Protesters walk in Leicestershire fields against ‘tsunami of speculative developments’.

“This is not growth, it’s unmanaged sprawl,” they say.

Campaigners walked in large numbers to protest a “tsunami of speculative developments” in Leicestershire.

The Stop the New Town (STNT) organisation was formed in response to suggestions on Harborough District Council’s (HDC) Local Plan for 2020-2041, which could result in the construction of thousands of homes in the area.

The group stated that Great Glen was “a village already stretched to breaking point,” with an additional 600+ dwellings planned for the village’s outskirts. STNT’s representative stated, “This is not expansion; it is unmanaged sprawl.

These projects would overload roads, drainage systems, and health services, irreversibly destroying the countryside.

The Local Plan examines where housing will go in the district, with a number of locations identified for future development, however STNT opposes the ideas.

HDC must establish a Local Plan and build 657 dwellings per year in the district between 2020 and 2036, as well as 534 homes per year between 2036 and 2041.

The Local Plan includes key locations for 4,000 dwellings on property south of Gartree Road, but STNT argues the projects will “obliterate the countryside” in the area.

The group took to the development fields earlier this month to oppose the “extensive housing” outlined in the Local Plan, describing the projects as a “tsunami of speculative developments”.

The walk, which aimed to boost campaign awareness, covered a 1.5-mile path across the countryside.

They claimed to have been walking “en masse, visibly and peacefully to demonstrate the wide-spread opposition to the destruction of further Leicestershire countryside” .

One of the walk participants stated that they were unaware that such a wide area was being evaluated for development “as we don’t usually walk these fields.”

Stop The New Town reported that the majority of the thousands of dwellings were being considered for greenfield sites, citing Harborough District Council’s (HDC) “failure to maintain a legally required five-year housing land supply”. STNT stated:

“According to the census, Great Glen’s population has already increased from less than 3,000 to over 4,000 between 2001 and 2021.

If the proposed projects go forward, the village will officially exceed the 5,000-population threshold, but without any accompanying upgraded infrastructure or facilities, the Office for National Statistics will reclassify it as a “small town”.

The campaign group added: “There is no excuse for concreting over valuable green fields, a situation being mirrored across the country, noting – CPRE, the Countryside Charity, said: “England has space for 1.2 million homes on previously developed land.”

During HDC’s consultation on the Local Plan, STNT’s petition received more than 2,300 signatures.

The council has yet to make a final decision on the plan, however a representative for HDC previously stated that the ideas for Market Harborough and the surrounding areas will “provide diverse housing” as well as job possibilities and “improved healthcare, education, and recreation services”.The Local Plan is now being reviewed by HDC.

The council’s website states that the “Secretary of State will appoint an independent Planning Inspector to examine the Local Plan.” This will involve public hearing sessions for the Inspector to hear evidence, which are expected in mid-2026.”

Read more on Straightwinfortoday.com