Not NIMBYs & Here's Why

This is the situation in as much of a nutshell as South Holland District Council has given us.

West Drove South is a one track country lane with no footpath as well as of particularly limited width and visibility by dense vegetation for 200 metres up to its junction with Lincoln Avenue. The road surface is of a very poor quality with much cracking and potholes with stretches marked by a Mohican effect grass plume along its centre. The street lighting headcount remains stubbornly at one which struggles to illuminate itself let alone owt else. 15 houses line one side of the lane with agricultural/horticultural land lining the other whilst the lane then extends on for something like 2 miles the vast majority of its length giving access to agricultural fields hence the poor state of the lane from heavy farm traffic.

The council are trying to build an estate on the land opposite the current dwellings. An estate of 22 affordable family homes to cater for a very large number of children. Gedney Hill is a facility-free zone. There is nothing here for families. The council have some sort of hidden agenda but the upshot is they are doing this without any attempt to upgrade infrastructure or to provide the facilities needed to sustain children and families.

What is more they are doing it by the back door. They have allowed the building of the first 6 properties without consulting all the stakeholders in the lane BUT they have agreed for the building of the remainder in secret. How do we know?

Well, recently 2 red paint marks appeared on the lane further back to include more of the agricultural/horticultural land. On enquiry with the Highways department it appears that the speed limit signs are to be relocated. When asked why the representative said he “honestly” did not know and then gave a list of possibilities which were all pretty lame bearing in mind the location. An option of new housing wasn’t in his list and when I suggested to him that it might be he became very, very defensive! I’d say his ‘honesty’ is suspect or else I’d question his ability to do his job. Added to that when an enquiry was made of the council Planning dept by a prospective house purchaser as regards plans involving West Drove South the representative said that building work over and above that now started HAD BEEN AGREED. So there is planning blight in West Drove South and strangers can have information that residents cannot.

So this is democracy South Holland District Coucil style – “you can have your planning permission process but it matters not a jot cos we’ve decided XYZ is going to happen and work goes ahead regardless”.

Let’s get things straight. We are not NIMBYS. But how is a very poorly maintained one track country lane with no footpath, no lights, no amenities for families, a suitable place to put an estate of affordable homes that there are not the local people to populate? And when tenancies are given to families who readily agree to move into a shiny new home to find in the fullness of time the nearest doctor/dentist/child & youth facilities are 15 minutes drive away …

If this is not the ‘madness of King George’ reincarnated then Labour won every seat in the last general election!

No we are not NIMBYs. There are other locations, SAFER locations, in Gedney Hill with 2 traffic lanes and footpaths that are available. Who is going to move into all these houses? Not Gedney Hill people. We could hardly put a defence together had the council made infrastructure changes to make the road 2 lanes together with a footpath(s) plus some facilities to occupy young people. But they didn’t. BUT AN ESTATE OF HIGH DENSITY AFFORDABLE HOMES (CODE FOR BOXES!) ON A ONE TRACK COUNTRY LANE WITH NO LIGHTS & NO FOOTPATH BUT IT WILL HAVE BRIGHT SHINY NEW 40 MPH SPEED LIMIT SIGNS. YES FORTY THAT’S FOUR AND A ZERO? They really have put health and safety on their priority list – trouble is that went in the bin un-actioned!