Environmental breaches halt housing development

A new housing development off Leicester Road in Sapcote has been halted after building firm, William Davis Homes failed to comply with a raft of environmental planning conditions. 

Blaby District Council issued a temporary stop notice following numerous breaches including failures to; create a plan to safeguard badgers; identify biodiversity protection zones; devise a construction traffic management plan and detail measures to minimise impact on ground and surface waters. 

In all, a total of 10 conditions, imposed as part of the granting of outline planning permission were ignored, with works starting before essential management plans to protect the environment were in place. 

The temporary stop notice will last for 56 days during which William Davis will be expected to fulfil the relevant conditions and submit the plans to the Council for approval – known as ‘discharge of conditions’. 

The developer was granted full planning permission by Blaby District Council planning committee members on 30 July to construct 80 homes on land to the north of Leicester Road, Sapcote. Outline permission had been granted on 8 November 2024 with various conditions imposed.

Groundworks were first noted on the site, two arable fields on the edge of Sapcote, on 5 August, without all the relevant conditions having been met. 

Councillor Mike Shirley, Portfolio Holder for Planning, Strategic Growth and Environment, said: "We take breaches of planning conditions extremely seriously and these are significant breaches of important conditions affecting wildlife, landscaping, flooding and responsible transport management. 

"We hope this temporary stop notice will prompt William Davis to create the appropriate plans and present them to us, ensuring the development is managed in an environmentally responsible way."

Failure to comply with the stop notice brings with it the risk of court action and an unlimited fine. 

Councillor Mike Shirley
Portfolio Holder for Planning and Strategic Growth