Allison Homes vows to work with community on Monarch Park plans for Quarry Farm site on Stamford-Rutland border
A building company has vowed to work with the community to make sure its proposed housing development is something to be proud of.
Allison Homes has applied for outline planning permission to build 650 homes on land at Quarry Farm to the north of Stamford.
The proposal has received widespread criticism from the community, with campaigners organising a protest and a 1,300 name petition to voice their concerns.
The biggest worries are the loss of open space, the impact on wildlife, additional traffic and increased pressure on health and education services.
Stamford resident Mark Harvey is among those to object to the plans.
He said: “I think this will have the single biggest impact on Stamford in the last 30 years and I don’t see any upsides to it.”
A councillor has also spoken of fears of a building 'free-for-all'
Land director for Allison Homes, David Morris, has responded to the criticism by promising to work with the community on more detailed plans if planning permission is granted.
He said: “We want Monarch Park to be a flagship site for Allison Homes. Getting this right is absolutely key for us. We want it to be a fantastic, award-winning place.
“We want to engage with the community once we have the certainty of planning permission.”
Allison Homes has been working on the proposal with Rutland County Council and South Kesteven District Council for six years.
The site of Monarch Park falls within Rutland but the wider Stamford North development lies within South Kesteven.
David said: “Monarch Park is integral to SKDC’s part of the site allocation because of the link road. Most of SKDC’s planned housing couldn’t be built without it.
“South Kesteven needs this and we would argue that taking Monarch Park forwards allows Rutland to have a more stable housing plan.”
The land is privately owned by a number of individuals and would be purchased by Allison Homes if planning permission is granted.
Two thirds of the site would be set aside for open, green space.
The intention would be for a charitable trust to manage the country park. A third party would run the local centre, which could be used for a mix of retail, hospitality and health services.
David said: “A lot of people say the GP provision in Stamford is a massive issue.
“Within our local centre we can have the space to accommodate something like a satellite GP or dental surgery. It’s something we would be happy to discuss with the clinical commissioning group.
“Services like this are important to help establish a community.”
In order to boost its green credentials, the development would include cycle paths and retain key wildlife areas.
Homes would be designed sensitively with a proportion earmarked for affordable housing.
David said: “Allison Homes has always been at the forefront of finding ways to decarbonise housing and reduce energy consumption.
“Our insulation levels exceed building regulations and we were the first to put solar panels on all our homes. We’re also looking into car charging points, air source heat pumps and how to move away from gas.
“Design is also a big issue and we recognise this is a sensitive site. We are right on the edge of the countryside, but part of a Georgian town, and we want to create something that will sit comfortably in that landscape.”
Thirty per cent of the homes will be affordable housing with a range of shared ownership and rental properties. Some will also be part of a new government first homes scheme, which requires a number of affordable homes to be specifically set aside for those taking their first step onto the property ladder.
The prices will be guided by the housing market at the time of completion.
