Committee rejects large Bushby housing proposal amid transport worries
Harborough District Council's planning committee has set out a formal position opposing a major housing proposal close to Leicester, saying the scheme for up to 900 homes would have a severe adverse effect on the local transport network.
The application relates to about 159.9 acres of predominantly agricultural land to the south of Uppingham Road in Bushby. Mulberry Land submitted plans for a comprehensive development that also includes a primary school, a local centre, a flexible community building and new public open spaces.
Officers told the committee on Tuesday that, had the council been able to reach a decision, outline planning permission would have been refused. The authority reached that position because the applicant had not demonstrated the development would avoid causing significant harm to highway capacity and congestion, including cumulative effects with other developments.
"The applicant has not demonstrated that the development proposals would not have a severe adverse impact on the transport network (in terms of capacity and congestion, including cumulative impacts)."
The application was originally lodged late last year. Mulberry Land had warned it would appeal to the Planning Inspectorate if the council did not include the scheme on the agenda for the July 2026 planning committee. The council said it could not accommodate that timetable and the developer subsequently submitted an appeal on 17 July.
What the proposal contains and the council response
The developer describes the intention as a "landscape-led design" aiming to reflect Bushby's character and integrate with the existing community. In addition to housing, the outline scheme sets out space for a new primary school and a local centre intended to serve residents of the development.
Councillors and officers, however, focused on transport impacts in reaching their view. The committee report explicitly referenced planning policy that directs refusal where proposals would have a severe adverse impact on the transport network.
- Site area: approximately 159.9 acres
- Proposed housing: up to 900 homes
- Other elements: primary school, local centre, community building, open space
- Appeal lodged: 17 July 2026
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Mulberry Land |
| Location | South of Uppingham Road, Bushby |
| Committee decision (would-have-been) | Refusal on transport grounds |
The committee's position will be material to the appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. When appeals are determined, inspectors consider the views expressed by the local authority and the evidence submitted by both the developer and third parties. The council's formal stance that it would have refused permission is likely to form a key strand of its evidence to the inspector.
Local consequences and wider context
For residents in Bushby and neighbouring parts of the city and county, the proposal raises questions about road capacity, school places and community facilities. Development of this scale would add a substantial number of households to an area that, according to the council report, already faces constraints on the highway network.
Mulberry Land's aspiration for a high-quality, landscape-led settlement reflects common approaches to strategic-scale housing. But the committee's view highlights the balance planning authorities must strike between meeting housing need and ensuring local infrastructure can cope without unacceptable harm to congestion and travel times.
With the appeal now lodged, the timetable for any public inquiry or written representations will be set by the Planning Inspectorate. Local residents and community groups will have the opportunity to make their views known through the appeal process.
As the matter moves to the national appeals system, the council's clear recommendation against the development emphasises transport capacity as the central issue in determining whether the scheme should go ahead.
