The boss of a motor repairs firm objected to a new homes development because residents will suffer noise and fumes from his business.
David Tointon, of Tointon’s Motors, told councillors the nearest home to his premises is 27 metres away – and there is a planning condition that the occupier must be someone connected to his business.
But plans from Lincolnshire Field Products will see 11 homes built and one of the plots is just three metres away from his site.
Mr Tointon told South Holland’s planning committee on Wednesday that some of the homes will be seriously compromised by a noisy, busy garage and harmful fumes from the MoT test station.
The site for the homes at Kirkgate/Cross Street in Whaplode was formerly Green’s car park.
Coun Andy Tennant said the area was “screaming out” for residential development.
He said: “It’s an unusual way around for a business owner/operator to be asking to refuse residential because it’s close to their business – it’s normally the other way around.
“Hopefully we can help the operator feel assured that they should be able to live side by side.”
Coun Tennant said he had lived all his life next to an MoT station and didn’t consider it to be a bad neighbour.
Councillors voted 8-4 to allow the new development, which will include four affordable homes.
Clive Wicks, the developer’s agent, told the committee: “With regard to Tointon’s Motors, we are happy to live alongside them provided they fully meet with their planning permission obligations and their environmental obligations.
“The hours of operation you agreed are totally acceptable to my client and we all want Tointon’s, a local business, to operate successfully – but, like yourselves, within the council’s terms.”
He said Lincolnshire Field Products bought the land following the closure of Green’s and were going to build a mix of housing to provide “a varied and characterful street scene”, create construction jobs and a profit to be reinvested in Lincolnshire Field Products.