Despite the draft Charnwood Local Plan being dated 2021 to 2037, it is still under discussion and unlikely to be complete until the some time in 2025. The inspectors who examined the plan in June 2022, February 2023 and February 2024 produced their report in July 2024 (see the update below), which has now been followed by further reworking requested by Leicestershire County Council, now published by Charnwood assessing the introduction of a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). This latest report is now subject to further public examinations on 8th and 9th April in Loughorough Town Hall. It’s possible that the planning applications below will not be granted or refused until after the local plan is complete, but minor updates continue in the meantime, so brief comments will be posted here. If you have any comments or queries please email ninetyhouses@gmail.com.
Latest updates visible on Charnwood’s Planning websites, as at 18/02/2025
Old Gate Road: Approximately 30 residents and councillors submitted further objections to application P/22/1539/2 following changes officially posted in September 2024, including a reduction in the number of houses from 68 to 60. The latest documents can be viewed on the new planning portal here. Note that all historic objections from villagers remain valid as they have not been addressed by the latest changes. In November, a site visit from the Leicestershire CC Highways team has resulted in an updated report, which acknowledges more than any previous submission the problems presented by the inadequate width of Old Gate Road. Following new discussions with James Poland and Edward Argar, further objections to the application have been submitted by the Parish Council, the farmers who need to travel up Old Gate Road to their fields and additional resident submissions, largely focusing on increased flood risks.
Local Plan: Many villagers will have received a notification around 17th July that the inspectors have now issued their main modifications to the draft plan and that a consultation (described here) on these modifications is now running until 4th September. Despite our efforts over the last three years to get the two Thrussington sites removed from the plan, they have been retained. We cannot object any further in the current consultation, as it concerns only the inspectors’ main modifications and is not “an opportunity to repeat or raise further representations about the Local Plan or to seek further changes to it”. Following the consultation, Charnwood are still hoping to adopt the plan later this year. The latest version, including the main modifications requested and the , can be viewed here and the latest document added (the CIL Viability Report, for examination in April 2025) can be viewed here. The next stage of consideration for the two applications below is that they will be presented to the Charnwood Plans committee, with a recommendation from the planning officer that the application should either be approved or rejected. It is then down to the councillors on that committee to make the decision. Regardless of the planning officer’s recommendation, we will have councillor representation at these meetings arguing for planning to be refused.
Hoby Road: The developer’s appeal criticising Charnwood’s delay in judging their original March 2023 application for 9 homes has now (on 10th February 2025) been finalised and planning permission has been refused. The full ruling can be viewed here. The newer application (see below) for 26 homes is still being considered. It’s largely on the same site, though it has increased in size to include the area immediately adjoining gardens of Glebeland Close. The Parish Council has objected again (with reasons summarised here), as have more than 70 villager submissions. Additional traffic and biodiversity reports have been loaded on Charnwood’s planning portal, but no feedback has yet been logged from planning officers.
HOBY ROAD (Local Plan site HA67)
- The new application for 26 homes, reference P/24/0251/2 was registered on 20th February 2024. This site, most of which is currently a green field with ancient ridge and furrow markings, is used as pasture, for grazing sheep and is a valuable wildlife habitat. It was originally recommended in the Charnwood Local Plan (see below) for 30 houses, including affordable ones. The Local Plan is still not yet adopted, but has now been examined, with feedback from inspectors due this summer.
- The planning application above is an alternative use of the site proposed in March 2023, reference P/23/0406/2 for 9 large houses (pictured below).
- James Poland, Borough and County Councillor, has already objected to this application, as described in this Leicester Mercury article.
OLD GATE ROAD (Local Plan site HA68)
- Submitted in August 2022, planning application P/22/1539/2 for 68 new homes off Old Gate Road had a consultation period starting on 21st October and finishing on 30th November. Over 200 comments on these plans were submitted by villagers and details of Parish Council and other objections are on this page. Decisions on this application are expected maybe in autumn/winter 2024-2025.
The latest (June 2024) version of the plan, which shows 60 houses, is pictured below. This plan replaces the original plan, available here, which proposed 68 houses.
CHARNWOOD LOCAL PLAN 2021-2037
- Numerous village objections to the Charnwood Local Plan 2021-2037 were made during the initial consultation in August 2021, and the inspection process has now completed with final amendments undergoing comsultation in late 2024. Two sites, totalling 90 houses have been proposed for Thrussington and our historic progress reports on this plan are detailed on this page.
