Objecting to Planning Applications
Below you will find direct links to Lincolnshire County Council's planning register where you can submit your objections to the North and/or South sections of the Western Relief Road.
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In order for an objection to be effective it must be objective. Although this is a very emotional subject for many please try and look at it from the planner's perspective - they need valid reasons not to approve the planning applications. Please take some time to create a good objection - write it in your own words, personalise it. There are some pointers below and a letter template here.
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There are strict guidelines regarding what you can and can't write about in a planning objection:
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What you can write about
- Local Plan policies (eg. poor consultation with public and affected residents)
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- Government planning guidance (eg. claims that this will be a "relief" road, but no funding for the middle)
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- Highway Safety and Traffic issues (eg. increased traffic; air, noise and light pollution; delayed response times by emergency services from increased traffic; increased likelihood of traffic accidents caused by collisions with wildlife who live on Vernatt's Drain; increased vulnerability of cyclists and walkers as Blue Gowt Lane is re-routed along the 50mph road; potential for the "road to nowhere" to become an antisocial hotspot for drag racers)
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- Noise, disturbance and smells (eg. both during construction and after, especially from the 11.5m flyover bridge as all forms of pollution project further afield, adversely affecting health)
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- Design, appearance, layout (eg. this is NOT a relief road, but a cul-de-sac; significant change to residential visual amenity compared to the baseline, particularly to those who will be facing the concrete wall of the flyover bridge; unsatisfactory mitigation measures to cover concrete monstrosity of flyover bridge; road being located too close to Vernatt's Drain, a wildlife haven and habitat for many protected species; road layout set to maximise land for housing development rather than in consideration for residential amenity, green space preservation between Spalding and Pinchbeck, and protection of Vernatt's Drain wildlife)
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- Conservation of historic buildings / trees (perhaps not relevant, although the Drain was built around 1630)
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- Residential amenity / Environmental impact (residential amenity includes noise, dust, daylight, vibration, shadow flicker, outlook and visual amenity. The environmental impact has already been discussed but can't be overstated enough, particularly in relation to pollution and destruction of wildlife habitats including protected species. The nearness of the road to the Drain also increases the potential of contaminants entering this waterway)
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What you can't write about
- Fears of loss of property value
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- Private property rights (eg. boundary disputes)
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- Any issues that don't relate to the road and its construction (eg. noise from freight traffic)
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Please note that no-one has a "right to a view" and therefore this cannot be an objection. You can, however, mention a significant change to visual amenity compared to baseline.
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LCC's guidance on commenting on planning applications can be found here.
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If objecting by post please include:
- your name
- full postal address
- planning application number (PL/0038/19 for North Section, PL/0039/19 for South Section)
- location ("land runs parallel to Vernatt's Drain and is bound by the B1356 Spalding road to the east, Spalding" for North Section, "Land by south Drove Drain to the west and B1172 Spalding Common to the east, Spalding" for South Section)
- a clear statement that you are objecting/supporting or making observations
Please send postal objections to: Marc Willis, Planning Manager, Planning, Lancaster House, 36 Orchard Street, Lincoln LN1 1XX
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If you need any help with your objections please contact us.