Second bid to fill field separating Broughton Astley and Sutton in the Elms shot down by council

A plan to place houses on fields near Broughton Astley has been refused for the second time this year.

Applicant Telford Five Ltd submitted a plan to Harborough District Council to build 17 ‘self-build’ houses on land north of Broughton Way in May, but it was turned down by officials last Tuesday (July 11).

In March, the council’s planning committee refused an application from the same developer who wanted to build 34 homes on the site. This included 10 self build properties, which are houses that developers offer to people who want to be involved in the design and build of their new home.

Both the applications were refused on similar grounds, according to council documents. Officials said the proposal was a major development on an “unallocated site” and would mean the area separating Broughton Astley and Sutton in the Elms would be lost.

The recent application was also criticised by the council for failing to “reflect” the appearance of the nearby area. The site is currently made up of open scrubland and the council said the 17 homes would cause a “loss of countryside” and “fail to protect” the public right of way.

The council also claimed Telford Five Ltd “did not seek” pre-application advice and did not “overcome” the reasons why the first application was refused.

The applicant can now appeal to the government about the decision within six months of the notice date.