Plans for more than 350 homes and a primary school in Barrow village have been approved despite neighbours’ fears the area is already at breaking point.
Charnwood Borough Council’s Plans Committee approved two schemes heading for the village of Barrow on Soar on Thursday (June 25).
Under the proposals, one parcel of land South of Cotes Road would be developed into 130 “much-needed” homes and another, north of Willow Road, would become 221 homes plus a new primary school.
The news comes in spite of the fact that dozens of neighbours submitted objections to the council, fearing the build’s impact on traffic, health and sewage networks.
Officers said the plans at Cotes Road have a “complicated” position in policy, with another developer, William Davis, already having a competing scheme and masterplan for the wider area approved at appeal.
They said a “strange, incomplete, and uneven picture” was emerging in respect of the land.
Furthermore, the council’s own biodiversity officer did not think the application, submitted by Ashberry Strategic Land, “made the grain” in terms of protecting wildlife spaces from water flow.
Councillor Rod Billson, of the village’s parish council, attended the meeting to speak against both proposals.
He questioned how the wider site will be strong in terms of “connectivity”, with multiple developers potentially involved.
Councillor Margaret Smidowicz (Conservative) asked if it would be appropriate to defer the application, to which officers replied they don’t want to be vulnerable to another non-determination case, as with the William Davis scheme.
Ultimately, plans were approved, with only one member abstaining from voting.
The developer said they are making contributions to the local community amounting to £2.1 million, including a financial donation for the new primary school.
Officers said the scheme at Willow Road was much simpler to tackle.
Taking to the stand again, Cllr Billson stressed the parish council is not trying to “resist development”, but argued this application does not offer a “high quality, locally responsive design”.
In rebuttal, officers acknowledged that while the new-builds do not mirror the sandstone of the village centre, they do fit in with the cul-de-sacs surrounding this particular site.
Cllr Hillary Fryer (Conservative) called this application in for scrutiny back in 2022, but said she sees no issues with the revised plans, pointing to the land marked for a primary school, the promised community centre and leisure facilities.
Members voted unanimously in favour of the scheme.
By Caitlin James, Local Democracy Reporter