Town council may oppose link road scheme
TOWN councillors have warned that unless their concerns are addressed they will oppose plans for a link road scheme proposed for Sleaford across the recreation ground.
In a letter to the North Kesteven planning authority, Sleaford Town Council has stated that it generally supports the regeneration of Sleaford but could not support a traffic scheme put forward by the county highways department unless it had a number of reassurances.
The proposals are set to be considered at an all day planning committee on Tuesday, June 9.
The town council is not satisfied all alternative routes for the link road to the Maltings and new Tesco development sites between Mareham Lane and Boston Road have been adequately examined.
Town councillors also feel the closure of Southgate level crossing, as requested by Network Rail, should only be on a trial basis after the bridge across the railway has been built and proved workable.
Chairman of the town council's applications committee, Ada Trethewey, said: "We need a trial period before that crossing gate is closed permanently. They need to prove they can close it without doing significant harm."
On the matter of tree loss, the Sleaford Standard's own online poll was referred to at the applications committee as it has seen 62 per cent in favour of an alternative route proposed by development company Morbaine, which would require fewer trees to be cut down.
We would be criticised for not supporting the application but if, after it is constructed, it does not work, who will be putting up their hand to say it is their fault?”
Plans for a new Tesco superstore will also be decided next Tuesday and will depend on the road scheme being approved.
Tesco corporate affairs manager Eoin Dardis said: "The town council rightly wants to see traffic flowing well around the site and the town overall and we are confident that the highways proposals will achieve that.
"We hope to work closely with the town council to bring forward a landscaping scheme which does justice to the Maltings and to the wider regenerative ambitions of the town.
"There's an opportunity here to provide a real boost to the town with hundreds of new jobs and some great landscaping and architecture.
"It's an exciting time for Sleaford and we hope that councillors support what we, Gladedale, Lincolnshire County Council and the Prince's Regeneration Trust are trying to achieve."
*There is still time to take part in the Standard’s online poll - go to www.sleafordstandard.co.uk
The poll will close at mid-day on Monday, June 8.
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Saturday 25 May 2013
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