Parish councillors are demanding safety improvements be made to the A607 north of Grantham where it meets the Belton Garden Centre.

The want any further development at the centre to be halted until access to it is improved.

The demand comes as planning staff at South Kesteven District Council back a proposed change of use to two ground floor rooms at the centre to form a veterinary practice.

The application from Mr S E Baker of Metheringham, Lincoln, will come before the planning committee of SKDC on Wednesday August 5 as it has been 'called in' by Coun Ian Stokes (Con-Peasecliffe and Ridgeway) on highway safety concerns.

A council report on the application notes key issues are the principle of development, impact on the character of the area, plus highway safety.

As previously reported by Nub News, the practice, if approved, would use two empty rooms in an older part of the garden centre, situated between the main building and the coffee shop.

However, Belton and Manthorpe Parish Council consider the existing access to the garden centre is 'inadequate' due to amount of traffic to it, plus the nearby hotel and Belton village. A recent 50pmh speed limit has been imposed on the A607 nearby as it has been identified an "an accident cluster site."

The report says local councillors have seen many large vehicles 'having to stand on the brakes' as some drivers cannot see the entrance to the garden centre until they are virtually on it. They want the access road to it widened and a small slip road installed so vehicles from the south west can decelerate into it.

It continued: "The Belton and Manthorpe Parish Council would oppose any further development, until the junction of Belton Woods Hotel/Belton Garden Centre /Belton village is sorted, either by a roundabout (or an agreement for a shared entrance, by those properties."

However, SKDC has met with officials from Lincolnshire Highways, who "concluded that the proposed change of use would not have an unacceptable impact upon highway safety or a severe residual cumulative impact upon the highway network."

The highways authority also said "there is no robust evidence to support the assertions made by the Parish Council."

The council report said three cars would enter the site per hour and the practice "is a new business enterprise which should be supported."

The report, recommending approval, concluded: "It has been demonstrated that its use is justified and that the use of a redundant buildings in this location is such that it would not result in development that is out of keeping with its location or impact upon the adjacent Belton House, its park, gardens or setting."