The North West Leicestershire Labour Group has warned that continuing to strip sites out of the District’s Local Plan will open the door to uncontrolled, wild west development across our towns and villages, leaving residents with less protection, not more.
Responding to recent calls by the Lib Dems to remove more sites from the Local Plan, following on from the removal of Meadow Lane, Labour councillors have accused the Lib Dems of playing politics with planning and putting communities at risk by weakening the Council’s ability to control where and how new homes are built.
The Local Plan is the Council’s key tool for shaping future development, setting clear boundaries on where housing and employment sites can go, and where land should be safeguarded. When sites are removed without being replaced, the Council loses its legal planning framework and becomes vulnerable to speculative applications at appeal.
Every time the Lib Dems attempt to take another site out, they make it harder for the Council to say no to developers elsewhere - Cllr John Legrys, Labour Group Leader NWLDC
Cllr John Legrys, Leader of the Labour Group, said: “You can’t protect our green fields or manage growth by continuing to rip up the Plan because it sounds good on a social media post. Every time the Lib Dems attempt to take another site out, they make it harder for the Council to say no to developers elsewhere. Without an up-to-date Local Plan, North West Leicestershire is exposed to a developer free-for-all, where profit, not planning, decides what gets built.
Residents are being sold a false promise. The Lib Dems say that removing sites protects the countryside, but it does the opposite. Without allocated sites and a five-year land supply, developers can win permission on almost any site they choose. That’s what happened before, and it will happen again if these games carry on.”
We want growth that works for local people, with homes families can afford. - Cllr Alison Morley, Deputy Labour Group Leader NWLDC
Deputy Labour Group Leader, Cllr Alison Morley, added:
“Labour believes in planning with communities, not against them. Our Labour Government has not increased our annual housing target and is introducing legislation so that infrastructure is built faster. We want growth that works for local people, with homes families can afford, jobs that sustain our towns, and green spaces that stay protected. But we can only do that with a strong Local Plan.
If the Lib Dems keep hollowing it out, they’ll hand developers a blank cheque.”