Campaign group formed to fight '˜unsustainable' development plan for Rasen

As reported in last week’s Rasen Mail, Chestnut Homes has submitted an outline planning application to build up to 300 homes on land off the A46 Caistor Road.

Now, concerned local residents have formed a group calling themselves Rasen Action Group (RAG) to present a formal objection to the West Lindsey Planning Department.

“We are not against local development, but this has to be sustainable for the town and progressed in a way which is sympathetic to the existing constraints,” said RAG spokesman Andrew Newton.

A gathering was arranged at the Caistor Road site on Saturday to highlight the RAG campaign, with more than 50 people turning out.

“We are delighted with the number of people here today, especially as it was arranged very quickly,” said Mr Newton.

“We have a petition in local shops, which has attracted hundreds of signatures, and we are urging people to contact the planning officers at West Lindsey District Council with their comments.

“The closing date for comments is October 25, but we are hoping this will be extended.”

The group is raising a number of concerns, including traffic and flooding, and say if the plans were allowed to go ahead, it could see a big increase in population for the town and that existing facilities in the town would be ‘unable to support the extra population’.

“This particular development is very large,” added Mr Newton.

“On it’s own this development is a major expansion to the town, but when other recent and ongoing developments are also taken in to account, these risk massively overwhelming local services.

“We are particularly concerned about its impact on local primary school provision, medical and dental facilities and parking which are already nearing full capacity.

“With 300 extra families, perhaps over 1,000 extra people in the town, we expect that all shared services will be stretched to breaking point including utilities and emergency services provision.”

The proposed site is not allocated for residential development in the West Lindsey Local Plan Review (2006), but is included in the emerging Central Lincolnshire Local Plan.

Chestnut Homes’ planning statement says the site provides a logical extension to the town, within walking and cycling distance of facilities and services.

The application states: “The current Local Plan cannot meet the objectively assessed needs of the area and therefore should be considered out of date in relation to housing supply policies.

“The emerging Plan carries significant weight given its advanced stage through the Local Plan process and the council’s five year proposed supply identifies the site as a deliverable one in the near future.”

The application also says the proposed development will ‘significantly enhance’ the economic benefits.