More detail is now required for Harborough district's major housing plan

The Harborough district's two preferred major development zones should be east of Lutterworth and north of Scraptoft.

That was the decision of the council’s executive on Monday.

But councillors say more detail is needed before any final vote.

Thousands of new homes and employment areas could now be concentrated in two parts of the district, in so-called Strategic Development Areas selected by the council.

One is east of the M1, opposite Lutterworth. It would effectively be a new town for up to 7,000 people. The other is north of Scraptoft, on the edge of an expanding Leicester.

The Strategic Development Areas will attract a large proportion of future district building, up to 2031.

At Monday’s meeting, Cllr Geraldine Robinson said a key of the Lutterworth East development was the “spine road” that took traffic away from Lutterworth on a new bridge over the M1.

“It needs to be delivered at the earliest opportunity, or traffic numbers will rise dramatically in Lutterworth” she warned.

Scraptoft North as a development area has risen to prominence more recently.

Cllr Simon Galton told the meeting: “There’s been very little detail about Scraptoft North. There is little vision.”

Officers said there was good collaboration between Harborough District Council, Leicester City Council and developers and a masterplan for Scraptoft North was being prepared.

Harborough District Council has to find 532 new houses a year in the period from 2011 to 2031 - a total of 10,640 new homes.

They have now allowed another 20 per cent on top of that - a total of 12,800 homes - to meet “unforeseen circumstances” and allow for “unmet needs across the Housing Market Area”.

It is a council duty to co-operate with neighbouring councils who can’t meet their own housing targets.