Plan to turn proposed holiday homes into village for over-50s retired unanimously

A retirement village for people aged 50 and over proposed to replace planned holiday homes in Broughton Astley has been unanimously refused by Harborough District Council’s planning committee. Planning officers have recommended that the application, submitted by Davico Properties UK Ltd, be refused.

Planning officers said the proposal would create permanently occupied properties in rural areas that lack convenient access to key services and amenities. They added that the development could lead to a loss of tourist accommodation and jobs for the district and, due to its size and location, would affect the character and appearance of the area.

Officers also said the plan failed to demonstrate that it would not have an adverse impact on protected species and habitats and did not include plans to “mitigate the impact of the proposal”.

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The site has a long history of planning applications. In 2009, approval was given for holiday cottages, a lake, a shop, offices and other buildings to support a golf club which is under construction to the south-west and south-east of the site. In 2011, approval was given for 42 cabins and eight caravan sites. In 2013, 35 houses and one golf clubhouse were refused planning permission.

In 2014 a new application was approved for holiday cottages, lake, shop and office and additional buildings next to the golf club. And in 2021, another application was approved for holiday cottages, the creation of a lake and the construction of a shop/office and other buildings relating to the golf club.

However, two further applications seeking to remove the word “holiday” from the cornice description and to amend the application description were rejected in 2021. In 2023, an application was submitted for “a retirement village limited to people aged 50 . or over,” which was denied in September.

Before the decision was made, Cllr Clive Grafton-Reed, ward member for Broughton Astley, said that if the application was accepted it would lead “a coach and horses through the whole neighborhood plan process” and send a message across the district to all parishes “that neighborhood plans really aren’t worth the effort”. Neighborhood plans set out where the development of a district can take place in the future.

“The Neighborhood Plan for Broughton Astley aims to try to protect the quiet hamlet and nature of Sutton in Elms, which is the desire of all the residents who currently live there,” Coun Grafton-Reed said. “The (app) has no redeeming features in that sense because it doesn’t bring any benefit to that area. In fact, it would do a lot of harm.”

He told the panel that the application presented “a complete degradation of all our democratic principles” and that there had been “a long-standing intention to try to change this use to try to make it residential and I urge you to look back . at that and you see these multiple attempts and this is just another one.” He added: “Residents are tired of this constant battle to protect their hamlet, and this is a hamlet.”