Housing plans approved for land on disused quarry

Plans for new homes on the site of a former quarry have been approved after a row over how many were deemed as "affordable".

Lindum Group will build 70 homes on the former quarry on Riseholme Road, Lincoln, which once supplied stone for the city's cathedral.

County councillors postponed their decision about the proposal last month to gather more details, after the developer said it could only afford to build six affordable homes.

However, the authority approved the scheme on Monday after committee members said they did not have the legal power to reject it.

Developers are typically asked to make a quarter of new homes cheaper for those on lower incomes.

But Lindum Group and the corporate branch of the cathedral said they could only afford to make 8% of the homes affordable.

Lindum's planning manager Robert Jays said last month it was a "complex site for development with lots of abnormal costs".

He said: "I understand the frustration about affordable housing. Unfortunately, an external review agreed that six is the maximum at the time."

At the meeting, councillor Marianne Overton said Lincoln was in "dire need" of affordable housing and rules should be tightened on what developers were expected to provide.

Councillor Charlotte Vernon added: "It's disappointing the affordable housing is not even 10%.

"I'm really pleased there's a review mechanism, so we can have another look later if finances improve."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, residents had objected to the loss of the green space, which is not open to the public but is home to trees and wildlife.

Further details, such as the design and layout of the homes, will need to be confirmed by a future planning application.

Correction 13 January: A previous version of this story included an incorrect name for the developers, following a correction issued by LDRS we have updated it accordingly. We have also added the corporate branch of the cathedral as co-applicant for the plan.

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