Reports from Working Party Meetings

Report from a working party meeting of the Estate Management and Planning Committee held on Wednesday 20 August 2025 at 12.15pm at the Ruskington Parish Office.

Present: Cllr M Trolley (Chairman of the Estate Management & Planning Committee),

Cllr D Conway and Cllr S Hislop.

Also present: Kathryn Locke (Clerk to Council)

Apologies: Cllr O Ditch.

Reason for the meeting: To discuss planning applications that required responses before the next Committee or Council meeting were held.

1. To elect a Chairman for the meeting.

Action: Cllr Trolley was elected as the Chairman for the meeting.

2. To receive any apologies for the meeting.

Cllr Ditch had sent valid apologies for the meeting.

3. To receive any declarations of interest in any items on the agenda.

No declarations of interest were made at this time or during the meeting.

4. To consider planning applications received from NKDC since the last ordinary meeting held on 8 July 2025.

Information had been circulated prior to the meeting.

   a. Planning Application Reference: 25/0765/FUL

Proposal: Siting of an InPost Parcel Locker (retrospective)

Location: Black Bull 10 Rectory Road Ruskington Sleaford Lincolnshire

(Comments to be returned to NKDC by 29 August 2025).

Action: The working party unanimously recommended that Council object to this planning application for the following reasons:

• The Black Bull is a listed building, and the locker had been installed against a stretch of historic wall around the boundary of its grounds.
• The brewery who owned the property were unaware that the InPost parcel locker had been installed.
• Restricted access to the locker for delivery and collection of parcels by the delivery drivers and residents, compounded by a very small car parking area.
• Noise for local residents if the locker was used late at night, overnight, or early in the morning.
• Access onto the very busy Rectory Road (B1188) was already an issue for motorists, with requests received for double yellow lines to prevent nuisance parking and blocking the entrance to the neighbouring petrol station/garage and mini roundabout.
• There were already two InPost lockers in the village, plus other means of collecting and returning parcels, therefore a third locker was not required.

     b. Planning Application Reference: 25/0823/HOUS

Proposal: Erection of a rear/side extension to accommodate a ground floor bathroom and sunroom.

Location: 11 The Paddock Ruskington Sleaford Lincolnshire NG34 9GY

(Comments to be returned to NKDC by 29 August 2025.)

Action: The working party unanimously recommended that Council support this planning application.

   c.  Planning Application Reference: 25/0451/FUL

Proposal: Industrial Development B2, B8 and E(g) of small factory units comprising:

Plots 1-3 (324m2), Plots 8-11 (428m2) and Plots 12-15 (428m2) and Wholesale Bakery and

Bread Making Plots 4-7 (623m2) with on site parking

Location: Industrial Estate Fen Road Ruskington Sleaford Lincolnshire

(Comments to be returned to NKDC by 31 August 2025.)

Action: The working party unanimously recommended that Council support this planning application on an existing industrial estate.

   d. Planning Application Reference: 25/0698/FUL

Proposal: Erection of secure metal structure to accommodate extra workshop space for the garage (retrospective) and change of use of land from residential to business

Location: Speedway Garage Sleaford Road Ruskington Sleaford Lincolnshire

(Comments have to be returned to NKDC by 7 September 2025.)

Action: The working party unanimously recommended that Council object to this planning application for the following reasons:

• This application should have been two applications (retrospective for the workshop, and change of use of the land from residential to business.)

• Overdevelopment of the site with loss of spaces to park and display cars for sale. The forecourt was already overcrowded with vehicles for sale and the grass verge and the entrance to a neighbouring field were being used/blocked with cars for sale.
• The workshop was visually intrusive.
• The workshop was visually distracting for motorists navigating a roundabout on a busy main road (A153).

• The working party considered that the change of use for the land had been included in the retrospective application as an afterthought and was easy to overlook and that insufficient evidence of need or information on the proposed business use had been made available.
• Changing from residential use to business use would have a negative impact on the biodiversity of the site.

Comment: Could the change of use for the land allow for the workshop to be relocated to the rear of the garage, which would be a much better location?

   e. Planning Application Reference: 25/0948/HOUS

Proposal: Single storey flat roof infill extension to side & rear

Location: 36 Parkfield Road Ruskington Sleaford Lincolnshire NG34 9HS

Action: The working party unanimously recommended that Council support this planning application, if the neighbours had no objections.

   4.1. To receive notice of a pre-planning consultation from Perry Williams Town Planners and consider a response. (Received on 15/8/2025.)

Pre-planning application consultation for a mobile phone base station installation at cs_308586, land at Pilgrim's Ruskington, Sleaford Road, Ruskington, Lincolnshire, NG34 9BW (NGR: E508367, N350252).

(Response to the Town Planners required by 27/8/2025).

Action: The working party, although recognising the need for improving local infrastructure, unanimously recommended that Council makes the following comments to the application:

• The proposed mobile phone tower was too tall for the proposed location beside a busy main road (B1188)

• The height of the tower would require comment/consent from the nearby RAF airbases.
• The proposed base station and accompanying tower was too close to a main road (B1188) and could be a visual distraction for passing motorists.
• The proposed tower would be visually intrusive and have a negative visual impact on the main route into/out of the village.

Recommendations:

• The working party recommended that a detailed and thorough technical case to justify the location and requirements of the mobile phone station installation was made available.
• Could a less obstructive and obvious location be found – such as behind the Pilgrim Europe factory, or further out of the village.
   

4.2. To consider an Application for a Lawful Development Certificate – Section 191 Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) Application Reference: 25/0922/LDEXI

Proposal: Application for a lawful development certificate for use of building and land

for supported living accommodation (Sui generis).

Location: 48 Rectory Road Ruskington Sleaford

(NKDC had requested information on the use of the property for the last ten years.)

The working party used their local knowledge and internet research during the meeting to find information on the property. Findings: The property had been built and used as a family home (for one family unit). The property consisted of a house, two garages, a garden, and a car port. The property had been sold in June 2023. Since 2023, various separate planning applications had been made for the property by its current owners but at no point had the change of use to an HMO been made explicit. Neighbouring property owners and the Parish Council had raised concerns about the new (HMO) but undisclosed use for the property and the development of the site.

5. To receive notification of planning applications approved by NKDC since the last ordinary meeting held on 8 July 2025.

   a. Application Reference: 25/0693/HOUS

 Proposal: Erection of two storey rear extension

 Location: 11 Arnhem Avenue Ruskington Sleaford

(Notice of decision received on 23/7/2025)

6. To consider any correspondence from the NKDC Planning Officer or the architect regarding the pavilion planning application and agree a response for recommendation to Council.

The planning officer had raised concerns about the lack of showers in the change of use application and was seeking advice from Sports England.

Action: This was discussed. The neighbouring changing room block contained four changing rooms and two shower rooms, each with four showers (eight showers in total). This information had already been sent to the architect by the Clerk to advise the planning officer and inform the planning application.

The Chairman closed the meeting at 1.20pm.