Forum for residents of St Georges Park and Long Leys Road Lincoln

[john shipton]

Having thought about planning applications in relation to Westleys Croft and St Georges Park, I had to rack my brain trying to remember details which took place over several years. To those who are and wish to listen, are you sitting comfortably, patient, and have a drink by your side.
Then I will begin as you enter to dreamworld of Dorothy before walking on the Yellow Brick Road to visit the Wizard of Oz and the adventures she had.
Are you sleepy yet? Will you stay on line while I explain the adventures I had with Westbury Homes as they built Westleys Croft?
Then listen and enjoy the experiences I had...
Once upon a time there was a local authority called Lincoln City Council. They had a vision called The Lincoln Plan. Before the final printed brief, discussions were held with land owners and looked at available local land which was owned by themselves within the city boundary of Lincoln. In this important document, a section was mentioned which contained details of an Urban Village for Long Leys Road. The paragraph included the land on Swanpool to be treated as an urban village concept. Wow...how exciting!
This very important document gave details for the future of Lincoln. Wow!...are you still with me and awake?
So at an executive meeting, The Lincoln Plan was endorsed by those in authority in 1998. While this was going on, the NHS Trust who owned St Georges Hospital, sold the medical buildings and land to two developers and farmland opposite owned by a farmer, was sold to one of the developers. Most of St Georges Hospital had already been closed and medical wards and facilities transferred to the Lincoln County Hospital. This is how Lincoln City Council took an interest to complete an Urban Village on Long Leys Road.
So by now, things were looking good for this concept which City Hall wanted and looked good too for the two developers regarding the profits which could be made from such a venture. Are you still with me as this story unfolds?
Planning officers and councillors representing Lincoln City Council held a number of consultative meetings in the SEC building, now made dormant and redundant by Lincolnshire County Council, the owners.
At these meetings plans were available on boards for the general public to view. Many of the existing local residents living on the Long Leys Road area, went to these meetings to voice their views and opinions. Quite a number of these folk objected to the plans for Westleys Croft and sent in their objections to be heard at the appropriate planning meeting.
An action group was formed to contest such development on nearby farmland. Their main objection was that the land was a meadow and used as a cowpaddle. However, the planning officers' presented their case for development in line with the urban village concept. The same applied in developing the site on St Georges Hospital. The case for the action group was not accepted and the planning committee voted by endorsing the planning officers' recommendations. Later the action group disbanded and was no more.
The first two show houses for Westleys Croft was sited on the frontage of Long Leys Road. A garage attached to one of the houses was used as a Westbury's Sales Office. Other houses on the site began to take shape which included mine.
My family were the first residents to move to Westleys Croft. Westbury Homes put up a large boarding advertising the name of Westleys Croft and the type of houses that were for sale. The AA put up signs too for Westleys Croft some of which still remain pointing traffic in the right direction. We moved in on 4th September 2000 and when we moved, subcontractors were still finishing off inside the purchased house.
The sales staff sold us this house with an urban village in mind together with facilities coming later. Sales staff gave us a large bunch of flowers for the first residents to move into the Urban Village.
All around my house was nothing but a building site. Then problems began to emerge, first with a list of snagging problems which the regional manager helped us to compile. The list was written on 4 double sided A4 paper. The lawn which we had laid and paid for before moving in, had to be relaid twice because no sand was put down to absorb rain water and rubble had been not removed by the builders.
About 2 years later, Land Registry refused to register our property. The reason was that Westbury had sent in three different sets of plans. The one given to us by our solicitors was incorrect. After a six month battle with Westbury and corrspondence going on between my solicitor, Westbury and Land Registry, the correct plans were posted to myself. The result was that the size of the back garden was incorrect and we lost a part of it for registration of our property to go ahead. One mighty cock-up by Westbury!
As people began to move into properties built on Westleys Croft, some were found to have major problems. For example, no strappings found to secure roofs of houses and garages. Roofs were found to be leaking after rainfall. Brick work not flush and a couple of residents had boundary problems similsr to myself.
The pumping station had no wall built round it for protection. Anglian Water had to force Westbury to deal with this issue before their adoption. Dave Underwood confronted Westbury on several occassions and for months on end over remedial action on the footpaths and roads before adoption. On two occosssions he wanted to call in the Financial Bond and use the money for County Hall to complete the outstanding remedial work. Still awake and listening?
I won't discuss the Supplementary Guidelines, endorsed by the previous portfolio holder for Planning and Development who was one of our Ward councillors. That person has not been heard or seen since losing her seat at the last local elections.
I won't mention too about the planning officer who was supposed to be responsible for our Urban Village. In fact, she has not been seen or heard from for sometime.
Now this is interesting regarding the development of Westleys Croft. It has no longer any identity for Westbury refused to put up anything else or leave it to be known as "Westleys Croft." City Hall had no authority under planning regulations to keep the identity of this small estate. If fact, some councillors and a few officers did not consider it to be part of the Urban Village. They centred on and looked at St Georges Park to be the Urban Village. Our Labour councillors at council meetings, made it quite plain and emphasised that it was part of the Urban Village.
It was agreed at City Hall by planning officers and councillors that a total of 74 houses were to be built on Westleys Croft. Housing was to be a mixture of 4, 3, and 2 bedrooms. Within this total was a figure of 7 affordable houses. From plans that were available, no extra housing would be built on Westleys Croft. The size of houses were to be no more that two storeys in height. Bedrooms allowed would be no more that 4. This is what the former portfolio holder for Planning and Development maintained and gave instructions of. I attended Carholme Community Forums when meetings were held at City Hall where this was said whenever the Urban Village and its progression was on the agenda.
The original plans drawn by Westbury Homes showed that the land near the pumping station was to be landscaped. This land was used by Westbury for offices and portacabins for contractors and subcontractors until completion of the estate.
Another interesting fact...Westbury replaced site managers and site foremans on several occassions, one reason given was that some were not upto standard and not meeting target figures. The regional manager was replaced too for getting involved with householders and their property problems. After dealing with my problems and ticking through the snagging list for jobs done and completed, he was told firmly by the regional company director, based at Nottingham, that he was not to do anything like this for other householders. Owner occupiers were to go through and use their customer services. Even the sales staff were told to give out the customer services number as they were instructed to concentrate on selling houses.
Now going back to the land and the "orange house" built on it, I am told Westbury did a private deal and ignored the plans for landscaping. The land was dormant for a period of time after the offices and cabins were removed.
Later a planning application was sent in to build 6 dwellings on it. This was refused and rejected by planning and development. The portfolio holder too made her views known. One suggestion was that the house had to be built similar to the style to the four bedroom houses that were built on Westleys Croft, to keep the character of the small estate. Are you still awake or now dreaming like Dorothy to continue?
Well, the result was what has now been built. This is called retrospective planning when something is built and passed and agreed to later. As it has already been mentioned, one contention is whether the property is 2 or 3 storeys in height. It is a five/six bedroom house worth about half a million pounds on the market, huge inside and has triple garaging. This is what the Planning section at City Hall told me. Alas, the local councillor who took an interest in Westleys Croft, the houses built, its problems and wanted an Urban Village by endorsing the plans and supplementary guidelines, and so forth, is no longer with us.
Now, I am not going to get involved with the pros and cons over what has happened. And neither wish to discussed the issues probably arising. I believe what has happened on and to this estate, the debate and discussion have been exhausted. I don't wish to fall out with anybody. I am only sharing the stories behind the story of Westleys Croft and this is just a part of it for those who wish to know.
Going back to land of Nod and waking up to reality, let's concentrate what can be achieved and can be done for our Urban Village, working together to achieve it. Westleys Croft is no more for identification purposes. Residents are just not bothered about the name.
I was asked by a few residents to explain using my own experiences and involvement from day one, concerning Westleys Croft and what happened since moving there.
Good night and sweet dreams!

[robcrack]

Bless you John - you clearly still lose sleep about the 'orange house'! It's built now and nearly finished. When I moved down the 'posh end' in 2004 Mr Coulby had been refused permission to build a terrace of 6 houses on the plot and was in the appeals process. I wrote to the appeals inspector and outlined my strong genuine reasons for objection. The appeal was dismissed. Plans were submitted for 2 x 4 bed houses to go on the plot and no objections were raised but the council turned down permission. No appeal was made. Permission for the house standing on the plot now were granted before the submission for 6 but Mr Coulby chanced his luck in an attempt to make more profit (can't blame him). I see the house every day and quite honestly feel rather jealous that i'll never have the cash to buy it. Perhaps those who made objections to the height of the wall etc are a little jealous too? Only yesterday I had a wander inside (I have a key - friendly neighbourhood down here) and spend time dreaming about how nice it must be to afford such splendour.
The ones who objected (but were scared to be named so had a private meeting and wrote as an organisation) live nowhere near the plot and are not affected in any way. If you ask the owner nicely he might let you have a look round!!
It's actually been estimated to be worth £650,000. Why not see if the council will buy it and use it as a community centre. Could put the graveyard in the back garden too.

[john shipton]

Rob:

Thanks for your contribution regarding the owner's other planning applications.
Did not know about these.
By the way, to put the spanner in the works, I prefer the cemetery on the other side of Long Leys Road, not on the southern side. Parking there would be much better than here!
This should get a few residents going on St Georges!
Also having the so-called Orange House as a community centre, would turn the hairs on ends of your local neighbours. Perhaps motorists could use your driveway as a parking lot?
My dreams would be nightmares with those concerned!

Shippo.

[iggy]

the only one to still lose sleep over the house is infact IS you rob you are the one that started all over again after a 4/5 month gap. as you know the letter of objections was sent by me and signed by me as chair of the llra the objections were raised by people who have houses ON THAT SIDE OF LONG LEYS ROAD and i was asked to put there points to the planers [not just the two you think complaned] and the more i looked at the planning request the more i felt sombody was taking the P over .this the house built is not like the house on the 1st planning request infact i think 22 things found to be differant which i felt was not the way to build .the 3 ward members said they would also be objecting to the applicationand would the llra put there points over at meeting , also i had a meeting at city hall with a sr planning officer how said that planning had problems with the way it was built then planning applied for. you also know that i did not attend the planning meeting as city hall infact did not notify the llra of the date of the meeting until after the meeting had been held ,also somebody must have got to the 3 elected members as at the meeting they voted for it in the end
as a result of all this and after all your emails /phonecalls to my home and digs on the forum you got what you wanted i quit and walked away from something that i had helped start and was looking forward to trying to get better things for the locals SO THERE YOU HAVE IT THATS WHY I QUIT
and as pete says lets hope you stand for chair in january AS I WILL SECOND YOU
all i would say is THE HOURS WERE CRAP
THE PAY WAS POOR

TO FINNISH I WOULD SAY IT WAS A GREAT JOB WHICH I WISH I WAS STILL DOING BUT AS YOU KEEP SAYING ROB I WAS CRAP AT IT OVER TO YOU

[john shipton]

Rob and Ian:

Lets bury the hatchet between yourselves and look as what has happened is due to experience.
What has happened anyway regarding Westleys Croft, supposed buildings allowed, the poor customer service given by Westbury Homes now bought out by Persimmons, what the small estate was supposed to be too, and how Planning dealt with the situation over the land on 34a Mitchell Drive including Westbury selling that piece of land, it goes to show the weaknesses that have been exposed at Lincoln City Council over housing development and their failure regarding having no MASTER PLAN for our Urban Village.
The next contention coming our way looks to be going on at Baker's Field and whether it becomes a cemetery. The debate and discussion has just begun!
However, putting this aside, more additional material has come my way regarding Westleys Croft and further concerns and cock-ups made.
These is this...
Tapin Close, off Mitchell Drive, at the bottom end, Westbury has retained a piece of land in order to go through Long Leys Road allotments to gain access to the SEC site. Workers told residents when working to complete Westleys Croft that Westbury were interested in the SEC site which they were told at the time, would be no longer required by County Hall. They had an important interest if any one time this was up FOR SALE for housing development. Westbury was also caught out in trying to rent two allotments for their own purposes. One idea was to use these allotments for their portacabins.
Allotment holders got wind of this and had this blocked by City Hall. What they did regarding these two allotments was to use the then dormant allotments themselves.
It is a hedgegrow which seperates their land from the allotments.
The two house owners facing the piece of land, mow, maintain and use it as part of their lawn. If they can do this for ten years, it either can be adopted or purchased. Another crafty method which developers use and have been caught out!
Another incident which occurred on Westleys Croft was the bridge that goes over the dyke onto the West Common. In the later part of them building their houses on this land, they plonked a wooden bridge on what is now considered as a village green. Left it there for a few weeks, then fixed it over the water dyke onto the river bank nearest to the West Common. Good for them as it was an agreed access point to the West Common. What they failed to provide at first, was common gates.
The bridge led to flimsy wooden common fencing which easily breaks if stood on. So residents with their dogs had to climb over the fencing. Result...broken fencing.
The Open Spaces Officer based at City Hall was called in to rectify the situation as horses went through the broken fencing to graze on the dyke bank. It was a good job that the horses did not stampede or galloped over the bridge gaining access to the estate.
The solution provided was an improvision of a wooden style for folk to get over the repaired fencing. This was done. But due to people climbing over other parts of fencing along the dyke riverbank, breaks began to appear elsewhere.
Neither Westbury or City Hall involved, ever consulted the Commons Advisory Committee on which I serve who give advice regarding the three commons of Lincoln. Totally ignored, and the situation considered unimportant to get the committee involved.
But the Panel did get involved when complaints began to filter/sent in at City Hall and telephone calls made. Yet another cock-up by the developer and this includes Lincoln City Council.
The matter was raised and put on the agenda to be looked at, discussed and recommendations made.
The result is the two kissing gates to stop horses getting onto the estate in using the bridge and also to stop young budding cross country motor cyclists practising on the West Common. For some were using already the footpath between Long Leys Road and West Parade gates. Also the footpath on the river bank at the back of THE GRANDSTAND for practice purposes. This was stopped eventually by the Urban Rangers.
So please don't fall out between yourselves as the real culprits have been the two developers and certain Planning Officers at City Hall responsible for the completion of our Urban Village. The councillors usually vote on recommendations given by planning officers who suppose to be experts and following supplementary guidelines.
This appears to have been binned or now totally ignored!

[john shipton]

Forgot to share and include this piece of information given to me on my way to work this morning...quite interesting and it proves that residents do listen and pass on news as as when necessary.
As reported already, Keith Sharpe is the owner of the land behind the allotments. He also built the houses on Oakleigh Drive. He has made his fortune as a builder, hence living in a luxuary house which is far better quality than either built on Westleys Croft and St Georges Park.
When building began on Oakleigh Drive, there was a large notice stating the name of Sharwood Homes.
The actual company's name was Sharwood Construction Limited owned by Keith Sharpe. These details should be held at Lincoln City Council if not disposed of by now.
The good thing that has arisen regarding the Orange House built at the end of Mitchell Drive is this...
The company wanted an access point to the land. This has now been denied because of the Orange House built there.
So something constructive has been met because house owners on Mitchell Drive were concerned and worried if more housing was built at the back of the allotments.
Car parking and traffic flows would have been horrendous for established residents on Westleys Croft and especially those living on Mitchell Drive.
Thanks to the lady who told me this