Further details are emerging of plans for thousands of homes on the southern and eastern edge of Grantham.

Government agency Homes England and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) have submitted a report to South Kesteven District Council about their ambitions for the redevelopment of the Prince William of Gloucester Barracks.

As Nub News has previously reported, a mixed use development is planned including up to 4000 new dwellings, residential conversion of listed officers' mess building, commercial uses, local centre, schools, open space and other associated infrastructure.

Now, an Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report has been submitted to SKDC for the council to consider the Environmental Impact Assessment that will be needed as part of the planning for the scheme, which in turn will assess the likely significant environmental effects associated with the development proposals.

"This will inform the development of the design and the mitigation measures that will be incorporated in the proposals," when a planning application is eventually submitted to SKDC, the Scoping Report continued.

The report noted the scheme site comprises the army-owned barracks site, which covers 183ha and is 2.5km east of Grantham Town Centre.

The army is to leave the site in the coming years, to allow it's redevelopment and the Ministerial announcement of this is 2024.

Phase two of the Grantham Southern Relief Road is due within the coming months, with work on Phase 3 towards the barracks site due to start shortly.

The report said the existing highways network is close to capacity, and only 200 homes may be built before the southern relief road is completed. Therefore, construction of most home won't start until then.

South of the A52, the Spitalgate Heath Garden Village (another Local Plan allocation forming part of the Sustainable Urban Expansion (SUE)), will also be built, comprising of 3,700 homes.

South Kesteven District Council have resolved to approve the outline planning application for the Spitalgate Heath development, and, subject to finalising the s106 agreement, it is anticipated that planning permission for Spitalgate Heath will be issued later this year.

The Environmental Impact Assessment for the barracks redevelopment will accompany an outline planning application with all matters reserved for subsequent approval.

This will comprise the following development:

• Residential uses, comprising up to 4000 new homes within Use Class C3 and sheltered housing for elderly and extra care accommodation (Use Class C2) - covering circa 100 ha.

• The conversion of the Officer's Mess Listed Building for residential purposes

• A Local Centre comprising a mix of uses including shops (Use Classes F1, F2 & E), hospitality uses, small scale offices, a primary care GP surgery, day nursery and a community centre – circa 4 ha.

• Light Industrial / Storage or Distribution uses (Use Classes E, F2, B2 and/or B8) – circa 5 ha.

• 2 No Primary Schools and 1 No Secondary School.

• Open space, including the creation of new sports pitches, allotments, children's play areas, woodland, hard and soft landscaping.

• New vehicular, cycle and pedestrian access connections to and through the site.

• Associated infrastructure to facilitate the development including the construction of a new internal road network, new accesses, drainage infrastructure and utility networks.

Overall, development on the site is envisaged to be 2 – 4 storeys in height. The maximum height of buildings in plots across the site will be chosen having regard to environmental constraints.

The report continued: "The outline application will be accompanied by an illustrative masterplan and a series of parameter plans.

"The parameter plans will define the land use (defining plots for development, landscaping etc.), the maximum storey height associated with the plots, plus vehicular and pedestrian access through the site. These parameters and the illustrative masterplan, together with the environmental baseline for the site, will form the basis of the EIA."

The scoping report also said the design of the Proposed Scheme will adopt Garden Village principles and Building for a Healthy life principles. High levels of sustainability will be promoted through the following:

• Adopting a "15-minute" community principle, whereby the residents of the new development can meet their day-to-day needs within a 15-minute walk/cycle from their homes. This will promote active travel modes and

• Promote active travel and sustainable travel modes through the layout of segregated footpaths and cycleways across the site and ensuring strong connections with neighbouring developments and Grantham town centre.

• Retaining trees and other green infrastructure features where possible.

• Charging infrastructure will be provided at all properties and in public car parking areas to encourage the use of electric vehicles.

• Working with the local highway authority to improve bus services to the site and supporting Highway Authority proposals to "green" the A52 and promote

sustainable transport along this corridor

• All new homes to meet the Government's proposed Future Homes Standard which have recently been subject to consultation and is likely to come into effect in 2025. This Standard seeks to reduce the carbon emissions from residential properties by 75-80%. There will be no gas supply to the new homes, and electrical and/or other forms of heat and power will be provided

The also says it is anticipated that the construction of the Proposed Scheme will commence in 2023 and take approximately 20 years to complete.

Construction activities would include the following phases. Each phase will last approximately 5 years:

• Phase 1 – comprising development of the south eastern area of the site including provision of new highway accesses, the Local Centre (with community, retail and commercial uses), 1 new primary school, approximately 1000 new homes, delivery of industrial accommodation and associated public open space, landscaping and infrastructure

• Phase 2 – comprising development of the south western area of the site, including provision of a new highway access, approx. 1000 new homes (including conversion of the existing Headquarters building) together with associated public open space, landscaping and infrastructure

• Phases 3 & Phase 4 – covering the northern part of the site and comprising the delivery of approximately 2000 new homes, 1 new primary school and associated public open space, landscaping and infrastructure

The report also says the Proposed Scheme is anticipated to generate approximately 200-300 construction jobs during each phase.

It concluded: "The Proposed Scheme is considered to have a beneficial effect on the local population, by providing new housing, greenspace, active travel infrastructure,community and employment facilities.

"This is expected to provide improvements to quality of life for the residents of the site and the wider local population that may benefit from the land uses proposed at the site and also indirectly via the economic activities of the residents.

"However, although military personnel will be transferred upon completion of the Proposed Scheme, there is the potential for residual impacts to be experienced by local businesses and civilian contractors that operated within or were reliant on the army base."

The report can be found in full here on the SKDC website.