Rutland County Council cuts homes in Brooke Road, Oakham from list of future developments but keeps Quarry Farm, Stamford
A site which was being considered for a future housing development has been scrapped after passionate pleas.
Plans for 140 homes in Brooke Road, Oakham have been cut from Rutland County Council’s new local plan after receiving 277 objections.
The council was tasked with identifying a number of sites in Rutland where more than 1,000 new homes could be built during the next 16 years.
Residents were given the chance to have their say on seven proposed sites ahead of a decision by members of Rutland County Council’s cabinet at a meeting today (Tuesday, August 13).
Calling for the Brooke Road homes to be cut from the list, leader of Rutland County Council Gale Waller (Lib Dem) said: “It is important that when we consult and ask for views that we are taking them into account.
“I was moved by some of the responses we got.”
Issues raised by objectors included traffic congestion and highway safety, railway crossing closure times, on-street parking, flood risk and a lack of infrastructure in the town to support development.
Coun Paul Browne (Lib Dem), portfolio holder for planning and property, warned that removing this site and reducing the number of new homes comes with a risk but it was decided by councillors this was one worth taking.
“I think it is very important we listen to what residents are telling us,” said Coun Waller.
After removing the Brooke Road site, together with developments which have already been granted planning permission and homes which have been built since April 2021, the county will still have exceeded its minimum requirement of building 2,460 homes by 2041.
Brooke Road has recently been subject to controversy after a three-month road closure and the felling of trees for a new housing development left residents ‘up in arms’. This 40-home development is separate to the plans initially included in the local plan.
There was no direct mention of any of the other proposed sites, which were all unanimously approved.
These are:
• Stamford Road, Oakham - 94 homes
• Officers’ Mess, Edith Weston - 85 homes
• Belmesthorpe Lane, Ryhall - 11 homes
• Whitwell Road, Empingham - 28 homes
• Uppingham (locations to be determined by the Uppingham Neighbourhood Plan) - 315 homes
• Quarry Farm, Stamford North - 650 homes
The proposal for 28 homes at Whitwell Road in Empingham - which would enable the development of a new GP surgery - is the only site which attracted more support than opposition during an initial round of public consultation.
There has been an ongoing campaign against the Quarry Farm development which makes up part of the 1,300 home Monarch Park estate and in this round of consultation received 165 objections.
Despite being on the county border and classed as Stamford, which is in Lincolnshire, it would make up more than half of Rutland County Council’s housing allocation.
The council is having to rewrite its local plan after the previous version was scrapped in 2021. It followed the council's decision to turn down a £29.4million Housing Infrastructure Fund grant for a major development at the St George’s Barracks site in Edith Weston which underpinned the previous plan.
Rewriting the plan is expected to cost £1.4million.
