Decision made on plan to concrete over golf course to make way for 53 homes

A plan to concrete over part of a Leicestershire golf course and build dozens of homes on the site has been approved in principle. Applicant Davidsons Development Ltd has won outline permission from Blaby District Council’s (BDC) planning committee to erect 53 homes on land at Blaby Golf Course, off Lutterworth Road in the town, and on disused allotments at the edge of the course. Outline permission means a scheme is essentially approved, with the full details to be agreed through a later application.

The properties will mainly be located on the allotments site, but some of the course's fairway is also included within the scheme’s boundary. A total of 32 objections were made by the public against the proposal. However, thousands of people have objected to wider plans for the area.

Concerns about "the development putting further pressure on schools, roads and NHS services" were raised, alongside issues regarding increased flooding, dangers posed by additional vehicles on the roads and fears the development would exacerbate problems caused by "traffic already speeding on the Lutterworth Road".

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Blaby Parish Council (BPC) did not raise any objections to the 53-home plan. However, it said it was concerned "that this development adjacent to the golf course opens up the potential for a larger-scale development on that site".

Referring to the "larger-scale development", a BPC spokesperson said: "We feel very strongly that the golf course provides an important recreational facility and is a vital contributor to the green wedge. Any proposed development on this land would be strongly opposed by the parish council." The "larger-scale development" is a plan for an additional 200 homes on the course which has been submitted by Hallam Land Management Ltd.

If Hallam's scheme is approved, maps submitted with the application suggest the two new housing estates could sit side by side and cover the course as a whole.

Access off Lutterworth Road to the site has also been approved in principle. All other plans regarding the development will be dealt with at a later stage.

A decision on the 200 homes for the site will be made separately by the BDC committee, with no date yet given publicly for that meeting.

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