Decision deferred on proposal to cancel Grantham bridge works
The Pennine Way bridge at Poplar Farm in Grantham would connect two parts of the town
A controversial idea to axe plans to build a bridge which is supposed to connect two parts of a town has been deferred.
After four and a half hours discussing the matter, members of South Kesteven District Council’s planning committee decided to defer an application to remove the requirement for the Pennine Way bridge at Poplar Farm in Grantham.
Members said they didn’t have enough information to make an informed decision.
The agreement was originally made back in 2011 when outline permission was granted for Poplar Farm in June 2011 – allowing up to 1,800 homes plus community facilities, open space and a road bridge completing the Pennine Way link.
A condition agreed at the time requires the bridge to be built before more than 750 homes can be occupied.
At a meeting on Thursday, March 19, planning officers had recommended that this condition should be ditched.
Officers also said removing the bridge obligation would help to encourage the housing to be built and boost the council’s five-year housing land supply.
They also said the bridge would remain desirable for ‘connectivity’ but was not necessary to make the development acceptable in planning terms. They acknowledged that, in practice, that allowing this change would mean it would be unlikely to ever be built.
Many councillors objected to the recommendation – and said that many people had bought houses at Poplar Farm in the hope that the bridge would be built.
Coun Matthew Bailey (Conservative – Grantham St Wulframs) said: “Over a decade ago, the developer made a promise to the people of Grantham to build a bridge.
“They made that commitment. They built 673 homes – and now they are back, not to honour that agreement, but to walk away from it – to betray the people of Grantham.
“The people who built homes on Poplar Farm were told the bridge was coming.
“The residents of Gonerby Hill Foot were told connectivity was coming. This application asks us to look this community in the eye and tell them the promise means nothing while the community pays the price.”
A statement was read out on behalf of Coun Ben Green (Reform – Isaac Newton), who did not attend the meeting in person, to object to the proposal to remove the requirement to build the bridge.
He said: “Planning conditions are not optional extras. They are the mechanisms by which the planning system ensures that developments are acceptable and that the infrastructure required to mitigate their impacts is actually delivered.
“The bridge was not an incidental feature. It formed part of the package of infrastructure that accompanied this development when permission was granted.
“Removing it now fundamentally alters the balance that justified the original decision.”
Darren Ridout, development manager for Buckminster Estate, spoke on behalf of applicants Norwich Hub Ltd and Buckminster Estate.
He told the committee that the bridge was originally agreed before the development of the Grantham Southern Relief road – which he argued will address congestion and improve traffic flow throughout Grantham.
Mr Ridout added: “The final phase of the relief road is now under construction and programmed for opening in 2028.
“Completion of the relief road will act as an enabler to reduce traffic in the town centre, and therefore create extra road capacity, meaning this development can now proceed without the link.”
Councillors initially proposed refusing the application on the grounds that removing the obligation to build a bridge would undermine the commitment to provide travel connectivity and community integration.
But the vote for refusal fell and members then voted to defer the application until more information could be provided about the possible impact of the bridge not being built.
Councillors heard that under the original agreement, there was no requirement for the developer to build the bridge until 750 homes were built.
A total of 673 homes have been built so far – falling short of the threshold required for the developer to build the bridge.
Members also heard that there was a risk that the developer could decide not to proceed any further with the development – which would still leave the area without a bridge.
Coun Charmaine Morgan (Independent – Grantham St Vincents), who was chairing the meeting, put forward a proposal to defer the application on the grounds that the committee didn’t have enough information to make an informed decision.
She added: “I think we really need to understand why this bridge isn’t being delivered and I don’t think we’ve got that.”
The application will be discussed again by the planning committee at a later date.