A development plan which details the building of more than 5,000 homes in Grantham between now and 2026 has been formally withdrawn after it was rejected by an independent planning inspector.
Members of South Kesteven District Council’s Cabinet agreed to withdraw the Grantham Area Action Plan this morning following Roland Punshon’s concerns. Mr Punshon said the plan dealt with an extremely complicated situation in too simplistic a way and said it was ‘unfit for purpose’.
The inspector said that if the delivery of housing were to stall with respect to the two main urban extensions, the area plan does not provide suitable alternative sites in the short-term to make up the shortfall.
The council will withdraw the plan, make the necessary changes needed to address the inspector’s concerns and then republish it.
Coun Frances Cartwright, Economic Development portfolio holder, said the district council was ‘leading the field’ with the publication of the plan and this ‘had its downside’, but recommended it was withdrawn.
Deputy Leader Paul Carpenter said the council had done little wrong and referred members to the report which said the withdrawal did not stop the council from progressing with its key priorities and allowing it to continue with planning applications for the east-west relief road and development in the southern quadrant.
The meeting was told that the council was not going back to the start of the process, only going back one stage.
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