The Consortium strongly supports the Council's spatial strategy for distribution of growth. It is clear that Harborough District Council has arrived at the most appropriate strategy, in accordance with national policy, to deliver the development requirements of the area. The spatial strategy closely aligns with the objectives of higher level strategic plans such as the Strategic Growth Plan and the Strategic Economic Plan.

Leicester & Leicestershire's emerging Strategic Growth Plan (SGP) recognises the M1 as a major corridor and one of the plan's objectives is to maximise the potential of transportation corridors to deliver sustainable development and enable the creation of an integrated public transport network. Furthermore, the spatial options include identifying development through growth corridors and employment led growth. Harborough Local Plan's settlement hierarchy recognises Lutterworth as a Key Centre with capacity to expand and facilities to support growth. The town's location is unique within the district, being close to the M1 and A5 corridors and close to existing and planned employment growth. Therefore, strategic development in this area would accord with the emerging SGP.

In addition, the Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) identifies South West Leicestershire as a priority growth area to deliver the economic goals for the sub region. The M1 and A5 are essential economic corridors for the sub region and important nationally. There is already substantial business investment and evidence identifies further job growth here in the future. Thus, in order to support their strategy the Local Enterprise Partnership is focussing investment in infrastructure in this area. Hence, through the spatial strategy of the Harborough Local Plan, strategic development of Lutterworth and the surrounding environs, including Magna Park, is essential to the delivery of this priority growth area in the SEP.

Alternate spatial strategies that the Council have considered, such as focussing strategic growth around Rural Centres such as the Kibworths, would not deliver the aims and objectives of either the emerging Strategic Growth Plan or the Strategic Economic Plan of focussing growth around the greatest opportunities for increased economic development linked to key transport corridors and infrastructure investment. Such dispersal of strategic growth to more remote settlements would also not help to achieve a sustainable pattern of development as required by the Framework.

Alternate spatial strategies would not therefore achieve sustainable development by failing to ensure that sufficient land of the right type is in the right place to support growth.