Plans have been given the go-ahead for the construction of over 250 homes and an 80-bedroom care home in Stamford, despite ongoing worries about job prospects in the area. The development is set to occupy Exeter Fields off Empingham Road, with South Kesteven District Council giving their approval.
Several local councillors and residents voiced opposition, arguing that the land should be kept for industrial and commercial use to support employment in the town. Councillor Barry Devereux expressed apprehension over the sustainability of increasing housing without an equivalent boost in job growth. By contrast, Andrew McPheat from the applicant group Commercial Estates Group countered there was no market demand for the site as employment land.
The approved development plan encompasses 268 homes, 80 of which have been designated ‘affordable’, and a local centre comprising shops and community facilities. This construction project could potentially create direct and indirect job roles. Recognizing expressed reservations, the council referenced a decade-long effort by the landowners to market the site for employment purposes without achieving success. This verdict marks another episode in the ongoing discussion about reconciling residential growth with economic opportunities in South Kesteven.
This story was developed from original reporting found on www.bbc.com by The Lincoln Post.
