Plans to build 130 new homes near a proposed Lidl in the north of the Harborough district have taken a step forward.

Mrs Chloe French of Roebuck Land and Planning has put forward the application for land east of Zouche Way in Bushby.

An initial environmental impact assessment (EIA) screening request was submitted to Harborough District Council (HDC), but was deemed not necessary as there were no significant environmental impacts, allowing the planning application to proceed.

The outline application – for the development to be approved in principle – is for land north of the A47 (Uppingham Road), while to the west of the proposed site is the recently completed Bushby Fields development. The 130 homes would be close to a proposed Lidl store in the area too, with that plan currently being considered by HDC.

The site area is approximately 6.9 acres in size (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)

placeholder image — The site area is approximately 6.9 acres in size (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)

The supermarket’s plan is a controversial one. Currently, 61 objections have been lodged against the application but 32 have also been sent in support. Many of the objections relate to the scale of the development and the increase in traffic in the area.

Objections have also been raised in relation to the 130 homes. Claiming the development would “cause more problems than it would solve”, one resident said “rural land should be used for it’s intended purpose, not to be covered in concrete altering it’s nature”.

The resident also had concerns the development would “push all traffic onto existing routes” and “would add more flooding issues to Thurnby brook at the bottom of the Zouche Way, which would cause issues down stream to already at risk properties.”

The site area is two separate fields approximately 6.9 acres in size and described in documents as two fields in a figure of eight shape.

Documents note of the 130 dwellings, up to 40 per cent would be affordable homes and include the possibility of one and two bedroom bungalows. The market housing mix proposes a range of two, three and four bedroom houses, they add.

Roebuck Land and Planning note the proposed development is expected to be mainly two storey with some three storey and bungalow provision. The development will include a mix of detached, semi-detached and terraced properties, plans state.

Thurnby and Bushby Parish Council has also written to HDC about the application asking for an extension to the planning consultation, which is currently set to end on Thursday, January 22.