A plan for luxury homes in Thrussington, Leicestershire was dismissed. Inspector deemed them too large and lacking smaller, affordable options.
SI Thrussington wanted to build five-bedroom houses on Hoby Road, Thrussington. The council delayed the application, and the developer appealed to overturn this delay.
The inspector, M Cryan, denied permission. He said it did not meet housing needs as the area needs smaller, two or three-bed homes. People objected, calling the homes “forbidding fortresses.”
The houses had home offices, cinema rooms, play areas, and large pantries. The inspector said these could become extra bedrooms, noting that the homes were too big overall.
The council would have rejected the plan anyway, as the fields are for housing in a draft plan. The land includes commercial buildings, and the developer split the site to allow businesses to close.
The developer proposed 26 homes last year, which included the commercial land and reduced five-bed homes to six, alongside smaller homes. People disliked this new plan too.
The developer suggested a “phase 2” with smaller homes, but the inspector doubted this phase would happen. The approved houses blocked access to the other land.
The inspector found the split unconvincing and doubted the “phase 2” was possible, stating that the plan put too few homes on too much land, meaning it might not happen as planned.
The proposal lacked affordable housing too, as the developer intended to add it later to the other site. The inspector did not find this credible.
The inspector thought the situation appeared artificial and did not believe the site was split legitimately, despite acknowledging the developer’s claims to the contrary.
The inspector thought the area was safe, and the plan would not affect biodiversity or flood risks. However, it did not efficiently use the land’s potential. The appeal was dismissed entirely.