Omission Site 2 - Land at St Wilfrid's Close

Land at St Wilfrid's Close, Kibworth Beauchamp, as identified on Plan 3 below, should be allocated for up to 45 residential units in order to provide additional housing in a sustainable location that can assist in making up for an anticipated shortfall in the Council's predicted delivery at Lutterworth and Scraptoft North SDAs.

Background

At the Council's Planning Committee meeting on 7th November 2017, members unanimously resolved to grant full planning permission, subject to a S106 agreement, for the erection of 45 retirement living apartments with associated access, parking and outdoor amenity space (Ref: 17/00500/FUL) at Land at St Wilfrid's Close, Kibworth Beauchamp. The officer's report to committee provides a comprehensive assessment of the scheme and finds the site to be a sustainable location for residential development and the proposals to be in compliance with relevant national and local planning policies.

Soundness

The representations contained at Enclosures 1-4 raise a number of concerns regarding the soundness of the emerging Local Plan, which for the most part relate to the decision not to afford the Kibworths, one of the more sustainable settlements in the District, a minimum housing requirement and the overly.optimistic assumptions that underpin the anticipated delivery rates from the two proposed SDAs and which are likely to result in the plan being ineffective in delivering the overall housing requirement over the plan period. In this context, it is considered that additional land should be allocated in the Kibworths to ensure the rolling delivery of new housing in sustainable locations. Land at St Wilfrid's Close for residential development represents one such parcel of land that could make a positive contribution in this regard.

As explained at Enclosure 1, the Kibworths is by far the largest of the Rural Centres and should be defined as a Key Centre, so far as it represents a sustainable location for growth due to its size and its role providing key retail, service and employment infrastructure. As outlined at Enclosure 2, Manor Oak Homes consider that the decision not to give the Kibworths a minimum housing target fails to recognise its sustainability as a settlement in addition to failing to consider how development there could assist in meeting the needs of the settlement going forward and resolving existing infrastructure constraints.

In the context of the above, we consider that the allocation of additional housing in the Kibworths represents a particularly appropriate and sustainable option for meeting the anticipated shortfall in the Council's predicted delivery at Lutterworth and Scraptoft North SDAs (as outlined at Enclosures 3 and 4). Having received a resolution to grant planning permission Manor Oak Homes consider that their land at St Wilfrid's should be allocated for residential development to ensure its delivery.

Appropriateness for Residential Allocation

Land at St Wilfrid's comprises a rectangular paddock of low grade agricultural land with no existing structures totalling approximately 0.97ha. It is located within the settlement boundary and built up area of Kibworth Beauchamp near the centre of the village and has existing access from the end of St Wilfrid's Close that can easily be upgraded to serve a residential development. In addition, there is a second gated access to the southwest of the site leading to an adjacent footpath from which the village's facilities located along the high street are only circa 400m walk from the site. The site is also highly accessible by public transport with local bus services to Market Harborough, Leicester and surrounding areas a short walk away on either Church Road or High Street (both approximately 300-400m walk).

There are no statutory environmental designations on the site or in the immediate surrounding area and the nearest heritage designation is the Kibworth Beauchamp Conservation Area which is located to the east and south of the site and at its closest point is more than 80m east from the site. The recent resolution to grant planning permission on the site confirms that the site can accommodate 45 residential dwellings in a way that respects the constraints and opportunities that the site affords. In doing so, it recognises the suitability and available of the site to deliver new and viable housing in the short term.