Dozens of new homes next to Harborough district village primary could help school expand

A plan has been launched to build more than 50 homes on land next to a Harborough district village primary school.

An application has been submitted to Harborough District Council to build the homes on land at Gaulby Road, in Billesdon, with land also set aside to allow the school next door to expand.

Applicant Church Farm Billesdon Ltd wants to build a total of 56 ‘high quality homes’ on the site, 40 per cent of which will be available as ‘affordable’. Planning documents say these 22 houses have been earmarked as ‘first home’ type housing.

This will align with the government’s first home initiative, which allows first-time buyers to buy a new build home at a discounted rate of 30 per cent below their market value. When these homes are then resold, it must only be to someone who is eligible to buy their first home.

If the plan is approved, the rest of the houses will be available as ‘self-build’ homes. These are houses that allow people to have a say on the design of their future property and 34 will be available on the site.

The proposed scheme also intends to offer 30 public parking spaces on the site, which planning documents say will be associated with the nearby village primary school. This is to “to assist with ongoing concerns relating to school drop-off and pick-up times”, according to the developer.

The car park will be primarily used for the school and for parents, but the developer has also said it will be available to use 24/7 and will be free of charge. The developer has also offered to gift 0.3 acres of land to the nearby school, as it lies next to its playing fields and planning documents say it can be utilised for future classroom expansions or recreational space.

If approved, the development will be made up of a mixture of two, three and four bed properties. Most of these will be two storeys high, but some will also be single storey bungalows.

Planning documents also state the estate will be spread across two parts, which will be accessed by two standalone controlled junctions on Gaulby Road. Pedestrian access will predominantly come via the same areas.

The application will be determined by planners at the district council, who expect to issue a decision by mid November. Residents can submit their feedback on the council website but must do so by Wednesday, September 20.