Another Nail in the Coffin of ‘Nothing to See Here’🙈
The Reverse Planning Paradox – Exposed!
12 May 2025:
They told us there was nothing unusual about Severn Trent’s works behind our homes in Crowle, North Lincolnshire.
No need for planning notices. No ecological assessments. No public consultation.
Just “protected undertakings” — move along, citizen.
But then we found something interesting.
📍 Marsh Road — a quiet site, tucked away — had all the proper documentation:
Planning references. Public notices. Certificates filed. Rules followed.
📍 Windsor Crescent? The site right behind people’s houses?
Nothing. No planning trace. No road closure notices. No public record. Just the sound of diggers, our homes shaking and the sudden appearance of cracks in ceilings. Ditto for Windsor Lane and Windsor Road.
And here’s the kicker:
This is the same field where a housing development was refused back in 2007.
Back then, they couldn’t get past the public or the planning committee, or even Crowle Town Council.
So now? They skip the system altogether.
🔁 Welcome to the Reverse Planning Paradox — where the more visible the work, the more invisible the process.
🔎 The Marsh Road Comparison
We recently stumbled across the Public Notice Portal — the official site for publishing planning notices and road closures. I searched my postcode (DN17 4EN), and here’s what came up:
Marsh Road — full listing. Public notice. Reference number. Everything by the book.
Windsor Crescent — nothing. No entry. No closure order. No mention of the heavy works, residents have lived through.
Funny, that. 🤔
Marsh Road gets a legal notice. 📃 Windsor Crescent? Silence. 🔇
🏗️ What They Want Us to Forget
The field behind Windsor Crescent isn’t just any patch of land.
In 2007, a planning application to build 15 houses here was refused.
The area is designated Flood Zone 3 — high risk.
There is a riparian drain marked on official maps — now quietly “disappeared.”
The land was under Basic Payment Scheme subsidy until 2022 — declared fallow, supporting wildlife.
Severn Trent moved in anyway — before they even owned the land.
They claimed "exempted works" status and avoided the entire planning process.
No ecological surveys. No biodiversity review. No community consultation.
They couldn’t get past the public in 2007, so they bypassed the public in 2023.
And when two Isle Of Axholme residents visited the council in person on April 2 to ask questions?
One of them received a vague “cease contact” warning letter shortly after.
Apparently, asking about roadworks and drainage is now “excessive.”
The more visible the work, the more invisible the process.
📸 Screenshots Don’t Lie -
When you outrank the Council on their own mess.
If you still think we’re exaggerating, try searching:
"north lincolnshire council" "severn trent"
You’ll find our petition updates and blog posts listed *before* the Council or Severn Trent’s own sites. (as of 12 May 2025)
The public is finding answers because they aren’t getting them from the officials.
Screenshots speak louder than spin.
Oh, by the way - a big THANK YOU to everyone who helped us get this far! 👏
❗What It All Adds Up To
This isn’t about potholes 🕳. It’s about process — and what happens when it’s quietly removed.
No planning trail.
No legal notices.
No ecological transparency.
And no accountability — until someone starts asking questions.
But here’s the thing:
Every time they try to shut down the conversation, they just confirm how much they want to hide.
And so…
Here’s another nail in the coffin of ‘Nothing to See Here.’
We’ve still got plenty left. 🔨
🔗 Related Reading:
💥 Scrutiny is not a smear.
💥 Accountability is not an attack.
💥 Integrity is tested — not assumed.
💬 Enjoyed this post? Want more on the North Lincolnshire Council / Crowle Town Council and Severn Trent Water saga?
If you’d like to see future updates — including more revelations, evidence, and FOI fallout — please consider:
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Because we’re just getting started. 🕵️♂️💼
👉 If you feel strongly about the issues raised in this article, then consider sending an e-mail to Crowle Town Council (clerk@crowleandealandcouncil.org) or North Lincolnshire Council (customerservice@northlincs.gov.uk) or even Councillor Julie Reed, (Cllr.juliereed@northlincs.gov.uk), and ask them why are residents being silenced?