MP’s Call Public Meeting Over Harborough Housing Plans

A public meeting has been called by the Harborough District’s three Members of Parliament over controversial housing plans.

It will take place at Market Harborough Methodist Church next Friday – three days before councillors consider whether or not to accept some of Leicester’s unmet housing need.

Neil O’Brien, Alberto Costa and Alicia Kearns say there is no obligation for Harborough District Council to take the extra homes, but council officers and their expert advisers say it is a legal requirement under current planning law.

The authority deferred a decision on whether to accept more than 1,500 additional homes over the next 13 years at a meeting last month and the decision is now set to be taken on November 6th.

Over 3,000 people have signed a petition against the extra homes which was launched by the MP’s.

Mr O’Brien spoke to HFM:

The so-called ‘Statement of Common Ground’ has already been agreed by seven out of nine local authorities in Leicestershire and the council says not signing the statement would jeopardise its next Local Plan, which allocates sites for housing – putting the district at risk of speculative planning applications.

Cllr Phil Knowles, Leader of Harborough District Council, has accepted an invitation to attend the meeting and spoke to HFM:

The public meeting will take place at the Methodist Church Hall on the Northampton Road at 6:30pm on Friday 3 November.