ONE of the landowners who wants to build 150 homes on a five-hectare plot in Grimsby has hit back at residents who have criticised the development.
Builder John Tucker, of Squarefalcon Ltd, has branded some of the neighbouring residents against the potential development on land in Humberston Road – which backs onto their houses in Vaughan Avenue – as "hypocritical".
The early stages of a planning application have been submitted to North East Lincolnshire Council for land on Humberston Road, Grimsby, close to Love Lane Corner roundabout, as reported.
At this stage, the application, led by Kirton Consulting Ltd, is for a "screening opinion" to determine whether an environmental impact assessment is needed on the land.
It is one of many housing developments currently proposed for North East Lincolnshire.
Mr Tucker – who has owned the land for 27 years with four other builders – has replied to comments made in the Grimsby Telegraph.
He said: "The first is to applaud Marjorie Mackalam and Tony Bell for not hiding behind the cloak of anonymity in making their comments. As yes, to paraphrase Mrs Mackalam, 'I am one of those builders'.
"To the resident who did not want to be named, who complains that building on this land will ruin their view of the greenery and open space, I would proffer the question, that in building the property they live in, did it not remove someone else's view of the greenery and open space?
"I feel it is a somewhat hypocritical stance to take, if it is so.
"With regards to the maintenance of the field – or lack of it – several years ago we tried to clear the field to keep it looking tidy.
"This resulted in a flurry of residents up in arms about removing what was growing on the land.
"They cannot have it both ways – either we clean the field up and remove what has self-seeded, or we allow it to grow.
"This field has been in the ownership of the said builders since October 1985, and 27 years is, I feel, a reasonable time to accept that it may be subject to a housing development.
"Finally, I would like to add the number and, to some extent, the type of houses that may be built, will be heavily influenced by Government policy and whatever the number set, it will be done so within the framework and guidelines of current planning policy and not at the whim of the developers."
