FOUR hundred homes WILL be built in Humberston – to the disgust of residents who have fought hard for two years to block the controversial plans.
Keystone Developments' proposal to build a retirement village and other homes on greenfield land off Humberston Avenue has twice been refused by North East Lincolnshire's Planning Committee.
However, that decision has now been overturned by the Government following an appeal.
The outline planning application had been refused on the grounds that the development was unsustainable, would cause "severe" traffic congestion, and would result in the loss of green space when land in more "sustainable" locations was available for development.
However, Planning Inspector Richard Watson concluded that although the development would cause "limited harm", that "would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the scheme". His conclusions were approved by Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, who therefore upheld the appeal.
Nikki Hale, spokeswoman for the Save Our Fields group, which has fought the proposals since they were first announced in 2011, said: "We are bitterly disappointed with the result. It is a totally irresponsible decision.
"We are horribly congested in Humberston Avenue now and the additional weight of traffic this is going to bring is going to turn Humberston Avenue into a racetrack.
"There will be an increase in accidents, and I hate to say it, an increase in serious accidents and maybe fatalities.
"But if there is the need for housing in this town why are there so many unfinished developments?
"We are going to lose the last green open space in Humberston Avenue. It is a site of historic significance and it is going to be destroyed for housing they won't be able to sell. It's disgusting, it really is."
All three Humberston and New Waltham ward councillors also expressed their disappointment at the decision.
Councillor Steve Norton (Con) said: "I am hugely disappointed for the residents and ward councillors that have successfully fought this in the past.
"However, I have to say I'm not totally surprised.."
Councillor John Fenty (Con) said: "I'm really disappointed but the Inspector had no option to be honest. I think the council shot itself in the foot by having such high housing requirement targets."
Councillor Stephen Harness (UKIP) said: "This decision is a shame, and made by a government that knows the price of everything but the value of nothing."
Councillor Harry Hall, chairman of Humberston Parish Council, which also objected to the proposal, said: "I'm bitterly disappointed that the wishes of the people of Humberston were not upheld.
"We are a village, we are not a suburban town and the loss of our green space is going to have a big impact on us."
Keystone Developments will now have to submit an application for detailed planning permission, but no timeframe for this has yet been set.
Nick Worboys, assistant director of Keystone Developments, said: "We have always believed that this is not only a suitable site for development, but also that the details of our proposals – with the emphasis on homes for older people and the provision of land for community use – make this a scheme that will benefit the wider community.
"We recognise that some local people have had concerns about the plans and we have worked hard to mitigate these concerns in the planning process. We now look forward to working with all partners to ensure a successful development that the community can take pride in."
Jason Longhurst, head of development at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: "While the authority made clear representations to support the planning committee's position, the Secretary of State has chosen to support the application following an appeal.
"The planning inspector has granted outline permission, but further details on appearance, landscaping, layout and scale will need to be submitted to the council and put out to public consultation before development begins."
A council spokesman confirmed that the authority had not been ordered to pay costs to the developer.
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