Rosemary Powell, County Councillor for Whissendine Ward reports:
Many of you will be aware that Rutland Councillors recently voted by a narrow margin to reject the terms of a Government (HIF) grant of £29.4m for infrastructure to enable the re-development of St George’s Barracks at North Luffenham with 2,215 new homes in a so-called ‘garden village’.
As your independent councillor, I was elected both to represent the interests of Whissendine ward on the council but also to make decisions and set policy for the county as a whole. I am not bound by any party affiliations and after careful review of the information, extensive briefings by officers and the county’s legal adviser I voted against the proposal as I considered that the potential liabilities and risks of accepting the funding from Homes England were too great for Rutland Council and on balance, outweighed any benefits. It was disappointing that the debate on the grant was held in private but I am happy to provide any residents with further details of the underlying reasons for my vote.
The full impacts of this decision are now being worked through and it is too early to say what the eventual outcome for St Georges Barracks will be, but one immediate consequence is that the Local Plan 2018-2036, which was previously approved by Council last year (I voted against) and was awaiting independent Inspection, is now on hold. This Plan included the development at St Georges, on the basis that it was viable with the HIF grant. We expect to have a further report to Council later in May with options on the way forward.
Naturally this has raised questions and concerns amongst Rutland residents on the impact this might have for alternative developments across the County. And indeed raises questions as to how the majority Conservative Council could have submitted a Local Plan which included such a major development, before the terms of the funding to make it possible were finally agreed and also how 650 houses on Rutland land at Stamford North was included in South Kesteven’s allocation.
Every Council must have a Local Plan that, amongst other things, identifies future sites that may be suitable for residential development. A new homes target is set via Central Government and it is the responsibility of each Council to identify, evaluate and prioritise sites and consult with the local community. Sites deemed potentially suitable are then included into a draft Local Plan. Councils also need to demonstrate that they have a five-year housing supply.
Two sites in Whissendine are currently included in the 2018-36 draft Local Plan and the inclusion of any additional sites will depend on the extent to which this Local Plan needs to be revisited and amended following the HIF decision on St Georges Barracks and whether the final Local Plan is then approved by the Inspector and agreed by Council. I will keep you updated!
The first thing to stress, is that because a site has been included does not mean it will or has to be developed. New and alternative sites also tend to become available and it is not unusual for sites to disappear from future iterations of Local Plans. Even if an identified site is acquired by a developer, any planning application will need to go under intense scrutiny that will amongst other factors consider the number and type of dwellings proposed and the impact on local infrastructure and amenities. In the absence or deferral of development at St George’s Barracks then almost certainly, developers will have a heightened interest in the alternatives but equally even if St George’s is developed that would not take other sites out of the reckoning.
Should it come, there will of course be a balance to strike between any negative impacts of development on the village infrastructure and any positive contributions of an increased local population in supporting our shop, pub and community groups. Along the way we will all have our own views about what that balance should look like and that is why I have been instrumental in setting up the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, which is working on a plan for our community. Do get involved in the consultations. It is a real opportunity to have your say about how our village and the surrounding area will develop in the coming years.