The housing secretary said the decision was a matter for HDC.The housing secretary said the decision was a matter for HDC.
The housing secretary said the decision was a matter for HDC.
A decision to approve controversial changes to a ‘mega-plan’ including 1,275 homes near Lutterworth, will not be ‘called in’ by the Housing Secretary.
The changes to the major development in Lutterworth East - which also includes business space, green space, schools and around 5,000 new jobs - were approved by Harborough District Council (HDC), sparking criticism from South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa.
The council approved changes to the number of affordable homes, to between 10 and 40 per cent rather than strictly the latter, and to remove the 9,000 square metre restriction on warehousing units.
According to the planning document, the latter decision is connected to floor space demands brought on by Brexit and the pandemic. But the change has been called out as ‘in direct contravention’ to the local planning policy by some officials.
Although passed, planning officers accepted in their report that the move was “controversial” and a “cause of concern within the local community”.
HDC argued removing the restrictions would “make the development more attractive to developers”, by increasing the value of the site, being easier to develop and let as fewer large units rather than a number of smaller ones.
Mr Costa requested for the controversial decision to be called-in by Housing Secretary Angela Rayner. But his plea has been refused on the grounds it is a matter for the local planning authority.
In response to the refusal, HDC leader Phil Knowles said that decisions made are “always in the interest of residents”.
He added: “It is pleasing to receive this letter from the Secretary of State, which clearly states that planning decisions like this should be made by the local planning authority. I wish this had been the case with Gartree Prison, but that decision was taken out of our hands by the then Secretary of State.
“We, as the local planning authority, have to work within the planning regulations and, in so doing, we are continually trying to do our very best for our communities. We will never stop in this aim and our communities can be assured that Harborough District Council will always seek the very best outcomes for our communities within the constraints imposed by national planning rules and regulations”.
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