Plan for 10,000 home development shelved

Plans for a new development comprising of 10,000 homes in Leicestershire have been shelved, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council has confirmed.

Stuart Bray, Liberal Democrat leader of the council said during a full council meeting on Tuesday that plans for the Norton Heath development at the edge of Norton Juxta Twycross would be pulled from the local plan.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said the local plan - once approved - would set out where future developments could be built.

Bray told the council meeting the decision to not pursue the site followed a review of the responses received from residents and statutory consultees including National Highways.

Nurton Developments, the firm behind the proposed scheme, had said it wanted to create a "vibrant and active" community - called Norton Heath - with schools, sports and leisure facilities and shops located in local centres.

Headley Benn, chair of the Norton Heath Development Opposition Group, said: "Something wonderful has emerged from this threat to our villages: a stronger sense of community. We especially thank the landowners and farmers for standing with us.

"Our group has always been clear that we support the right development in the right places, but proposals must be evidence-led, deliverable, and backed by the infrastructure and environmental protections that local communities need."

The LDRS said the site mostly sits in the Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council area, but neighbouring North West Leicestershire District Council would have taken 2,500 of the homes.

Richard Blunt, Conservative leader of North West Leicestershire District Council, called the shelving of the plan "a common sense decision".

"It's the wrong place to put houses, otherwise you can stick them in any field in the countryside," he said.

A spokesperson for Nurton Developments said it acknowledged the council's decision not to continue promoting Norton Heath as part of the emerging local plan at this stage.

"Norton Heath has always been a long‑term vision rather than a fixed proposal, intended to explore how new homes, schools, local facilities and improved public transport and employment opportunities could be planned and delivered alongside the right infrastructure, landscape enhancement and community benefits.

"We remain committed to engaging constructively with the council and local stakeholders as the local plan process continues and as evidence and policy evolve over time," the spokesperson added.

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