The proposed development of the SDA at Scraptoft North will have significant adverse impacts on the village of Scraptoft. The land is designated as a Green Wedge in the Adopted Local Plan and includes land designated as a Local Nature Reserve.

The local support for these designations has recently been confirmed within the Adopted Scraptoft Neighbourhood Plan, 2016, policy S6 and Policy S11. The Neighbourhood Plan is an expression of the needs and wants of the local community, which did not in any way envisage or support the destruction of their Local Nature Reserve or a significant reduction in the area designated as Green Wedge. Had that been the case, then the Neighbourhood Plan would not have included policies suggesting such strong protection being afforded to these areas. The Harborough Local Plan has given no weight to these adopted Neighbourhood Plan policies, which form part of the adopted development plan. Given how recently the Neighbourhood Plan was adopted, it is very disappointing to see two of the policies it contained ignored so readily.

There are risks regarding the deliverability of the SDA within the Local Plan period. The land is currently in use as a golf course, which must be relocated and established prior to a development commencing. There are uncertainties to where the golf course will be relocated to, how this would be funded and how long this process would take.

When planning for the urgent delivery of new homes to meet growth targets, it is a more prudent strategy to place less reliance on large strategic developments and spread development across a wider range of housing sites. This allows for the timely release of more sites to the market and less up-front infrastructure work associated with very large scale strategic development areas. Providing house buyers choice in a variety of locations is crucial to housing delivery and maintaining a stable housing land supply.

There are other more suitable sites nearby, such as the land to the north of Thurnby Brook, where traffic impacts will not impact upon the existing local road network, the green wedges and local wildlife sites can be protected. This land can be delivered for housing within the plan period and will ensure continuity of housing supply over the plan period.

Furthermore, if the plan period is extended to 2036 and further housing allocations are needed to address this additional period and the unmet housing need generated by Leicester City, then housing sites within the Leicester Principle Urban Area are the most sustainable and best located options. The land to the north of Thurnby Brook is available to meet this unmet need.