On 11th October 2017, Paul Cummings (Chair NLPC) representing the SGB Advisory Group gave a presentation to the RCC Special Growth, Infrastructure and Resources Scrutiny Panel. The aim of the presentation was to highlight the concerns of of the villagers of North Luffenham, Edith Weston, Ketton, South Luffenham, Manton, Empingham and Normanton and to try to show the County Council some of the significant and unresolved flaws in their proposals to build a new town of 1,500 to 3,770 homes (a town larger than Uppingham) and a huge limestone quarry on the existing St George’s Barracks site. A copy of the presentation is attached.

Presentation Scrutiny Panel

On 26th November 2018, The County Council will be considering an application to the Government (Department of Housing Communities and Local Government)  for Housing Infrastructure Funds (HIF). We are concerned that such an application will inevitably lead to a Planning Application in 2019 to develop the site. Once this process has started in November it will be very difficult, and indeed probably impossible to stop. The proposals will see the site being turned into a massive construction site which could take up to 40 years to complete. It is the view of local Parish Councils that there remain many unresolved objections both as to principle and procedure. We believe that the current proposals are totally unsuitable for St George’s Barracks and that the County Council have isolated themselves and lost the confidence of those most affected and indeed much of the County. We believe RCC has an obligation to hear, diligently listen to and act upon the views, hopes and aspirations of its communities.

As noted in the conclusion to our presentation, “If the current proposal is the only one on the table, it deserves to be rejected out of hand. If a genuine root and branch alternative is considered possible, we trust you (RCC) will take our views into account from the outset, we stand ready to work together to find a solution that is Right for Rutland.”