Work begins on controversial £6million Naseby Square housing development in Harborough

Joint Managing Director of Lindum group Ed Chambers with Chief Operations Officer at Platform Marion Duffy

Work has begun on a controversial £6million housing scheme in Market Harborough.

Developers Platform Housing Group have started work to build 38 affordable homes on Naseby Square.

The development off Stuart Road was backed by Harborough District Council’s planning committee, despite sparking furious protests and a mass petition signed by over 800 people since it surfaced in 2018.

To help seal the housing complex deal, the council paid out £920,000 of taxpayers’ cash for a three-bedroom bungalow and its land.

The bungalow was valued at just £303,000, less than a third of the huge sum paid, on property website Zoopla, the Harborough Mail revealed in April 2021.

The work, which is being carried out by construction company Lindum, will see some 13 bungalows demolished, with residents already rehomed by the housing association.

The development will be completed by spring 2025 and create a mix of rent and shared ownership homes.

Chief operations officer Marion Duffy said: “It’s fantastic to see work starting on this site and we are grateful to both Harborough District Council and Lindum Group for their work in getting us to this important stage. The plans represent the opportunity to deliver affordable housing for the area that will go long way to helping people get the foundations that come from having a place to call home.”

Platform Housing Group says it has spent time working with residents ahead of demolition work to ensure the project delivers for the community.

Lisa Fairlie, Platform’s director of operations, said: “Once planning was approved by the council, working with the residents has been key in the progress of this site. There was an event for them to meet the contractor, see the timescale and plans, and address concerns over the impact of work. We have also maintained regular contact through written communications and our local neighbourhood officers on the ground.”

Darren King, managing director of Lindum, added: "We look forward to providing the people of Market Harborough with good quality, family homes in the near future.

"There has been a lot of work involved in getting to this point and we appreciate the impact the scheme has had, and continues to have, on people who live nearby.”