Statement from Alicia Kearns MP on the deferral of the Council vote to 11th December 2023:
As many of you know, Harborough District Councillors will soon vote on a proposal that will increase house building in our Harborough communities to make up for the house building shortfall in the City of Leicester.
Given the lack of public engagement, and significant public concern, the Council Lead decided under pressure to defer the Council vote twice. The vote will now take place on 11th December.
The current proposals would increase our share of house building by a quarter, which is above our current housing need. This would mean a possible additional 2,000 homes built in our Harborough communities over the next 13 years.
New information published by Harborough Council last week, revealed that £2m of additional public money is going to be used to pay expensive planning consultants, as part of a high-risk strategy to write a new local plan in less than 18 months. The Council’s own documents admit that all the extra money ‘does not guarantee’ that the Council will hit its target, because the process would be so rushed.
As MPs we have worked hard to make sure residents are aware of these plans, and have secured written reassurances from ministers that the council does not need to proceed with these plans.
I am worried that Lib Dem Councillors are proposing an unfair deal for Harborough residents, which would see our communities having to accept nearly a quarter more homes, while paying nearly £2m more in tax for the plan. Conservative councillors will oppose.
You can still register your concerns at the meeting on 11th December:
- Please ask a question at the council meeting.
- If you don’t want to ask a question, please email me if you can come along.
- Please email your councillors to ask why they are voting to spend all this money if they really ‘haven’t made up their mind’.
