Spilsby housing plan supported by council

A housing strategy identifying potential sites for 284 new homes in Spilsby has won the town council’s support.

Spilsby Town Council voted in favour of East Lindsey District Council’s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment at a recent meeting.

Speaking afterwards the Mayor of Spilsby Coun Michael Lenton said: “First and foremost Spilsby needs to grow, not only from a population point of view but also from a business point of view – to support business we need a greater population, otherwise Spilsby will be left on the sidelines.”

The approval follows concerns raised about the strategy by Coun Julia Pears, who led a public discussion on the proposals a fortnight ago.

Coun Pears feared the amount of new homes proposed in the strategy would place excessive strain on Spilsby’s schools, health facilities and other amenities.

Although she claims many people at the meeting shared her reservations, Coun Lenton is confident that any population expansion would be met by the appropriate infrastructure support.

He also feels much of the hysteria the strategy had provoked arose from ‘misinformation’ circulating the town.

“I’ve been approached by six different people who had been told anything up to 400 social houses are being built on these sites – that’s totally incorrect – it’s a fabrication. At this stage, the strategy is just a consultation, there are no absolutes,” he said.