Controversial £1.4m scheme to redevelop elderly people’s housing complex in Harborough has finally been sealed

Harborough District Council says it has now wrapped up a deal to sell its land at Naseby Square, off Stuart Road, for £1.4 million to Platform Housing Group.

The major housing set-up, which already owned adjoining land at the site on the town’s Southern estate, now aims to pump millions of pounds into building 38 “affordable homes”.

The tenants of 13 bungalows set to be demolished at Naseby Square have already been moved out and found new homes.

“The new development will consist of 1-3 bed homes which will be a mix of rented and shared ownership and will help local families find a place to live within their budget,” said Harborough council.

“The scheme will include eight bungalows for rent which may be attractive to older people or those with a physical disability.

“Delivering affordable housing is a key priority for the council and 2021/22 was another record year with over 200 new affordable homes built.

“However, demand is also rising fast with over 450 applications to join the council’s housing register in the last three months, with over 600 applications in total,” said the local authority.

Today Cllr James Hallam, the council’s deputy leader and Cabinet lead on strategic asset management, said: “With the significant impact of the Covid pandemic, a decision was taken to sell this land on behalf of the taxpayer.

“We will carefully evaluate how we can utilise this capital receipt to benefit the Harborough district.”

Anyone in need of housing advice or at risk of becoming homeless should visit the council’s website.

After considering options for the land at Naseby Square the hard-up council decided “not to pursue the proposed housing project itself as it has had to refocus its priorities in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic”.

“The capital raised from the sale will be used to support the council’s various capital projects across the Harborough district.

“Platform Housing Group worked very closely with those customers of Naseby Square who would be affected by the proposed redevelopment and has successfully relocated all those customers to other Platform Housing accommodation of their choosing,” added the council.

“Platform Housing will continue to ensure that all remaining residents of Naseby Square are kept fully informed with the redevelopment as it progresses.”

The blueprint to radically rework the traditional community hub – which dates back to the 1950s – has sparked fury and passionate protests in Market Harborough since it blew up in 2018.

And the long-running project made headlines in April 2021 when the Harborough Mail revealed Harborough council paid £920,000 of taxpayers’ cash for a bungalow valued by top property website Zoopla at £303,000.

The authority bought 87 Granville Street to help it drive through the dramatic initiative to reinvent Naseby Square.

The new mini-estate is going ahead after the council agreed on September 8, 2020 that the Naseby Square site should be sold.

Councillors accepted a provisional offer from Platform Housing Group for its land just weeks later on November 2, 2020.