Update, Wednesday 4th September 2024
The Parish Council has submitted a response to the District Council on 4th September 2024. You can read the letter from the Parish Council by clicking this link (will open a PDF doc in your browser).
Hi everyone, the Parish Council have been asked to respond to a planning application for Temple Farm, Temple Road. Building application reference S24/0708.
The planning application is due to be reviewed by the District Council, who have requested any comments/response to be submitted by 5th September 2024.
The forms, plans and any other submitted documents for the planning application can be viewed by clicking this link: Planning Application – Temple Farm, Temple Road.
There are 16 documents associated with this application, including the STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE, which talks about the history of Temple Farm and how the proposed works will impact the historical site. All 16 documents can be viewed here.
You can click on the plan diagram below to open it as a PDF in your browser.
If you would like to respond to this application, you can share your views with the Parish Council using the form below. Additionally, a member of the Parish Council will be visitng with locally affected residents on on Temple Lane.
You can also respond directly to the District Council from their website (using the link above).
9 Comments. Leave new
My sole concern(s) relate to plot 2, the listed farm building. As stated, it has huge historical and village significance. For this to become a private residence will deny everyone the opportunity to share in this history. To my mind the farm building should become a village community building with access to the general public to view and explore its history. Maybe it could become the new Village Hall with the existing hall offered to the developer in exchange?
Our concern with the proposed development is the affect it would have on the current infrastructure, mainly the drainage & sewage.
Any new roads, driveways, hard standing, along with roof guttering would create a lot of additional run off water.
This will increase the pressure on our already unable to cope drainage system.
Being somebody that got flooded out on 2nd Jan 2024 & are still not back in eight months later.
This new development is extremely worrying without substantial plans to improve the current drainage system to prevent further flooding in the village.
As someone who was also impacted by the flooding in January (garden office and garage flooded), I agree with Colin regarding precautions/works being undertaken to improve the village’s flood defences before any more houses are built.
It would be nice to see the derelict property at Temple Farm be renovated to improve the approach to the village, but four houses seems excessive and should not be agreed without improvements to the village flood defences.
I fully concur with both Colin and Rachel’s concerns (above) that we should not be putting further strain on the flood defences of the village with more building – even to the east of the ford since that will only cause more to back up into the heart of the village under flood circumstances.
Secondly, I believe Plot 1 is an over development of the site, its western boundary reaching further west than the red phone box and so diminishing the valuable aesthetic of the area at the heart of our village.
27th August 2024
To Miranda Beavers, Development Management Planner
Council Offices
St Peter’s Hill
Grantham
NG31 6PZ
Planning Ref. nos. S24/0708 and S24/0709
Dear Ms Beavers,
Thank you for your letter dated 14th August which I received on 20th August 2024, regarding alterations planned for Temple farmhouse.
I have looked at the plans and documentation regarding this proposal and can see that there appears to be new dwellings proposed for this site, not mentioned in the title. A neighbour has kindly informed me of another planning application which this written response also refers to.
The plan does not appear to include all the land surrounding the listed building Temple Farm, including up to the fence on Kirkby Underwood Road. The plans fail to show clearly the context of this development within the village. It is therefore difficult to identify how far the garden of the new dwelling named Plot 1, would be positioned from Kirkby Underwood Road , the Grade 2 listed telephone box or proximity to the Grade 1 listed Church.
There is little mention of the ‘orchard’ in the documentation. This is concerning regarding the distinct characteristics of this Open village and its relationship to the countryside. The village is not a typical High Street centred village. The orchard and pastures lying within the curtilage of Temple Farm is part of the open aspect of Aslackby village and highly valued by many. I attach an aerial view to illustrate the distinctive Open characteristic of this part of the village, a characteristic that extends further past the Church along Aveland Way. (The image is sent by letter)
Whilst I welcome the fact that the owner of Temple Farm now wishes to improve this historic building, I am very concerned that the addition of further buildings and driveways would be detrimental to the area. It is such a shame that the current custodian of this historic building has not provided any significant care and attention to either this building or the surrounding gardens and pastures for many years.
The coverage of the land with further buildings, hard standing and driveways on this site would potentially have an impact on the increasing problem with the localised flooding issues in the village. The current drainage system is not certainly not coping with increasingly severe wet weather conditions, resulting this year in serious flooding of basements, outbuildings and villagers’ homes.
Both applications do not appear to identify or acknowledge the importance of this building in relation to other listed buildings within both the immediate vicinity of Temple Farm or within this conservation open village. The site upon which Temple Farm sits is significant in its position, immediately across from the grade 1 listed Church and opposite the Grade 2 listed Moorfield House. Looking at the listed buildings in Aslackby, it appears that the gardens and curtilage of all listed dwellings have indeed not been compromised by any further development around them. Their integrity has been protected and has allowed the beautiful Open characteristic of the village to be retained. Also, I am sure the planning officers are aware that the Grade 1 listed St. James’ Church has recently been celebrated in its renewed historical importance.
I fear the proposal of further new dwellings built in the garden/curtilage of the listed Temple Farm would set a new negative precedent within this beautiful Open village and I strongly object.
yours sincerely, E King
Ref: 524/0708 – Alterations to Temple Farmhouse including internal and external alterations, layout of shared private driveway and associated landscaping, installation of external heat pump unit, siting of ground mounted solar panels – Temple Farm Temple Road Aslackby Lincolnshire NG34 OHJ Application Validated Wed 14th Aug 2024
And to its associated application
Application for Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent for alterations, extension or demolition of a listed building: 524/0709 – Proposed development at the site address. Plot 2 – Temple Farm Temple Road Aslackby Lincolnshire NG34 OHJ Application Validated Wed 14th Aug 2024
My objections are as follows:
1. The Applicant – Sir John Conant 1974 Settlement – would appear to be a trust, not a householder, as per the application. This is confirmed by the following text taken from the applications: “After the tenant farmer surrendered the holding about 25 years ago, the house was let as a private home for several years.” I understand that an application as a householder means fewer questions would be raised as to the detail of the application, whereas non-householders need to provide much more stringent plans. On that basis, the validity of the application should surely be questioned? Certainly it is many years since the building was occupied and then only by tenants. Since then it has sadly been left to rot – possibly the owner hoped it might fall down of its own accord, as the original tower, which collapsed ‘on the eve of its restoration’ in 1891, was allowed to do*.
2. As per its Grade II listed status, Temple Farmhouse was part of the preceptory, complete with round church, founded by the Templars in 1164*. The history attached to this site is priceless; indeed, there is a description of the farmhouse being constructed from the materials of a former round tower. There is also reference to a ‘subterraneous passage’*. Are we really going to allow bulldozers and diggers to desecrate this land before any proper archaeological research can be carried out?
3. The plans for both applications show additional building plots, yet there is no mention of what these will look like, their size or the materials used. While we would be delighted to see the farmhouse occupied and cared for, we object to the plans as they stand because it would appear we are also giving tacit approval for the additional dwellings.
4. The village of Aslackby is designated “small village” in the South Kesteven District Council planning guide. Thus any development requires the support of the community. We were invited to a pre-planning consultation back in February by the applicant’s agent, Mr Michael Thompson. Unfortunately Mr Thompson did not attend the meeting, so we were unable to question him, and I understand that he did not allow the requisite amount of time for response to his questionnaire, collecting the return box three days earlier than stated. This, to my mind, shows a complete disregard for the opinions of our community.
5. Talking of consultation time, why has the village been allowed only three weeks to respond to these current applications? The validation date is August 14 (in the middle of the summer holidays!) and comments requested by September 5. Is not 28 days a more usual consultation period?
6. I note a response comment from the Environment Agency regarding the issue of flooding. However, that response is purely regarding the risk of flooding of Temple Farm. The reasons behind the flooding of roads and properties in the village need to be clearly understood and considered. The village experiences extensive flooding during periods of heavy rainfall at the junction of Kirkby Underwood Road / Temple Road / Aveland Way, created by the combination of rivers of water rushing down from the A15 to the east of the junction, a river of water from the higher ground to the west and the stream itself becoming a raging torrent. As more properties are built in the village, so we have more hard standing. More hard standing means more flood water. So before any more properties are built, you do really need to consider the drainage in Aslackby.
7. I believe the plans as a whole (ie the additional marked plots) would materially affect the outlook of two of the other listed buildings in the village – the church, which itself offers more reminders of the Templars’ occupation of the village, and the next door farmhouse. The plans for Temple Farmhouse, which lies within the Aslackby Conservation area, need to be re-issued for just the farmhouse and its outbuildings, no other plots. One wonders if the applicants have taken advice from the Conservation Team?
8. Within the Arboricultural report of the application there is the following statement: “The ecologist has recommended new trees be planted in the ‘loop’ of the stream. All trees planted will be tended and maintained. The land in question will be retained by the applicant.” I am unsure as to the boundary described as ‘the land in question’. Comparing the Proposed Site plan ref 2241875 with the Local Plan extract reference 2241879, the proposed site appears to encroach on the existing paddock at the corner of Kirkby Underwood Road.
9. Why are the solar panels ground sited, not roof? Why no solar thermal panels – surely one of the most cost effective appliances of all – free hot water all summer!
For the reasons given above, we believe the plans should not be approved, but amended and resubmitted.
Yours sincerely
Lesley Harmer and Norman Whiting
*All comments re the founding and history of Temple Farmhouse have been taken from the text of In Search of the Knights Templar, a Guide to Sites in Britain by Simon Brighton
Well, we agree wholeheartedly with all of the objections and comments listed above.
Apart from the infrastructure not being in place for the additional properties (no information supplied in the proposal), the historical value of Aslackby Village will be undermined and listed buildings in the area of the proposal will certainly be compromised.
With the onset of Climate change – Global Warming – the flooding in the Village is going to increase and we should all be taking steps to help protect the Village rather than take steps that will clearly make the problem worse.
The proposal as is, does not take into account any of these points nor the strong feelings of the local Village residents who care about the Village we live in, the Historic value and securing Aslackby”s future.
Please everyone who feels strongly about the application regarding Temple Farmhouse, as well as making the Parish Council aware of your feelings, please submit your objections on the SKDC planning hub, in order to have as many voices heard as possible. There is a Parish Council meeting on Monday 2nd September at 7pm in the Village Hall. Thank you
Concerns around plot 3 and being overlooked – also around the security of the old horse chestnut that stands on that site.