Barwell SUE plans for 2,500 homes have stalled

Council leader says lack of progress is frustrating

CONTROVERSIAL plans to build thousands of homes on green fields in Barwell have stalled.

The Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE) is no nearer the first foundations being laid a decade after its inception and almost two years after permission was granted.

Dozens of consultations and countless meetings have been held and thousands of pounds have been spent thus far but developers and the council remain unable to sign off legal agreements.

The impasse is also delaying the Earl Shilton SUE, which hasn’t yet reached the planning application stage despite years of discussions going back to 2009.

Both developments, which Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council have been relying on to fulfil the house building requirements up to 2026, are highly contentious.

In 2012 a parish referendum in Barwell saw 96% of voters reject the pro- posals which centre on 2,500 homes and 6.2 hectares of employment land on 127 hectares to the north and west of the village.

Barwell borough and parish councillor Russ Roberts said he was sceptical as to whether the project would ever actually come to fruition, adding: “Localism has not worked for local people or local councils, all it’s worked for is developers. I get the impression the developers are stalling it and until the 106 is signed off nothing will happen.”

He said planning consent for other major schemes in Nuneaton and fur- ther along the A5 corridor could have diverted focus away from the complex SUEs which are supposed to include infrastructure such as schools, GP surgeries and recreational space.

The consortium brought together to deliver the Barwell SUE - Ainscough Strategic Land, Barwood Development Securities and Taylor Wimpey - have already secured a reduction in financial contributions and cash for affordable homes.

Cllr Roberts said: “It seems to me that it is better for the developers to just sit on the land, they don’t have to put the cash into infrastructure and they can just pick off the sites piecemeal.

“The worrying thing is without the SUEs we may not be able to show a 5% future housing supply which will mean builders will cherry pick as and when they like.”

While not as pessimistic as his Tory colleague, council leader Mike Hall did admit the lack of progress on the SUE was both disappointing and frustrating and had dragged on too long.

He said he hoped potential incoming legislation might force developers to speed things up, adding: “I believe it will happen. We are in a position where there is a lot to agree but by and large most of it is close to being signed off. Perhaps it may be 10 years rather than five.

“The developers want to take their time over it and if they have multiple sites they might see other sites as easier or more profitable. They are making the choices as to what is the best site for them which is not necessarily what we want as a community. The balance of power is too much in the builders’ hands.”