Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor S Lambeth and Councillor C Sewell for whom Councillor A Barker was a substitute.

Under the Code of Conduct members are reminded that in declaring interests you should make clear the nature of that interest and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest, registerable interest or other interest.

In accordance with the Code of Conduct, members declared the following interests:

All members declared that they had been lobbied without influence by Councillor R Sutton on all items on the agenda.

To receive questions from members of the public under rule no.10 of the Council Procedure Rules.

There were 6 questions received from the public.

Question from Mr Roy Todd

For EMP97 (land south of the Kegworth bypass), please identify, by document title, date and paragraph number, what documentary evidence, if any, was before the Committee in support of the officer recommendation that the allocation is “effective” and deliverable over the plan period with a realistic prospect of delivery under NPPF paragraph 36(c), notwithstanding Sarah Lee’s email of 14 November 2025 recording that:

“To date, we do not have confirmation from LCC Highways that acceptable access arrangements can be achieved”,

that Leicestershire County Council Highways had advised:

“Safe and suitable access unlikely to be achievable… Proposed junction 2 is outside of the red line… there are pressures at M1 J24 therefore advice should be sought from National Highways”,

and that:

“The proposed allocation is at risk if this issue cannot be resolved”,

together with the published site assessment stating that LCC Highways had “concerns about the achievability of acceptable access arrangements” and that Strategic Road Network capacity was “currently unknown”, including any documentary evidence of written agreement in principle from the highway authorities and any evidence of land control or agreements required to deliver access or junction works outside the site boundary.

Response from the Chair of the Local Plan Committee

Paragraph 4.12 of the strategic warehousing report considered by Local Plan Committee on the 19 November 2025 set out the highways-related concerns in respect of site EMP97.

Paragraph 4.13 explained that the site is being recommended for allocation ‘subject to these highways concerns being addressed’.

If these, or any other technical matters, cannot be addressed to the satisfaction of the Planning Policy Team, the advice to the Local Plan Committee to allocate the site may be changed.

As part of a supplementary question, it was asked when the advice may have changed. In response, the Principal Planning Policy Officer outlined the process to be undertaken for the Local Plan to be finalised and noted that the policy wording which would affect site EMP97 was to be considered by the Committee at a later date.

Question from Mr Carl Sutton

As Mr Sutton was not in attendance, his question was not asked.

Question from Mr Andrew Priestley

The Kegworth air disaster of 8th January 1989, in which 47 people lost their lives, remains one of the most serious aviation disasters in modern British history. British Midland Flight 92 came down in fields immediately south of the village of Kegworth before reaching the M1.

Given the enduring national significance of that tragedy and the profound sensitivity it carries within Kegworth, will the Committee identify the specific public document, by title and date, in which Members were informed that this context had been assessed when Site EMP97 was advanced as a 39.5 hectare strategic warehousing allocation.

Response from the Chair of the Local Plan Committee

Notwithstanding the understandable concern and sensitivity related to the Kegworth air crash, the key planning consideration in this instance is the extent of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 28 January 2026.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 28 January 2026.

It was moved by Councillor M Ball, seconded by Councillor J Legrys and

RESOLVED THAT:

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 January 2026 be approved and signed by the Chair as an accurate record of the proceedings.

Before moving on to the next item, the Chair announced that it had been agreed to reorder the items on the agenda so that members were made aware of the Local Plan timescales earlier in the meeting: items 7, 5, 6 and 8.

The report of the Interim Planning Policy Team Manager.

The Interim Planning Policy Team Manager presented the report.

Members had a discussion about the progress of the Local Plan during which several questions of clarity were addressed.

Members questioned what the consequences were if the timescales outlined in the report were not adhered to. The Head of Planning and Infrastructure replied that the consequences would have been seen as applications were made, as, when there was no up to date Local Plan previously, more applications went through. He also emphasised the importance of meeting the timescales as the Council would soon be challenged on its five-year housing land supply.

The report was noted.

The report of the Principal Planning Policy Officer.

The Principal Planning Policy Officer presented the report.

At the request of a member, it was minuted that they were not supportive of the draft Statement of Common Ground (SoCG), as it was believed it required further investigation due to the negative impact it would have had on the rural parts of the District. It was added that the Council had worked collaboratively with only two of the seven councils that border the District on the SoCG, which left many areas which the Council did not have much detail on to inform the SoCG. It was emphasised that further investigation should have been carried out before members could have made a well-informed decision.

During discussion, members agreed that it was important to maintain the rural identity of the District but commented that, due to Local Government Reorganisation, it was important to get the Local Plan finalised by the end of the year. It was mentioned that, subject to the officers having the resources once the Local Plan had been submitted, the points raised by members could have been investigated.

Members were thanked for their comments which were to be considered by Council at their meeting on 12 May 2026.

The report of the Principal Planning Policy Officer.

The Principal Planning Policy Officer presented the report.

A discussion was had during which several questions of clarity were addressed by the planning policy officers. Members expressed concern over whether Oadby and Wigston Borough Council can meet their own housing need and what implications this would have on this process and the Local Plan. 

The Principal Planning Policy Officer responded that, in the event their housing needs were not met, Oadby and Wigston Borough Council would have to have justified their unmet need.

Members were thanked for their comments which were to be considered by Council at their meeting on 12 May 2026.

The report of the Interim Planning Policy Team Manager.

The Interim Planning Policy Team Manager presented the report.

During discussion, members supported the collaborative working that was to take place between authorities. They also noted the complexity of the document and suggested the public would have benefitted from a basic summary so they were given a better understanding of the document prior to consultation.

Councillor J Legrys moved the recommendations on page 25 of the Additional Papers subject to the condition that the public were provided with a basic summary of the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) prior to consultation. It was seconded by Councillor R Morris and

RESOLVED THAT:

I)       A minimum four week consultation on the draft East Midlands Freeport Contributions Supplementary Planning Document (Appendix A) be agreed to be undertaken; and

II)       Authority be delegated to the Strategic Director of Place to agree any minor modifications to the final consultation draft Supplementary Planning Document prior to consultation commencing.

Councillor P Lees left the meeting at 7:01pm