Developer loses bid to build 110 homes on Barwell green space

A developer has lost a bid to build 110 homes on green space in Leicestershire.

Harrow Estates wanted to construct the homes on land east of The Common in Barwell.

It took the case to the planning inspector after Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council failed to make a decision about the application within the 13-week time limit.

But a planning inspector said the adverse effects of the scheme would "demonstrably outweigh" any benefits.

The application was submitted in December 2021 on nine fields and paddocks described by the council in appeal documents as "gently sloping grass".

The site is in the green wedge for Hinckley, Barwell, Earl Shilton and Burbage, which aims to maintain the countryside between the cluster of urban areas, but is also used for agriculture and recreation, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

During a public consultation, 46 people sent in objections giving almost 20 different concerns, including road safety and the loss of countryside.

The council said the land provides a "green lung" upon the edge of Barwell and it was "an important contribution towards the quality of life for residents".

Harrow Estates had promised to keep some of the paddocks and to plant woodland copses to mitigate the impact.

But inspector Hayley Butcher said in her ruling: "I find that the proposed development would result in harmful visual impacts to the roads and footpaths immediately surrounding the site, resulting in an overall erosion of this green, open, and rural edge to Barwell.

"In addition to this I have found some limited harm to highway safety and the local road network."

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