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1,000-home project in Skegness gets green light despite flooding concerns
A major development project in Skegness has received planning approval despite fears that the area could be a flood risk.
A 336-acre site to the west of the seaside town has been earmarked for the Skegness Gateway development, which is set to bring 1,000 new homes and 49 acres of business and industrial space.
Of the residential portion, a minimum of 5% of the homes are set to be affordable, while 5% will be reserved for key workers.
East Lindsey District Council does not require any affordable housing provision for new residential development in its planning policy.
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The council approved a local development order (LDO) for the scheme, which is also set to provide a new crematorium, green open space, college and local centre.
Steve Kirk, portfolio holder for coastal economy at East Lindsey Council, said the project could be “transformational” for the area.
He added: “By supporting these plans, we are helping to create new jobs, new education and skills development options, new homes and new opportunities for businesses and the local economy.
“Alongside our ongoing Towns Fund and Levelling Up projects, the positive impact of these developments will be felt for generations to come, and I look forward to continuing to see them become a reality in the months and years ahead.”
However, the Environment Agency (EA) objected to the plans because of the risk of flooding in a residential area.
A spokesperson for EA said: “We take our commitment to work with partners in managing flood risk issues seriously, but it is ultimately a local authority decision to make a LDO.
“As a statutory consultee, we have made our position clear throughout the consultation process.”
Neil Sanderson at Croftmarsh, the family business that owns the land the site will be built on, said the project team “take the issue of flooding very seriously”.
“We have engaged with the EA at every stage of the consultation process, undertaking detailed coastal breach modelling and adapting our flood mitigation plans for the development accordingly.
“We are more than happy to meet further with the EA to discuss any additional concerns they may have on this transformative scheme, which is set to deliver more than £300m in economic benefits for our town.”
Last month, Inside Housing published a deep dive into how social landlords should prepare to respond to flood emergencies, which are set to become more frequent as the climate changes.
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