Key Housing Decision Delayed For Second Time

A decision on if the Harborough District will take-on housing earmarked for Leicester has been delayed for a second time.

Councillors were due to decide last night, but the matter was again deferred so new correspondence from government officials and the Council’s external lawyer can be fully considered.

The decision to put the key vote on hold until a meeting next month was unanimously backed by councillors at the Full Council meeting.

Seven of the nine local authorities in Leicestershire have already agreed the ‘Statement of Common Ground’ which in Harborough’s case would see over 1,500 additional homes built across the district until 2036.

The controversial plan has prompted over 3,000 people to sign a petition against it, with Harborough MP Neil O’Brien leading the campaign.

He argues there is no legal requirement for the council to agree to the measure, following a change in government planning policy and spoke to HFM after last night’s decision to put the decision on hold:

When proposing delaying a vote on whether or not to accept the increased housing, council leader Cllr Phil Knowles explained that the authority had obtained high level comments from King’s Counsel (KC) who had served their opinion to the authority late that day.

Cllr Knowles said: “The deferment will allow councillors adequate time to look at this additional information which will also be available to the public to see for themselves.

This information will also be made available on the council’s website so that the community can read it, and I invite residents to contact me or their ward councillor with any questions they have.

“The next Full Council meeting will be for debate and decision.

“We must make a decision that will ultimately protect the local plan as to do otherwise could put the district at risk of speculative development in our rural district.”

The decision was deferred to the next Full Council meeting on 11 December 2023.