Decision is delayed on plan for 2,750 homes
Last-minute intervention by NHS trust for county
A LAST-minute intervention by hospital bosses has delayed a decision on whether 2,750 homes should be built next to the M1 in Leicestershire.
Councillors had been due to make a decision on the proposed Lutterworth East scheme in an online meeting.
Planning officers at Harborough District Council had advised members of its planning committee to approve the vast development on the other side of the motorway to the town and they were poised to discuss it.
However, hours before the meeting was due to begin the council received documents from the University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) NHS Trust which caused them to defer making a decision.
UHL said it wanted a financial contribution from the applicants, Leicestershire County Council, of close to £1 million to make sure it has the capacity to treat the residents of the new development if and when it is built.
The district lawyers advised a decision be deferred but they warned that could leave them open to a potential appeal by County Hall for taking too long to either grant or refuse permission.
Some councillors on the committee also said they were concerned they had not been able to go on an arranged site visit this week because of the lockdown.
They were unhappy at not being able to see the 556-acre farmland earmarked for the homes, a village centre, two primary schools and an industrial zone before making a decision. All nine committee members voted to postpone making a decision.
It is not clear when that will now happen.
District council leader Phil King said the deferral was disappointing but necessary.
He said: “There are some issues that need to be looked at but I want to assure residents that as soon as it is possible we will be bringing back the report to the planning committee to make a decision.”
County Hall says the scheme could lead to the creation of 2,500 jobs on the 56 acres of associated business and retail space that would be developed. The plan also includes an £85 million single carriageway spine road through the development and a new bridge over the M1.
In all, there have been more than 150 objections lodged against the proposals.
Many of the objections are about the impact of potential traffic resulting from the scheme, but also about the size of the development in comparison to the existing town of Lutterworth and the pressure it would put on services such as doctors and secondary schools.
As soon as possible we will be bringing back the report to the committee to make a decision