Proposed new town in Harborough district could house 7,000 people

A new town created east of Lutterworth is still the best option for major development in the Harborough district, councillors have decided.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Oct 2016, 14:39 GMT
Updated 25th Oct 2016, 20:03 GMT

The new town (in blue in the map on the right) would eventually be home to around 7,000 people in 2,750 homes.

It should also supply a relief road to the east, linking the A4304 to the A426 north of Lutterworth, via a new bridge across the M1.

Councillor Simon Galton, speaking at the council’s Local Planning Executive Advisory Panel this week said: “Things do change. But the officers haven’t seen anything yet that makes them want to revise the recommendations that they gave us.”

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He stressed that while future development would be concentrated east of Lutterworth, there would still be “significant” development in Market Harborough and villages around the district.

Cllr Christopher Holyoak said the east of Lutterworth plan was “still the best option”.

And Cllr Amanda Nunn added: “The sooner we get this out to consultation the better”, adding it would fulfil Harborough District Council’s new house requirement and prevent “inappropriate planning applications”.

The east of Lutterworth plan took another step forward when it was passed unanimously by the committee.

A draft version of the full Local Plan will go to full council on December 12.

Meanwhile a smaller detail of the Local Plan was highlighted by angry Claybrooke Magna parish councillors.

They were objecting to Claybrooke Magna and Claybrooke Parva being combined on the District Council plan into a single Selected Rural Village (SRV).

They fear SRV status will bring extra new houses that will swamp and even link the two distinct villages.

n What do you think? Where should new homes be built? Email your views to newsdesk@harborough
mail.co.uk

tHE PROBLEM:

Harborough District Council has to find a radical way of meeting the Government’s house building target.

THE SOLUTION:

Concentrate a high proportion of the new houses in one area - a new town east of Lutterworth. Scraptoft North, close to Leicester, would be a reserve site.

THE CATCH:

It won’t stop house building on sites elsewhere in the district.

Related topics:LutterworthHarboroughMarket Harborough