500-home estate and country park proposed
PLANNING APPLICATION SUBMITTED FOR TOWN
PLANS for 500 homes and a country park have been submitted to Rutland County Council.
Half of the application site, off Main Road and Manor Lane in Barleythorpe, Oakham, would be used to create a country park, which would be known as Mill Hill.
While plans about specific housing are yet to be submitted, applicant De Merke Estates said it would deliver a range of properties from one and two-bedroom flats up to bigger family homes.
There would also be a mix of market price and affordable homes, with the cost of the latter to be agreed with the council.
The housing estate would have two major access points, both from the Main Road, with a possible secondary or emergency access junction being installed off Manor Lane.
The housing part of the plan would be built around Main Street, which the developer said would “draw inspiration” from existing homes in Barleythorpe and Rutland generally.
It said the development would be sensitive to the local area.
Mill Hill Park would become one of Rutland’s biggest public green spaces.
Existing trees would be incorporated into the park and more habitats would be created, including woodland, scrubland, wildflower meadows, and wetland.
There would be paths around the park, some leading to both the housing development to the east and Manor Lane to the south.
The park would be mostly natural with minimal lighting so as not to disrupt wildlife, but there would be some furniture to provide rest areas.
A bandstand or other structure could be built in the park which would be used to host outdoor activities and gatherings.
The applicant said it believed schools would be able to handle the increased demand, while business would benefit greatly from the development.
Full details of the proposals are available on Rutland County Council’s planning portal.