Several Louth councillors ‘appalled’ at submission of ELDC’s £8.25m plans

The Leader first revealed details of the ambitious project a number of weeks ago, and then featured the first architect’s drawings of the proposals last month.

The official planning documents have now appeared on ELDC’s website, and a final decision could be made in July, with work expected to start in September.

Although backed by many people in Horncastle - and described as a major boost for town’ economy - project has attracted some criticism.

ELDC leader, Coun Craig Leyland, has hit back at comments by three of Louth’s district councillors - Andrew Leonard, George Horton and Jill Makinson-Sanders.

In a statement earlier this week, the trio said: “Despite the current financial hardship felt by residents locally, East Lindsey District Council has now submitted its planning application as predicted.

“We are appalled that this (project) has continued to be pushed through and feel it is totally insensitive towards local residents.

“This is spearheaded by council leader Coun Craig Leyland and chief executive Rob Barlow who seem to be disregarding the economic chaos in the local community and beyond.

“We have council staff who are swamped with applications for government grants, housing benefit etc, with colleagues from other departments being drafted in to help these hard-pressed sections. Yet we still have staff working on the Horncastle project.”

Coun Leyland retorted: “We have always been clear that this important development remains on track – it’ll be cost neutral and bring much needed educational provision to our district, which will benefit many people.

“Submitting the planning application and working up this project is in no way impacting our ability to support the Lincolnshire response to Covid-19.

“The statement shows a complete lack of understanding about the Government’s encouragement for developments to progress and feels to me more about political point scoring and securing headlines than anything else.

“Councillor Leonard’s group leader, Councillor Makinson-Sanders, continues to be part of the project team in helping us to shape the Public Sector Hub.

“Councillors Leonard, Horton and Makinson-Sanders should look forward to future planning applications for the Colonnade at Sutton on Sea; a new leisure centre for Mablethorpe and a number of other major projects in the pipeline to boost the economy post Covid-19.”

Councillor Leonard has since hit back at Councillor Leyland’s response (below), accusing the district council of potentially ‘sleepwalking into a disaster it can’t see’ by failing to take account of the ‘financial earthquake’ that will affect the economy after the coronavirus pandemic.

Coun Leonard said: “Yet again, Councillor Leyland accuses us of politicking as his standard stock answer when he doesn’t like what he hears.

“As district councillors we are there to challenge and represent our electorate, after all we are not North Korea.

“I am not convinced this project will succeed, given that we have had three failed further education colleges in Louth and when I last looked the Horncastle population is a third the size of Louth.

“With respect to any planning application made by the council it no longer goes to be adjudicated on elsewhere and therefore, the council becomes game-keeper and poacher.

“Rarely do project costs stay within budget so this could be heading towards ten million, particularly as costs are increasing and sourcing from abroad is becoming more difficult.”

He continued: “Councillor Leyland has been heard on many an occasion to say how we ‘must protect the vulnerable’.

“We think all the district ratepayers are ‘vulnerable’ at this moment in time, from a small group of senior executives who are hell bent on going to Horncastle whatever the cost.

“There is no guarantee this will be cost neutral and I would doubt that the figures are a true realisation of current circumstances. Most people in business and the real world of rural east Lincolnshire are generally not looking at investments of any magnitude until the dust settles and we return to some sort of normality.

“A lot of local businesses are going to be forced to close permanently and even face bankruptcy. We are about to experience a financial earthquake after the fallout of Covid-19, yet the ELDC party faithful is sleepwalking into a disaster it can’t see.”

Coun Leonard added he will be writing to MP Victoria Atkins and Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the issue.

The planning application for the new building in Horncastle will still need to get full permission before it can go ahead.

As things stand, it will be a planning officer at East Lindsey District Council who makes the decision.

However, the application could still be ‘called in’ - meaning it would go before ELDC’s planning committee.

• Public comments are allowed on ELDC’s online planning portal, which can be found at https://publicaccess.e-lindsey.gov.uk/online-applications.