Great Northern Gardens

(FORMERLY RED HALL GARDENS)

The last of the old railway station buildings in South Road were demolished in March 2005 when the owners, Wherry and Sons Ltd, the old established firm of agricultural suppliers, decided that they were no longer financially viable as the company's headquarters and warehouse premises. The site had by then been identified by South Kesteven District Council as brownfield land with a potential for 60 new houses and the firm announced its intention to relocate both factory and offices as soon as a buyer could be found.

Managing director James Wherry said: "Preservation has been considered by converting it to residential use but it would have been too costly a project. In addition, the warehouse has become unusable for day-to-day use and rental is not possible because of the poor state of the building, worsened by vandalism and the removal of virtually all of the ground floor and some of the first floor."

Demolition was completed within a few days and there were few public objections and building work by Stamford Homes began a few weeks later. The estate now comprises a mix of semi and detached houses set in a cul de sac.

The planning stage for the new estate was not without its problems and two applications to South Kesteven District Council were declined on the grounds of access and traffic dangers and the close proximity of the Red Hall, which is a Grade II listed building.

The main complaint concerned the visual impact such a large development would have on the 17th century mansion which stands nearby and was likely to be overshadowed by an estate of new homes. English Heritage, the official government agency which looks after our historic buildings, was asked to report on the effect that a housing estate would have on the appearance and setting of the hall and until then, the council delayed a decision but Councillor Guy Cudmore, a member of Bourne Town Council, echoed the majority view when he told the Stamford Mercury on 6th October 2006: “The effect on the Red Hall would be disastrous. The tranquillity and ambience of this spot would be destroyed by a block of flats which would overlook the building.”

Further talks followed with officials from Bourne Civic Society and in September 2007, an amended planning application for permission to build 60 new homes was submitted and finally granted and by the following spring building work was well underway.

There was, however, further controversy over the choice of Red Hall Gardens as the name for the new estate. It was not endorsed by councillors who favoured something with a railway flavour to reflect the past use of the land and it did not receive much support either from the trustees of Bourne United Charities which owns the Red Hall. Nevertheless, Stamford Homes used the name in the advertising campaign to attract buyers and it remained in use until 2011. By then, the company had become Lindum Homes and in April that year, the directors agreed to accept a change of name agreed by Bourne Town Council and so the development became known as Great Northern Gardens to reflect its past railway association.

In June 2012, Lindum Homes was given permission to build 46 more new homes in the old goods yard opposite Great Northern Gardens, the last of the railway station installations. Planning permission was originally turned down by South Kesteven District Council in October 2011 on the grounds that sufficient new homes were already planned for the town but the company appealed and their objections were heard at a planning inquiry at Grantham on 22nd May 2012.

The result was announced on Thursday 21st June when the planning inspector, Andrew Jeyes, found in favour of Lindum Homes by upholding the appeal and granting planning permission, saying that the new houses should be built to make up for the shortfall in Bourne. He refused a claim by the developer for full costs to be awarded in their favour but he did endorse financial contributions that will be made by them towards education, play areas and health services.

REVISED JUNE 2012

See also     Demolition of the railway buildings     The Red Hall