Concern Over Harborough’s New Housing Target

Over 200 additional homes a year will have to be built across Harborough under new targets announced by government.

The 42% rise – taking the annual figure to 723 – is to be imposed on the District Council, as part of plans to increase house building nationwide.

Harborough’s Conservative MP Neil O’Brien has branded the move ‘ridiculously unfair’ and says it threatens to undermine infrastructure, green spaces and the character of the area.

He has also accused the government of disproportionately making rural areas take more houses:

Harborough District Council is reviewing the potential impact of the announcement on its new Local Plan – which will map out where new homes will go over the next 15 years – and a draft of which is due to be published next week.

Leader, Cllr Phil Knowles said: “The council is currently carefully reviewing the provisions of the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that was published on 12 December 2024, and how it relates to our new draft local plan.

“We will make further comment when that review is complete.

“It is essential to carry out this task thoroughly and not to rush it.

“It is far too important for the future of our district and our communities to hurry this or to speculate.”

The government has blamed issues with the current planning system on ‘inept tinkering’ from the Conservatives and says hard working families have been ‘locked out’ of owning their own home for far too long.

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said: “We appreciate it will be stretching and challenging for lots of local areas.

“For those who want to work with us and share our ambition, we want to provide support [and there] was £46 million in the budget to help planning departments for councils that need that support.

“But to those handful of councils that say we’re not going to work with you, we are willing to use the full ministerial intervention powers at our disposal to get those plans in place and ensure those targets are met.

“Because we have to have a housing and planning system that is geared towards meeting housing need in full given the nature of the acute and entrenched housing crisis that England is in the grip of.”