Developers have launched a bid to make all homes on a site set for 40 new houses affordable. The homes, which will be built in a field north of Cossington Lane in Rothley, were given the initial go ahead last year by Charnwood Borough Council (CBC), subject to a £350,000 package of financial contributions from the developer.
Original applicants FN & GT Barber had said 40 per cent of the homes would be classed as affordable. But the land has since been bought by Longhurst Group, which, along with MyPad – a developer specialising in partnership housing – has put forward detailed plans to CBC with the intention of making all the properties affordable instead.
Two four-bed properties, 21 three-bed homes, 15 two-beds, and a two one-bed flats are proposed as part of the sceheme. No play facilities are planned for the site, although it will be built next to an existing playground on Hickling Close, which would be upgraded thanks to £10,000 set aside in the financial contributions, with almost £40,000 set to go to Fowke Play Park near the village centre.
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However, the plan has been without controversy after Rothley Parish Council objected to the outline scheme when it was submitted in 2021. A further 20 complaints about the plans were sent to the council by neighbours, with some fearing the homes would hurt the character of the “idyllic village”.
Other worried the scheme would erode Rothley’s green space. One objector said: “This is an estate and not in-fill development.” Residents also raised concerns over traffic and congestion, highway safety, and a possible negative impact on flooding and on local wildlife.
One claimed Rothley had “already doubled its housing stock”, and said there would be extra pressure on local services and facilities, particularly as the village has no GP or dental surgery. One objector suggested any new development in the village should fund a “new medical practice at Rothley”. The financial contributions agreed between CBC and the original developer would see Alpine House and Charnwood surgeries in neighbouring Mountsorrel receive £16,600 to cater to up to 60 new patients.
But council planning officers said in a report on the original application that there were “no impacts of the development of this site that cannot be mitigated and that would be so significant and demonstrably harmful as to outweigh the benefits of providing up to 40 dwellings”. The scheme was given its initial approval by delegated authority – when council officers are able to make a decision on a planning application on behalf of the plans committee – last July.
Documents submitted with the newest application read: “The affordable housing, in the mix of unit sizes proposed is considered to be the most appropriate way of taking the site forward as it is a viable, affordable mix that is tailored to meet identified needs.” The consultation period, where neighbours can let the council know their thoughts on the scheme, is open until Thursday, January 16, and comments and objections can be made via the council’s planning portal.
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