Council celebrates housing and infrastructure success

Over the past year, more than £1.5million of section 106 planning obligations have been secured, from developers, for community infrastructure such as recreational and health facilities, policing and affordable housing in the district. The figure was announced in the Council’s Infrastructure Funding Statement, a summary of all financial and non-financial developer contributions, considered by the Cabinet on 11 October 2021.

Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, over 1,000 homes have been built across the Harborough district in 2020/21 – including 207 ‘affordable houses’, which are marketed at a lower rate, to help those people struggling to find a property to buy or rent within their budgets.

The Council has also reaffirmed its strong position with the publication of its latest Government-required ‘five year housing supply’ which identifies specific deliverable sites (ie. land) for development to meet housing requirements over five years. The Council continued to exceed the required five-year housing supply, with a 7.49 year housing supply.

This places the Harborough district in a good position, as any council which does not have a five-year housing supply risks housing developments being imposed upon them in locations which may fall outside sites agreed in approved planning policy documents.

Cllr Phil King (pictured), Leader of Harborough District Council media release, said: “Our excellent housing land supply, together with an up-to-date Local Plan, reaffirms the Council’s strong planning position. I understand development can be an emotive issue, but the fact remains that our district is growing year on year, yet we still have hundreds of families on our housing waiting lists wanting to live and work in the Harborough district. However, our strong position means that we can ensure that development happens in the right place at the right time, with significant sums of money released for vital community projects and critical infrastructure.”

The importance of employment development in helping create jobs and growing the economy, in the wake of the pandemic, was also acknowledged, as well as how the Council’s current position is helping protect the heritage and the character of the district.

Cllr King added: “I’d like to thank the residents, Council staff, and councillors who have contributed to the strong position we are in.”