At a special meeting of Rutland County Council on the 1st September the decision was taken to withdraw the submitted Local Plan (LP) and the making of a new Local Plan.

The main strategic aim of the LP was to build a town bigger than Uppingham on the St. George’s Barracks (SGB) site.

Over the past four years North Luffenham Parish Council (NLPC) along with the help of local residents, local communities and our county councillors have attended many meetings, given deputations and asked questions as there were serious concerns about the deliverability and viability of the submitted LP. Not least were the concerns of the effects that such a large scale development would have on local parishes.

There will be development at SGB and NLPC, in early 2020, initiated a Neighbourhood Plan (NP-plan for our parish) in order to have a significant influence on any development. This now becomes more important for any development proposals that are submitted for SGB as it will take a new LP some 3-4 years to develop.

At the meeting on the 1st, NLPC made the point that one of the reasons that the submitted LP caused so much controversy was the lack of meaningful consultation with the most affected communities. Going forward it is to be hoped that from the beginning the necessary involvement will now take place.