Planners are opposing a scheme for 15 homes next to a pub in a village north of Grantham.

A meeting of the planning committee of South Kesteven District Council next Wednesday is recommended to reject the scheme in a field east of The Royal Oak, Main Road, Long Bennington.

The application from REL 2 Ltd and Hawthorn Leisure of London seeks to build 15 homes (including 4 affordable ones) on the 0.79ha site.

The application will come before councillors as it is considered a Major Development.

A report prepared for the meeting says the site, over the road from the village hall, had received applications for smaller schemes, but they had been withdrawn.

Long Bennington Parish Council objected to the current application, saying it had inadequate drainage and flooding mitigation, it was an appropriate scope of development, there would be adverse impact on local environment, it contained an inappropriate density of housing, and the scheme did not adhere to planning policy.

Anglian Water told SKDC the surface water strategy/flood risk assessment submitted with the planning application was 'unacceptable.'

Council consultation delivered 16 letters of representation from nearby residents with concerns over noise and pollution, increased flood risk, access for emergency services and highway concerns. The application would extend the village into the countryside and spoil good views. It also did not comply with the local Neighbourhood Plan.

Assessing these concerns, plus impact on residential amenity and the character of the area, SKDC planning staff recommended planning committee refuses the application.

Their report concluded: "The proposed development is on greenfield land and would extend the pattern of development beyond the existing built form and into open countryside, resulting in harm to the character and appearance of the area and impacting on views from public viewpoints.

"No information has been submitted with the application detailing how the development would meet a proven local need for housing, or seek to address a specific targeted need for local market housing. Further, no evidence of substantial community support has been

demonstrated. "The site is shown to be at risk from surface water flooding and has experienced flooding. There is insufficient information to determine if a satisfactory drainage solution can be achieved for the site. Likewise, insufficient information is available to assess if the proposal would result in any unacceptable impacts on ecology and biodiversity. The report added: "There are no overriding material considerations that outweigh these fundamental conflicts with the Development Plan. The proposal is therefore unacceptable and recommended for refusal."