Engaging with the local community

Extensive consultation has been ongoing for the proposals over the past two years that have assisted the plans to evolve at each stage including - 

  • 2021

    • Contracts Exchanged between Millea Land & Landowners - Summer 2021
    • Representations to the Local Plan - November 2021
    • Initial concept designs produced - Autumn 2021

  • 2022

    • Strategic Development Team meeting with North Lincolnshire Council - Jan 2022
    • An informal presentation to some members of Epworth Town Council - Feb-Mar 2022 & June 2023
    • Millea Land personally visited every shop in the Town Centre to leave flyers for the Public Exhibition and discuss the proposals with the Shopkeepers - March 2022
    • Press Release via Epworth Times - March 2022
    • Public Exhibition at The Imperial Hall, Epworth - 1st - 2nd April 2022
    • NHS Property Service - May 2022 - present day
    • South Axholme Academy/Isle Education Trust - May 2022 - present day
    • Epworth School Council - June 2022
    • Formal Pre-application with North Lincolnshire council - September 2022

  • 2023

    • Design team meetings with the Partners of the Local GP - Feb & April 2023
    • Screening Opinion for Environmental Impact Assessment - April 2023
    • Detailed Planning Application submitted - August 2023
    • Featured on BBC News - September 2023
    • Detailed planning application (PA/2023/1381) withdrawn - October 2023

The Public Exhibition held in April 2022 based on the concept plan below concluded with the following - 

The consultation process has resulted in various alterations to our plans as the scheme evolves. The important feedback from the local community has lead to the changes below:

  • Initial concept ideas removed

    • We removed the proposed offices. The feedback informed us there is plenty on offer already in the Town.  
    • Removal of the Community Hall - Our  idea behind this initially was to offer a youth club/meeting area. We have been advised through the engagement process there are already sufficient public spaces in the town.
    • The Care Home has had to be removed due to the feedback from key care providers unfortunately they would struggle to find enough local staff to run a viable facility.
    • The removal of any 5-bedroom houses - The focus must be aimed more towards smaller, affordable and accessible family housing to enable local people to get on to the market. 

  • Ideas brought forward and now included

    • Build a new purpose built garden centre. This will retain existing jobs and also attract people to visit Epworth. 
    • Provide a leisure facility such as soft play and/or climbing walls so that the project provides more  for younger children and will also encourage more visitors to the town.
    • Provide a new larger purpose-built Doctor's Surgery with private parking to safeguard the surgery for future generations. 
    • Retain as much open space and improve the ecology and biodiversity across the site.
    • Create more job opportunities and provide a more sustainable town by reducing the need to travel far and wide to shop. 

  • Concerns raised and other considerations

    • Reduce the size of the foodstore so it complements the existing High Street offering.
    • Respect the setting of the listed St Andrew's Church by pulling away the extent of the development from the church and introducing more green-space.
    • With minimal parking available on the High Street and the Doctors surgery being in need of modernisation and boarding on being ‘not fit for purpose’, patients have started travelling out of the town for doctor’s appointments. The new surgery aims to reduce this needless travel and improve the sustainability of Epworth Town.
    • At present only 26% of the pupils in years 7-11 of South Axholme Academy reside in Epworth iteself and just over 21% live outside the Isle of Axholme, some as far as Doncaster. 
    • We have carried out extensive research and surveys to ensure that the run-off rates of foul and surface water from the proposal are controlled with storage tanks.
    • Looking at the current level of online food deliveries into the town and also the number of residents travelling outside the town, to Gainsborough or Scunthorpe for shopping, we are confident the site would encourage residents to use the local offering and encourage sustainability.
    • Having assessed the surgery on the High Street it is clear that with minimal parking available and the building is in need of modernisation its close to not being fit for purpose. This has lead to patients travelling out of Epworth for appointments so they can get a parking space. The proposals aim to stop this needless travel and add to the sustainability of Epworth Town.
    • Respect the planning policies, the town's heritage, neighbouring properties, proximity to St Andrew's Church and the conservation area. 
    • Understand the technical constraints across the site in which we have to work within.
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