The plan for ‘disastrous’ houses on Grade II listed garden land has been scrapped

Plans for new Leicestershire homes around Grade II listed gardens have been rejected amid fears of “significant harm”. Developers claimed the plan was “sustainable” but faced a backlash from opponents who criticized the “disastrous” proposal.

Darren Betteridge set out to turn green space behind Lower Moor Road in Coleorton, near Coalville, into a new five-home development known as Hall View Gardens, but the self-build scheme was highly controversial from the start . A new improved access point would have served the houses, but this involved part of the Coleorton Registered Park and Garden (RPG) around Coleorton Hall and caused much fear in the area.

Coleorton Parish Council claimed the move would “totally destroy” the RPG and lead to “catastrophic” damage. Historian England was also concerned and said the access point would cause damage, but because of the lack of detail in Mr Betteridge’s plans, he could not “fully assess” the extent of the impact.

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In master planning documents, JJM Planning, on behalf of Mr Betteridge, said Hall View Gardens would be served by a single road, with one of the five houses set to be a three-bed bungalow. The others would be a mix of four- and five-bedroom two-storey houses, with all properties gaining “sufficient” space and “ample” parking.

JJM Planning said the scheme would also come with a “dedicated” open space area and the houses themselves would be sustainably built and provide an economic boost to the area. Mr Betteridge also claimed that future occupants of the homes would “support local services” and use sustainable transport to get around.

Officials from North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) disputed this, claiming Coleorton boasted “limited services” apart from a pub, school and church. It acknowledged that sustainable transport options were available but feared that future residents would not use them, given the proximity to the busy A512, with cyclists in particular put off by the “unattractive” feature.

Residents were equally concerned, claiming the site plan suffered from “unacceptable” visibility problems for potential drivers, while the loss of wildlife was also a key issue. Some have even labeled the scheme an “attempt to monetise the countryside”.

However, JJM Planning and Mr Betteridge disagreed, saying their scheme had “no adverse impact”, but the NWLDC believed the concerns could not be ignored. In its rejection, the council said building on RPG would harm the area and not improve it.

The NWLDC also criticized the lack of detail on the RPG’s potential damage, saying homes could suffer “significant damage” if more information is not provided. She found some benefits in the proposal but said these could not be offset by the lack of detail on the negative aspects of the scheme.