Sustainable homes set to hit a village in Leicestershire

Despite receiving a controversial reaction from locals, over 60 new, sustainable properties have been earmarked for a Leicestershire site.

Land approved for 61 homes in Higham on the Hill has been bought by a developer that has promised to build ‘sustainable’ homes on the site.

The plans for a field south of Wood Lane, on the Leicestershire site, were given outline approval by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council last year despite concerns from locals about overdevelopment and a motion by two councillors to have it overturned.

Following this, the original application, which was submitted by DLP Planning, outlined plans for the site which included homes, a shop and open space, but access to the scheme from Wood Lane was the only part of the development that was given official approval.

When the first application was submitted in 2021, 52 objections were submitted to the council by residents who were concerned about the lack of infrastructure in the village, the impact of traffic, and that the village would become a suburb of Nuneaton.

Zoe Green, a former cllr on Higham on the Hill Parish Council, said: ‘We have no health services, no hospitality amenities, no post office and currently no shop. This will only serve to increase the use of private cars, increasing greenhouse gas emissions and not mitigating climate change.’

As a result, Tamworth-based developer, Owl Homes, has now bought the land and will submit more detailed plans to the council for the scheme.

Against this backdrop, a section 106 agreement, an Act which allows a local planning authority to enter a legally-binding agreement or planning obligation with a landowner as part of the granting of planning permission, was negotiated with the council following the approval in January 2022, which will see money given to open spaces, play areas, recycling and library services, as well as an education contribution of more than £550,000.

Dave Bradley, managing director of Owl Homes, said: ‘The homes are set to be built to the high standards that have become synonymous with Owl Homes. Our commitment to quality, community and sustainability will be reflected in this latest addition to our portfolio of expectational homes.’

Image: Wynand van Poortvliet