Plan for 200 homes near village set for go-ahead

A scheme to extend the Leicestershire village of Newbold Verdon will go before planners next week, having been recommended for approval by planning officers at Hinckley and Bosworth.

Measham-based house builder Bloor Homes applied for outline permission to build 200 homes on agricultural land to the south of Bosworth Lane, north-west of the village centre, in May last year.

Indicative plans put forward by the developer also include a shop and around an acre of playing fields and sports pitches, with around 40% of the scheme earmarked for affordable housing.

In their report, due to go before committee on Tuesday, 13 January, Hinckley and Bosworth’s planning officers admitted the scheme would cause “significant” and “non-reversible” harm to the character of the open countryside site.

But officers nonetheless slated the scheme for approval, saying the boost to the county’s housing land supply and the “social and economic” benefits wrought by the proposals outweighed any harm caused.

During the consultation period, the application received 15 objections from residents, who fear a rapid expansion of the village’s 3,000 or so population will put extra pressure on local services and damage its character.

A new shop has been included in indicative proposals, designed to reduce traffic into the centre of Newbold Verdon. But a report from the council’s planning department noted that the shop could need to be relocated in the final designs.

“The proposed shop location is not considered by officers to be an ideal location for a shop given its distance from Newbold Verdon village centre,” the report said.

“There are concerns that its location would encourage residents to drive to the shop as opposed to walking due to its edge of settlement location.”

If approved, the developer would also make a contribution of around £600,000 towards junction improvements at a nearby road junction with the A447, known locally as the Bull in the Oak junction, with modelling showing the junction as “overcapacity in all scenarios” during peak times.

“Based on the indicative information submitted as part of this application, the scheme is considered to result in significant harm to the character of the site, the surrounding area, and the intrinsic value, beauty, open character, and landscape character of the designated countryside. Ultimately, this harm is considerable, experienced over a long period of time, and non-reversible,” the report adds.

“In light of the latest revisions to the NPPF and Hinckley and Bosworth Borough’s inability to demonstrate a five-year supply of land for housing, the provision of up to 200 dwellings to the Borough’s supply of land for housing is considered to attract significant weight within the planning balance.

“Taking national and local planning policies into account, and regarding all relevant material considerations, it is recommended that planning permission to be granted, subject to the imposition of appropriate conditions and obligations.”

The scheme will be decided by the council’s planning committee on Tuesday, 13 January.

Documents relating to the application can be found on Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council’s planning portal under reference 25/00515/OUT.