Harborough MP vows to fight bombshell plans to build thousands of homes across the district

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien is vowing to fight bombshell plans to build thousands more new houses right across the district.
Harborough MP Neil O’Brien.Harborough MP Neil O’Brien.
Harborough MP Neil O’Brien.

The Conservative MP made the pledge as he spoke out in a Parliamentary debate on planning and allocations for new homes for Harborough as well as nationwide.

Neil said it was vital to empower local authorities, make better use of brownfield sites in cities like Leicester and to ensure a “fairer and more balanced allocation of new houses”.

The MP promised to get behind local people and Harborough council as the Government has launched a radical blueprint to shake up the country’s planning system from top to bottom.

“I get a lot of emails from constituents on planning and housebuilding - and I share many of the concerns that are raised with me on this subject.

“I’ve been campaigning for reform to the system since my election and I’ll be making the case for this during the current review and consultation of the system.

“There are cities across the country, such as Leicester, where there are numerous brownfield sites in need of development that must be considered first before we start losing our beautiful countryside and green spaces,” Neil told the House of Commons.

People I speak to aren’t against development.

“They just want it done in a way that is fair, balanced and sustainable - sentiments that I very much share and agree with.

“The proposals to reduce the housing allocation in Leicester while increasing it in Harborough district need to be challenged.

“And that is what I will continue to do on behalf of my constituents.”

The full transcript and video can be found by visiting: https://www.neilobrien.org.uk/news/planning-and-house-building-debate

Neil, who has a special interest in planning and housebuilding, made his feelings clear as Harborough council leader Phil King revealed he has “many concerns” about the Government’s proposed shake-up.

“We do support bits of the plan such as speeding up delivery of the planning process.

“But we are working non stop in Harborough to more than meet growing demand for new homes.

“New figures show that in the financial year of 2019-2020 we built an amazing 905 properties across the district,” said Cllr King.

“And that marks a record high for us.

“That’s a phenomenal number because our annual requirement is 557.

“We are striving to supply more affordable homes here as well as properties in the right areas, close to where people work.

“We have got thousands more homes here now than we had 20 years ago.

“But the Government would want us to build 25,000 homes over the next 20 years.

“That would double the number set out in our Local Plan,” he argued.

“To build that many properties we’d have to create a whole new town, maybe two new towns.

“We are strongly opposed to this.

“And we are making our views known to our local MPs and Ministers.”