Controversial village housing plan to be considered by Melton councillors

The Main Street site (bounded in red) at Wymondham where 24 new homes could be built

A brick storage barn would be demolished and the properties built on grazing land in Main Street, Wymondham, if the planning application is approved on Thursday.

The council has received 30 letters of objection and parish councillors have also registered strong opposition to the outline scheme, submitted by Caister Castle Trust.

The applicants have reduced the number of homes from 34 after discussions with council planning officials.

A report to go before councillors states that 14 of the properties will be for open market sale, nine would be ‘affordable’ homes for rent and one ‘affordable’ to buy.

The Wymondham and Edmonthorpe Neighbourhood Plan allocates the site, which is to the north of Main Street and the west of Brick Yard Lane, for housing with a capacity for approximately 20 dwellings.

The borough council’s planning committee will be recommended to approve the application with a Section 106 agreement for the developers to contribute to local infrastructure.

This would include £148,000 to Leicestershire County Council for secondary school and post-16 education services.

The council’s report states: “This application delivers the required level of affordable housing (in line with the Melton Local Plan) that helps to meet identified local needs.”

But Wymondham and Edmonthorpe Parish Council wrote to the council say it opposed the plan because of ‘long held concerns about surface water flooding and sewerage in this location’ and concerns about design.

Letters of objection highlighting potential traffic dangers, flooding at the site and a lack of local shops to support the new residents.