Row Over Changes To Lutterworth East Plan

A row has broken out over changes to plans for a massive development near Lutterworth.

South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa has called on the government to review the decision, while a councillor has resigned from his political group over the matter.

The multi-million pound Lutterworth East scheme was approved in 2020 to create 2,750 homes, 40% of which would be ‘affordable’.

Harborough District Council’s planning committee last night approved a reduction in the number to as low as 10%.

Richard Nunn from Lutterworth Town Council spoke at the meeting, saying it will result in hundreds of fewer affordable homes:

Another change approved will allow the business part of the development be built first and larger warehousing units to be included on the 550-acre site, adjacent to the M1.

MP Alberto Costa is unhappy at the changes and has asked Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner to ‘call -in’ the matter and review it.

He also spoke at the meeting:

 

In response, a council planning officer told councillors the changes to government planning policy have not yet been implemented, so they had to abide by current regulations which allowed such changes to be made.

Cllr Martin Sarfas, who represents Lutterworth East has resigned from the Liberal Democrats over the matter, branding the decisions ‘a stitch-up for Lutterworth’.

The Lib Dems run the council in coalition with Labour and the Greens.

Cllr Jon Bateman, Leader of the opposition Conservative group, spoke of his dismay at reducing the number of affordable homes:

 

Leicestershire County Council, which owns the land and is behind the plan, say the changes are needed amid rising construction costs and a stagnant housing market and meeting was told the development would otherwise become ‘unviable’.

Planning officers said the affordable homes target would also be subject to review as the development was built and if the scheme was abandoned, the district would face having to find new locations for the housing and industrial space.

Despite approval of the changes, the district council will have to wait to see if the matter is reviewed by government before the decisions can stand.