New holiday, riding and leisure centre could be set up at a disused quarry in the Harborough district

A new holiday, riding and leisure centre could be set up at a disused quarry in the Harborough district.

Seven wooden chalets and four camping pods will be brought in if an ambitious scheme to turn the old 60-acre Dunton Quarry near Lutterworth gets the go-ahead.

The blueprint, which would also feature a fishing and horse riding complex, is being put together by Lutterworth-based ATE Farms Ltd.

The enterprise would go ahead at the disused quarry – which was closed down in the late 1980s – between the two Harborough villages of Leire and Dunton Bassett if it receives the green light.

The developer’s agents said the site would be “available to stay at all year round and provide a base for visitors to enjoy the rural location, local towns and villages and the setting of the site itself”.

They add: “The scheme provides a blend of facilities and high quality accommodation that serves potential guests and local residents alike.”

Local people have objected to the proposed project – arguing that it’s not suitable for the area.

One man said holidaymakers would cause a huge racket with “parties and discos booming out over the countryside”.

The initiative is also being fought by Leire Parish Council.

The council says the holiday centre would spark a dramatic increase in traffic, clogging local lanes and narrow country roads.

Councillors also fear a huge surge in noise pollution and a negative impact on the local countryside and farmland.

Harborough District Council’s planning committee is now set to look at and consider the scheme over the next few months.