A 41-home development near College Close, Great Casterton has been approved by the Planning Inspectorate after Rutland County Council refusal

Forty-one new homes will be built on the edge of a village near Stamford because Rutland is not keeping up with its housing targets.

Plans to develop a field north of College Close and to the west of Casterton College in Great Casterton were rejected in February by Rutland County Council, which felt the scheme was too large for the location and would spoil views of the countryside.

But Sam Jones, of developer Stancliffe Homes, appealed to the Government Planning Inspectorate against the council’s decision.

A hearing and site visit took place on September 9 and 10, and planning inspector Graham Wraight reported his conclusions on Monday last week (October 20).

Granting the application against the wishes of the council, Mr Wraight drew on information about Rutland’s performance against housing targets set by the Government.

He said: “The council can only demonstrate a three-year supply of deliverable housing sites.

“This represents a substantial undersupply when considered against the requirements set out in the framework.

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“In that context, the provision of the new houses offers significant weight in favour of the proposal.”

He added that a third of the new homes would be affordable.

“The evidence provided by the appellant is that there is a chronic under-delivery of affordable homes in the area and, while I heard at the hearing that delivery in terms of the number of units provided per year has been increasing, the deficit of under-supply is actually worsening,” Mr Wraight said, explaining that this too offers significant weight in favour of the development.

Despite local concerns about access to services, facilities, jobs and bus services, Mr Wraight saw Great Casterton’s primary and secondary schools as a plus, and the proximity to Stamford and its services and facilities.

Alongside the 41 properties, Stancliffe Homes will create a children’s playground and open green spaces.

Plan for 58 homes and shop in Great Casterton

Rutland county councillors decided to rewrite their local plan, a document outlining areas of the county suitable for development. The previous version was scrapped in 2021 after the council turned down a £29.4 million Government grant to spend on infrastructure supporting the redevelopment of St George’s Barracks near North Luffenham. It is due to close as a military base next year.

Without a local plan, the council has fewer grounds to refuse proposed housing developments.