The hearing opened at the Corn Exchange on Wednesday 1st June 2005 and was scheduled to last for two full days. But early on the afternoon of the second day, a member of the public gave some statistics about road safety on the A15 trunk road which runs past the site. Michael Donnelly, of North Road, Bourne, said that he had spoken with the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership minutes before the inquiry had begun and had been informed that the road at this point had become "a site of temporary concern" because in the past five years there had been three serious accidents, one fatality and a four-car pile up and a speed camera was being installed as a result. "Any children living on the new estate would have to go to local schools, adding to traffic at busy times of the day", said Mr Donnelly.

At this point, the inspector abruptly adjourned the proceedings. “I feel that the highways issue has left me lacking the necessary confidence to make a decision”, he said, “and I will delay the process until I have this information to hand.”

More than 200 people had turned up over the two days of the hearing and their feelings were summed up by town councillor Trevor Holmes, a former mayor, who said: “This is all wrong. People have had to take days off work to attend and now they face doing the same again at short notice which could seriously affect the turnout.”

Among those protesting was the town’s M P, Quentin Davies, whose speech summarised the overall objections from the town, telling the inspector that the site was a valuable green space that should not be developed. “This is undoubtedly a greenfield site and we should not be building on it at all”, he said. “The proposal is nothing short of vandalism and I wholly oppose the development along with the people of Bourne.”

One of the most telling comments of the inquiry came from John Edmond, the solicitor acting for the developers, CFD Ltd of Oakham. He denied claims that the new estate would be out of keeping with the character of the area. “The properties surrounding the site are undistinguished and of no great merit, merely providing a function”, he said adding that The Croft is currently in a dilapidated state.

What he did not say was that The Croft has been allowed to deteriorate by the present owners who are pressing for the housing development and that at least one property of character, No 20 North Road, a substantial period house of great charm, was pulled down in 1990 to make way for the nearby residential development known as Maple Gardens.

The hearing was resumed by Mr Jamieson at 10 am on Thursday 16th June 2005 when the final pleas mainly concerned the traffic implications and the inspector was left in no doubt about the fears of local people that increased vehicle flows on the main A15 would endanger residents. Opposition to the scheme from South Kesteven District Council had been lukewarm so far but Mandy Braithwaite, a member of the planning authority team, told the inspector on the final day: “We contend that the proposal is contrary to the local plan which seeks to protect the quality of the environment. There is an abject lack of openness and nothing is being done to alleviate the cramped nature of the development. No longer will people be able to enjoy the unspoilt nature of The Croft as they will be faced with a sea of Tarmac when looking at the site. The quality of the environment should not be compromised in this way. Is this really a development that integrates with the community? The local planning authority says it is not.  The scheme, as further amended, is still cramped, fails to create a sense of place and will result in the loss of one of the last open green spaces in Bourne."

At the end of the hearing, the inspector adjourned to consider what he has heard during his three days in Bourne listening to the pros and the cons of the appeal that has become a cause célèbre in recent planning applications. He was unfortunately taken ill soon afterwards and so the result of his deliberations was not announced until mid-December.

THE BACKGROUND TO THE INQUIRY

Unsuccessful attempts to obtain planning permission were made to South Kesteven District Council  in 1993 and 1994 and in 2003, a third application was submitted, this time for 37 new homes on the site. It was turned down in December of that year when the council decided that the development would virtually fill the grounds around the house, making it "cramped and oppressive". The developers promptly appealed and in the meantime, they submitted a fourth application for planning permission, this time for 51 homes, but that too was rejected by SKDC in June 2004 after receiving a protest petition signed by 45 people and hearing 60 letters of objection.

The house stands on North Road, which is also the main A15 trunk road between Peterborough and Lincoln, and is approached by a driveway with an avenue of magnificent horse chestnut trees but there are fears that they may be felled and that wildlife in the area, which includes foxes, squirrels and many species of birds, will be driven out. There is also a nearby orchard of mature fruit trees and some hedgerows but many of these have recently been uprooted.

There have been many objections, mainly because of the traffic and environmental issues involved, and the inadequacy of the local infrastructure, and on Friday 17th October 2003, The Local newspaper carried a particularly vociferous selection of opinions, all of them against the proposals. The newspaper also reported that when Bourne Town Council's highways committee had considered the third application the previous Tuesday (October 14th), it was unanimously rejected and among the objections were the loss of green space and the inadequacy of school and health facilities to cope with yet more new homes. There is also likely to be an adverse effect on road conditions because of an increased flow of commuter traffic on to the main road.

Councillor Don Fisher (Bourne East) told the meeting: "The whole town is gradually disappearing under bricks and mortar. The people feel very strongly that this piece of land should be left as it is and not be turned into yet another unwanted housing estate." Nothing has changed since then except that thousands more homes on out of town sites are under construction and objectors claim that there is no rhyme or reason why this little slice of green space should be swallowed up in a similar fashion.

Councillor Guy Cudmore (Bourne East) said: “This will be of no benefit to the community. There are plenty of houses being built already and they are not selling particularly quickly. There will be 60 extra cars on North Road at rush hour and local schools are already bursting at the seams.”

Councillor John Kirkman (Bourne East) had similar sentiments: “There is a strong feeling of opposition behind further development in Bourne and this will make the situation worse. I wonder if we will have any green space left. The development will mean at least 74 extra vehicles on what is already a dangerous road. It is a diabolical suggestion.”

Dr Dennis Fitzpatrick, who lives near to the proposed development site and canvassed local opinion, believes that the issues of conservation and traffic congestion are of paramount consideration. He is also concerned about the future of the trees, two of the chestnuts at the front entrance being more than 50 years old. In addition, he has raised issues such as the loss of privacy for neighbouring properties, increased lighting and doubts whether the design of the estate would be in keeping with the surrounding area.

Opposition has also come from the Bourne Civic Society who said in a statement: “We are strongly opposed to any further housing development in Bourne at this time and fully endorse the views expressed by the town council. The design is out of keeping with the character of the area, there will be a loss of local amenity and privacy, visual intrusion, damage to the Conservation Area, loss of mature trees and severe effects on traffic. The proposals are also contrary to local and government planning policy.”

The Croft was built as a family home in 1922 by Richard Boaler Gibson, a local corn merchant. It was subsequently sold in August 1960 for £8,000 when it comprised an entrance hall, cloakroom, lounge, dining room, two kitchens, five bedrooms, a dressing room and a large bathroom. There was also a detached garage for two cars and a well cared for tennis court. Grassland through which there were two rights of way from North Road, covered more than seven acres and there was also a sheltered orchard with a variety of mature fruit trees.

Among those with fond memories of this house was Air Marshal Sir Maurice Heath (1909-1998), former Chief of Staff, Allied Air Forces, Central Europe, who married Richard and Frances Gibson’s daughter Mary in 1938 and although he re-married after her death in 1988, he left instructions that his remains should be buried beside her in the town cemetery in remembrance of the happy times he had enjoyed at The Croft.

The proposed housing estate is a mix of three, four, five and six bedroomed detached and semi-detached dwellings. Martin Wilson, principal of Thomas Wilson Architects, agents for the developers, said last year: “We do sympathise with the people living near the site who would no longer be looking over fields. We have gone to great pains not to ruin the area and keep the view from North Road very much as it is. The open appearance of The Croft will be maintained and the development will not have a great impact on the street scene. In terms of house types, it would be a mixed development and there would be an element of low cost housing as well. Trees which have been pollarded are going to be replaced by new specimens of the same trees. We have also kept as many trees as possible to the northern and eastern boundaries.”

This case has become a major talking point in Bourne where there appears to be total opposition to houses being built at this location. Many are personal protests from people living nearby, particularly in Maple Gardens,  who do not want a new estate so close to their homes and will not therefore carry as much weight as official objections for environmental and traffic reasons. On the other hand, we have a landowner and a developer operating quite legally and wishing to build a residential estate on an open space and they have every right to use the due process of local government procedure to get the required permission.

The Croft photographed in August 2004

However, the situation was exacerbated during August 2004 when workmen moved in and uprooted the orchard of mature trees, leaving an area of wasteland churned up by heavy vehicles, and objectors claimed that this had been done deliberately by the developers to reduce the visual appeal of the site prior to the public hearing. A few days later, the two chestnuts at the entrance to the house were felled, leaving only stumps where they have stood for the past half a century, an act seen by many as a departure from the promises of the developers not to ruin the view from North Road, and there are now fears for the future of the avenue of chestnuts lining the main drive that have become a landmark in this part of Bourne.

Among the objectors to the housing scheme is Councillor Judy Smith, a member of both Bourne Town Council and South Kesteven District Council, who told The Local newspaper (3rd September 2004) that residents had approached her in tears of anger and frustration at what was being done. "I am appalled and disgusted", she said. "I cannot believe that the developers have had the arrogance to do this before getting planning permission." Her views appear to echo those of the entire town because both of our main local newspapers have found no support whatsoever for the project.

In October 2004, official opposition to the housing scheme appeared to be crumbling because South Kesteven District Council decided to withdraw their objections on the grounds of highway safety. Instead, the authority planned to concentrate its defence of rejecting the planning applications on the adverse impact the proposed estate would have on the locality and that it would be out of character with the area. This was a major blow to those people of Bourne who are opposed to the development and is sure to weaken the official case but the decision was most probably taken because of the high legal costs that might be imposed on the public purse, a dubious excuse for such an important issue.

Later that month, the wrought iron gates at the entrance to The Croft were locked and the house boarded up and The Local carried a photograph in which it had the doomed and forlorn air of an abandoned property awaiting redevelopment (October 15th). Questions now abounded in the public mind whether the house will ever again be occupied or whether that too had been earmarked for demolition. It is not a listed building and may therefore be pulled down without too much fuss although this information will not be available from the owners until the planning issues have been settled.

The appeal by the developers was originally due to take the form of an informal hearing before a government inspector on Tuesday 2nd November. Written comments to SKDC were invited for consideration before September 20th and there were many of them. There would also be some time set aside on the day for members of the public to speak, at the discretion of the inspector, and a strong presence was expected from Bourne Town Council. Councillors also invited the town's MP, Mr Quentin Davies, the member for Grantham and Stamford, to attend and speak against the site being used for housing.

In the event, a full hearing did not materialise. The government inspector, Mr Chris Anstey, was clearly surprised by the large attendance which crammed into the Corn Exchange, most of them anxious to voice their objections, and he abandoned the meeting on the grounds that it would have been impossible to retain control to enable a full and frank discussion about the implications of the issue with so many people present. "I do not believe that an informal hearing is appropriate when there is so much public interest", he said. "I am therefore calling a public inquiry."

His decision was welcomed by Mr Davies who told the meeting: "There will be widespread support for this. The inquiry should take place in Bourne. It is a matter of great importance to the future of the town and it is right that as many people who want to can take part."

The turn of events was also welcomed by The Local newspaper which devoted a front page editorial to the meeting on Friday 5th November saying: "Yet again, the people of Bourne have shown that they won't accept things which are either unjust or against the community's best interests. Apathy is not a word they recognise. The fact that there will now be a public inquiry is testimony to the appearance of nearly 100 people who attended the hearing to show their disapproval. The war is far from over but winning the first battle is highly significant."

Many people in Bourne also believe that the issue became a bureaucratic nightmare by going on for far too long and involving too many people. Town councillor Guy Cudmore summed up their feelings after the abortive informal hearing when he said: "There is no reason why this could not have been decided locally, by locally elected democratic representatives of the people of this town."

Following the inspector's decision on Friday 16th December 2005, The Croft and the surrounding parkland were left to deteriorate and the house is now empty and derelict and the surrounding grounds and driveway overgrown. Metal barriers have been erected to keep out intruders although there have been reports of vandalism and even fires being started around the property.

A NEW DEVELOPMENT IS PROPOSED

In the summer of 2008, Longhurst Group announced that it was interested in using the site for a complex of retirement bungalows and began a public consultation to win public support by holding a presentation at the Angel Hotel on Wednesday 23rd July. The firm is proposing a development aimed at the over-55s although the plans were still at an early stage. "We are really keep to hear the views and opinions of local people", said group representative Alan Whyte. "We have a good reputation for building and managing schemes of this type and pride ourselves on involving the public as much as we can."

The preliminary plans for the £8 million project provided for 68 bungalows to be built in the grounds with the house being restored, its main use being as a community lounge for residents with a manager's office, a small kitchen and possibly a suite for guests. The present driveway leading up to the house would remain unchanged and the surrounding area landscaped with trees and shrubs and possibly a bowling green.

The homes were intended for those aged over 55 with many residents over 70 and it was estimated that only 30 per cent would own a car. Longhurst Group’s experience on similar retirement developments in the Midlands being that less than one third of residents retained ownership of a car, the majority opting for electric scooters, taxis or car sharing.

Traffic congestion had been one of the main concerns for residents. The design  prevented any through traffic or so called rat runs, thus limiting the impact on the neighbours with access through North Road, Charles Close and Maple Gardens. Residents had also been concerned about intrusion or overlooking and the great majority of properties on the development would be single storey or dormer bungalows, which would ensure privacy. One third of the available housing would be affordable homes for rent or shared ownership.

Mr Whyte said that he did not envisage the bungalows being available for at least two years but in July 2009, plans for the scheme were submitted to South Kesteven District Council for approval. The scheme, however, did not receive complete support from the town council when they came before the highways and planning committee on Tuesday 4th August and there were complaints that the proposed housing density was too high and there would still be problems with traffic and with the ecology.

Planning permission for the project was granted by the development control committee of South Kesteven District Council on Tuesday 17th November 2009 when members voted in favour by a majority of 12-1. Afterwards, a spokesman for Longhurst Group indicated that work would start on site in 2010.

Report from the Stamford Mercury, Friday 7th August 2009

Report from The Local, Friday 20th November 2009

REVISED JULY 2009

See Developers seek planning permission

See also Maple Gardens

Written and photographed by Rex Needle. Additional sources The Local, the Lincolnshire
Free Press and the Stamford Mercury newspapers.