Homes to be built on town centre eyesore site
A TOWN centre eyesore could soon be reduced to rubble to make way for a striking new street scene.
The former sorting office in The Crescent, Spalding, has lain empty for several years and has become a blot on the landscape and a liability to its owner as it has fallen into disrepair.
Yet plans for 12 new homes have divided opinion, with developers saying their “strong presence” will be sympathetic to the surrounding buildings and revitalise The Crescent street scene, but some others – while welcoming the demolition of the sorting office – say the development is “overpowering” and “disappointing”.
The development by Spalding-based company Fen Properties was given the go-ahead by South Holland District Council in autumn last year, and includes four two-bedroom houses, three three-bedroom houses and five two-bedroom flats/maisonettes.
Four of the new properties will be affordable housing.
The new homes will benefit from car parking for 12 cars on site, as well as storage facilities for bikes.
John Charlesworth, of Spalding and District Civic Society, welcomed the planned demolition of the former sorting office and said the society was “happy in principle” with the site being used for housing.
But he said: “A development designed to look as if it could have come about ‘organically’ will by its nature have a variety of form, proportions, materials, roofscape that will give it a visual interest.
“One designed as a single large building, an entity, particularly on a corner site, will have a much more critical impact on the streetscape. In light of this it’s a bit disappointing to turn to the proposed development.”
But South Holland ward councillor Roger Perkins said it was a bonus that the site had parking and added: “It is a very clean and presentable development, long overdue to smarten up the area.
“It is slightly out of character with the surrounding area and a little overpowering but still a presentable development.”
It is not yet known when work will begin on the site, but is likely to be months before the first bricks are laid for the new homes as demolition of the existing building will be followed by an archaeological survey of the site before the builders move in.
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Comments
There are 18 comments to this article
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douglasdickens
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 11:55 AMI really cannot believe that anyone could draw up or consider giving planning consent to this proposal. It may have been easy to change the proposed use of the site from Retail ,designed to enhance the Crescent area, to residential but is it really nessesary to propose a building styled in the Stalanist style of Eastern Europe. If the SHDC are thinking along these lines it would be better to have a Mosque to make the next generation of migrant workers feel at home. Douglas Dickens
joggaju
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 11:52 AMJames Mark - we may need more social housing in your opinion but not in the centre of the town as it will bring problems that will again put people off using our market town to shop. I for one have moved out of Spalding recently to get away from all the social housing - sorry !
James Mark
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 08:01 PMI've seen plenty of 60s estates and to compare this project to them is lunacy. Have any of the posters actually examined the proposals beyond a scan of this short story? Are any of the posters on this page in dire need of housing
woody
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 05:08 PMObviously james mark has never seen the 60's blocks built in parts of South London they are just the same and without doubt an eyesore in their old age and the cause of many social problems. Squalid housing built on the cheap for the masses who deserve so much better.
James Mark
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 01:41 PMI agree the designs dont look inspiring but to compare it to a 60s block is ridiculous. The town needs more social housing and the current site is an eye sore. Job done.
justmyview
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 02:43 PMAnother quality decision from SHDC – not!. A decision most likely based purely on improving the short term aesthetic impact of the area and current building, which admittedly isn’t great, rather than a well thought out decision based on suitability of housing in that particular location or any long term vision for the town centre. SHDC really are appallingly bad custodians of our town and the South Holland area.
GarethTM
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 01:49 PMIt's not a residential area, it's a shopping area, so how about some quality shops to help revitalise the town centre?
joggaju
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 10:39 AMGoodness me !!!! The site as we know it now is an absolute eye sore and has been in need or sorting out for many years but is this really a way forward for the town - in my opinion NO. It looks more like student accommodation at any 196070s University - all the picture needs is rubbish bags, bike racks and a few satalite dishes and then we will see the reality of these plans. Should have gone to SpecSavers SHDC.
woody
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 10:07 AMPerhaps the headline should have read ,' Eyesore homes to be built on town centre site .'
mavrick
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 09:06 AMit will end up looking like a getto lansdown court was a nice place once now look at it
choppy
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 01:12 AMShame the land could'nt have been used for a bowling alley & cinema or something else to help boost Spalding town centre rather than housing that will do nothing for the town.
ysandy
Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 10:03 PMNo doubt an ideal place for a first time buyer,but who would want a place their, and what a total depressing place to live, a bit like those over the river right on the corner of church street, yes their really is some depressing places to live in spalding now, and if they get built, another depressing place to live. Surely you turn it into smoe kind of a shop, ?no not a restraunt or takeaway, some electrical place some furnishing place, houses flats no so depressing
woody
Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 07:49 PM@ fuse . yep, Blackwall and Rrotherhithe areas of London are full of this sort of old development which look shabby and remind me of some post apocoliptic film or seedy apartments in New York. When you look at the disgusting mess in Weslode Street created and allowed by SHDC planning you can understand how developers don't try designing something less 1950's urban or industrial looking. PATHETIC !
Lincs Lady
Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 03:29 PMIn my opinion there is insufficient parking for this development. Too many new builds are bought as 'buy to let' and then you may have 2 to 3 adults sharing a houseflat with 1 or 2 cars between them. When will SHDC Planners wise up? Also, SHDC Planners always make noises about waste management for the new builds. They usually demand designated storage areas for household rubbish before the plans are passed. Take a drive along the Magellan Road end of St Thomas’ Road near Cygnet Court, back of London Road and Grosvenor Court. View the rubbish heaps which grow daily until the SHDC weekly collection is made. One builder erected a storage area for waste storage as per the plans and then promptly removed it once the development was built. SHDC Planners it’s time to wise up!
fuse
Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 03:06 PMI do allot o work for Swan Housing in London and this is exactly the sort of thing they are pulling down and replacing (Google Bow Cross and the Blackwall refurbs). Whoever designed this needs to hang their head in shame and quit the day job unless you are at school and it's a GCSE project.
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