The full details of a proposed “dangerous” Leicestershire housing estate have emerged. Plans for the 225 homes on the edge of Ratby were originally refused by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council (HBBC) in August 2023 amid concerns they were “ridiculous”, but were approved on appeal.
The government inspector’s decision to overrule HBBC’s decision has seen developer Gladman and Bletsoe now submit a more detailed planning application outlining the size and type of homes to be built on the land. It says there will be six one-bed maisonettes, 12 two-bedroom bungalows, 42 two-bed houses, 84 three-beds, 57 four-bed homes and 24 five-bedroom properties. The developer says 90 of the homes will be classed as affordable.
The latest application also gives details of landscaping, including “central open spaces for play and recreation”. Planning documents submitted by the developer describe the site as “a charming agricultural setting”, and say new trees and hedgerows will be planted. The documents say the company is “committed to creating a new built environment which will be distinctively ‘of Ratby’”.
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When councillors rejected the scheme in 2023, ward councillor Chris Boothby dubbed it “the most ridiculous, speculative and dangerous application” he had “ever come across in 21 years of sitting on this planning committee”. He called Desford Lane a “dangerous and fast road”, saying drivers come “speeding up” the hill leading towards the application site and are “right on top of you before you know it”.
When explaining his decision to award planning permission, inspector Guy Davies said the homes “would help meet demand for housing, which both parties recognise is not being adequately met in the borough at the current time”.
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