Rutland County Council has voted to reject £29.4m of Housing Infrastructure Funding to create a garden village at St George's Barracks in North Luffenham

Rutland County Council has rejected £29.4m to create a garden village at St George's Barracks in North Luffenham.

The decision was made behind closed doors after councillors voted to exclude the public and press from the meeting this evening (Monday, March 22)

More than 100 people had joined the virtual meeting to listen to the debate, but were turned away because the discussion would involve commercially sensitive information.

After almost four hours, the council voted against accepting the money.

Thirteen members voted against taking the grant, 12 voted in favour and two abstained from the vote.

The Housing Infrastructure Funding had been allocated to build a garden village on the site at North Luffenham, which is due to be vacated by the Army next year.

The development would have created 2,245 new homes and associated facilities including a new school and health centre.

A campaign group, Fight4Rutland, was set up last summer to fight what it called “the disastrous over-development planned for St George’s Barracks”.

The countryside charity CPRE - Rutland also objected to the proposal.

Chairman Malcolm Touchin spoke at the start of the full council meeting this evening before members of the public were excluded.

He said: "Serious consideration should be given to a more appropriate and less risky plan for the county."

This article will be updated as we have more details.