Developer and Council in Conflict

Developer ordered to halt all work on controversial housing development – Council leaders had previously called the application ‘stupid’

Work on a major 239-home Leicestershire development has been halted after council officials said unauthorised construction had begun. Developers Persimmons Homes have been issued with a Temporary Stop Notice on all work – their second in less than a year – but they claim the notice is “unwarranted”.

The notice, which was served by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council (HBBC), focuses on the 239-home Brascote Park development in Newbold Verdon which has proved controversial since it first emerged and has even been labelled a “stupid application” by the council’s leader. HBBC issued the stop notice on Thursday, April 17, with the move meaning all unauthorised construction, such as topsoil stripping, bunding creation, pond formation, and compound area construction, must be stopped.

It is the second such notice Permisson Homes have been given by the council in less than a year following similar action at a site in Earl Shilton last November. HBBC said it took action after Persimmon reportedly began construction before all necessary planning details had been agreed. Concerns around the application have been long-standing. When HBBC first refused phase one of the scheme in September 2023, Councillor Joyce Crooks said Newbold Verdon was already beset by traffic and parking problems and the prospect of another potential 400 vehicles was “just going to create mayhem”.

Following Permisson’s second failed attempt at planning permission, council leader Stuart Bray said it was “a stupid application last time and it’s a stupid application this time”. The developer eventually won permission on appeal in May last year before getting the site’s reserved matters approved in March this year. Nearly 90 objections were submitted before the development was approved by the planning inspector.

The borough council said the issuing of the Temporary Stop Notice is “one of the most powerful tools” available to local planning authorities, saying they are designed to prevent serious harm to the surrounding environment and safeguard public safety.

Chris Brown, head of planning at HBBC said:

“It is disappointing to see that once again Persimmon have gone above and beyond the enabling works they are allowed to carry out at this stage. The council are willing to work with housebuilders in the interests of our residents and to deliver much needed housing, but we will use our powers to prevent unauthorised works when necessary.”

If construction continues without prior council approval, HBBC said Permisson risks prosecution for breaching the notice. Council officers are now set to meet with Persimmon to address ongoing concerns.

The developer has hit out at the Temporary Stop Notice. A Persimmon Homes spokesperson told LeicestershireLive:

“We’re disappointed by the council’s decision to issue a Stop Notice at Brascote Park. We believe this decision is unwarranted and risks causing unnecessary delays to the delivery of much-needed new homes for local families on an allocated housing site.

“All works have been carried out entirely within the permissions. The Section 106 agreement, including the scope of enabling works, was set at the outline planning stage before Persimmon’s involvement in the site and we haven’t sought to make any alterations to this agreement. We’ve worked constructively with the council throughout and are keen to resolve this quickly.”

Source: Leicester Mecury