Plans to build 10 new two-storey homes off Garfits Lane have been given the go-ahead by Boston Borough Council this week, despite long-running concerns over the narrow, privately-owned road that will serve the development.
Chestnut Homes’ outline application covers the principle of development and access from Garfits Lane, with further details on the appearance, landscaping, and layout to be decided in a future “reserved matters” application.
Two of the new properties will be affordable homes – one for affordable rent and one for shared ownership – in line with the council’s 20% affordable housing policy. The development will also incorporate biodiversity measures, with one bird or bat box, including a swift brick, built into the walls of each home.
One of the most contentious issues during the application process was access. Garfits Lane is a narrow, single-track private road with no footpaths and an uneven surface. Residents voiced concerns over increased traffic, pedestrian safety, emergency vehicle access, and the impact of construction traffic.
While acknowledging the lane is “less than optimal” for modern development, planning officers noted that both the developer and future residents have legal rights to use it. The council agreed to impose conditions requiring the developer to:
- Install two passing places along Garfits Lane.
- Maintain the lane in a usable condition during construction.
- Fully resurface the stretch between the site and the adopted highway before any homes are occupied.
These measures aim to address safety and amenity concerns while leaving room for further discussions on the precise location of passing places.
The 2.55-hectare site, currently pasture land with hedging and a single central tree, forms part of the South West Quadrant Sustainable Urban Extension – a major housing allocation in the South East Lincolnshire Local Plan providing for over 1,500 homes, employment land, a marina, and new road links.
Although a masterplan for the wider area has not yet been produced, planners concluded that the relatively small scale of the scheme would not undermine the larger development plans.
The site lies in a Flood Risk Zone, the Environment Agency raised no objections provided a detailed flood mitigation strategy is agreed at the reserved matters stage. This will include signing the homes up to the flood warning service and producing an evacuation plan.
Other conditions attached to the approval include:
- Archaeological investigations before construction.
- A full Construction Environmental Management Plan to control noise, dust, and traffic during building.
- Landscaping to retain existing boundary hedges and trees, plus new planting.
- Protection and potential diversion of existing Anglian Water assets that cross the site.
The application was approved subject to conditions and the signing of a Section 106 agreement to secure the affordable housing.
