A CONTROVERSIAL new 2,750-home development in Lutterworth will bring tens of millions of pounds in community benefits, affordable homes and infrastructure, according to Harborough District Council (HDC).
The council says the development – known as the Lutterworth East Strategic Development Area (SDA) – could attract as much as £1billion of investment to support the local economy, after it agreed Section 106 agreements with developers which meant they would contribute millions of pounds towards facilities in the area.
The plans for 2,750 new homes, community facilities and employment space to the east of Lutterworth were approved in July 2020. Around 1,260 of the new homes are expected to be built by 2031.
The 550-acre development was identified in the Harborough Local Plan as a key area to accommodate new housing in the district. It will include green space equivalent to around 140 football pitches, two new primary schools and employment space to create around 2,500 jobs.
HDC says the new spine road being created as part of the scheme is expected to ‘significantly reduce the amount of traffic travelling through Lutterworth town centre’.
Council leader Coun Phil King said: “This development will provide a much-needed investment boost to the local economy, with job and training opportunities during construction.
“As well as providing vast amounts of open space, it will also provide homes to benefit many local families and, with 40 per cent of homes being affordable, help those struggling to afford their own home, a place to live.
“This will create thousands of new jobs locally so more people can work closer to where they live, reducing their travel impact on the environment and climate. It will also deliver a site which could be used to accommodate a new leisure centre for Lutterworth should the existing sports centre reach its capacity.”
The scheme will provide a community park, playing fields, allotments, woodland, trees and hedgerows and new ecological habitats.
It will also include new foot and cycle paths which will connect with Lutterworth town centre, and a community hub with the potential for shops, restaurants, cafes, community hall and other facilities.
The scheme will also ensure the protection of the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) known as Misterton Marshes, the River Swift and its tributaries, Thornborough Spinney, mature trees and hedgerows.
The development has attracted significant opposition in the community.
In 2020, South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa and Lutterworth Town Council requested the planning application be ‘called-in’ for review by the government.
But in 2021, the then Housing Minister Robert Jenrick declined the request, saying it should be determined by the local planning authority.
