Planning application progresses for 135-home estate in Oakham
Detailed plans submitted following successful appeal against initial refusal
Plans to develop a 135-home estate on land south-east of Brooke Road in Oakham are moving forward, with a follow-up application submitted for approval by Rutland County Council.
The application seeks to provide detailed information on the design, layout, landscaping, and scale of the proposed homes.
Taylor Wimpey, along with developers Robert Lionel Eayrs and Margaret Suzanne Eayrs, are promoting a "cohesive design concept," incorporating varied features and materials to enhance the street scene.
The estate will include a mix of one to five-bedroom homes, with 40 earmarked as affordable housing.
The initial outline application faced rejection last year due to traffic safety concerns linked to its proximity to Oakham's level crossings.
The council's refusal was based on the transport assessment in the application, which they argued did not accurately reflect traffic impacts in the area.
Waiting times at level crossings are anticipated to increase as rail freight grows, raising concerns about road safety hazards from the new estate.
However, the appeal against the initial rejection was successful, with an inspector finding no substantive evidence of highway safety impacts.
Measures such as widening Brooke Road to ease traffic flow contributed to this decision.
The inspector stated that while the development could add to existing traffic delays, provisions outlined would mitigate impacts and not compromise road safety significantly.