You've Seen The Video Now Read On

South Holland District Council in South Lincolnshire - East Midlands or East Anglia depending on your reading of the map - decided in their wisdom to agree a highly dubious planning permission for 6 semi-detached affordable homes on just about the most stupid location in the village of Gedney Hill. This is not about being anti-affordable homes, which would be an outrageous misrepresentation of the truth, no this is about a council's agenda-based decision making that has run into the brick wall of being called to account. Questions we are entitled to have answered but of course they will not be, such as: Why build these 6 houses (each for five people equating to possibly 18 or more small children effectively an estate) on a one track county lane with no street lights, no footpath, poor state of repair roadway when there are other locations in the village that have a 2 lane road, footpaths on both sides and street lights? Why is Gedney Hill the recipient village of the largest number of affordable houses in South Holland out of all villages many of which have zero new affordable homes (according to a Freedom of Information question to this authority)? Why are large numbers of affordable homes being built in a location 15 minutes drive from doctor, dentist, or just about anything really? There are no playing fields, no recreation facilities - only 1 general shop with post office and 1 pub, and an infant/primary school that most people in the village are shunning (for reasons they can put forward) suffice it to say that a few years ago it had circa 100 pupils and now has circa 40. Crucially too where are the children in these affordable houses going to play?

Roll back a little. As part of the planning being granted it was conditional that a footpath be constructed. Well we're nearing completion of these 6 homes and as yet work has not started on building this footpath. In my upcoming posts I'll be explaining why this footpath, on the face of it a much needed asset to West Drove South, is a complete waste of council taxpayers money and why, together with my attempts to explain this in a logical manner to the authorities. So far there is no evidence that the council are listening!