Harborough MP calls for delay to council crunch vote over imminent government rulebook change

Calls have been made for a crunch decision, on whether to accept overspill housing from Leicester, to be delayed by a week.

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien has written to Harborough District Council leader Phil Knowles calling for the extension after it emerged an overhaul of the government rulebook on housing and planning is due to be published. It will be released just one day after the Harborough District Council vote, to be made on Monday (December 11).

The authority will decide on whether to accept more than 1,500 additional homes from the city’s unmet need, which would be built over the next 13 years

Seven out of the nine authorities across Leicestershire have already signed a so-called ‘Statement of Common Ground’, agreeing to take on extra housing.

The council previously argued authorities in Leicestershire were bound by a planning rule known as the ‘Duty to Cooperate’ and if it does not sign the statement of common ground, it will be unlikely to get the next Local Plan adopted - putting the district at risk of speculative planning applications.

But MPs argue this would not be the case since the ‘duty to cooperate’ was abolished after the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill became law in October.

And now, the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is expected to be published on Tuesday December 12, just one day after the key council vote. If the leader accepts the MP’s request, it will be the third time the decision has been deferred.

Mr O’Brien, who was behind a 3,000-strong petition against accepting the overspill, said: “I have written to the council leader to ask for a very brief delay to this vote, which is such an important one for the future of the Harborough district, as we would be voting to increase our house building target nearly a quarter to take on overspill housing from Leicester.

“It would be completely mad and unacceptable to make councillors take this hugely important vote potentially just one day ahead of the planning rulebook being re-written. Councillors would effectively being asked to sign up to a contract without even being allowed to read it.

“Council officials have stated that they are delaying the planned publication of figures on housing land supply in the district, because of the changes that are coming under the new rulebook.

“Otherwise we are effectively asking councillors to vote blindfolded, which would obviously be extremely undemocratic. Councillors are also being asked to sign off on spending nearly an extra two million pounds to support this plan, which is a huge sum for Harborough taxpayers. I think residents would be outraged if councillors are made to vote on this and spend all this money just one day before the rules change.”

A council spokeswoman told the Mail: “The council is looking at how we can accommodate this request in line with council procedures and processes.”