of Somersby Hill, Grantham, in November 2021.

However, the firm recently chose to submit a new planning application for 250 homes, utilising additional plots of land. The proposal also includes up to three children’s play areas across the site, with a total of 2.5 hectares of public open space proposed across the entire 9.5-hectare site.

A number of parties, including Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and Londonthorpe & Harrowby Without Parish Council, voiced their objections to the proposals. During Thursday’s South Kesteven District Council planning committee meeting (May 16), parish councillor Alan Bowling said he was pleased to hear that 75 homes would be designated as affordable housing.

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However, he voiced concerns about potential flooding, citing a recent observation in the Sunningdale estate where water was reportedly coming out the top of a manhole cover. He noted that such occurrences have been “prevalent” in the parish recently and feared that this development could exacerbate the issue.

Councillor Bowling also questioned why there were no single-storey dwellings being built for elderly residents. Meanwhile, Richard West, representing Bloor Homes, defended the application, stating that the site would now benefit from a series of open spaces, additional footways/cycleways, and a greater biodiversity net gain.

During assessments of the application, the council’s planning officer stated that the proposal "represents a significant public benefit which should be attributed significant weight". Despite concerns about water management echoed by Councillor Harrish Bisnauthsing, the plans were approved.