Agenda and minutes

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrlN4_PKzPXjar7IOtLtNZvIwZ4xT_8yU

The minutes of the meeting held on 3 July 2025 were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been received under Standing Order 35.

The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been received under Standing Order 7(3) and 7(5).

There were no urgent items for consideration.

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to declare any interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.

It was noted that all members who were members of a Parish, Town or District Council, or Liaison Committee would have personal interests in applications which related to areas covered by those authorities.

No formal declarations of interest were made. However, it was noted with regards to agenda item 9: Bardon Quarry that Mr. K. Crook CC in a previous role as a Parish Councillor had received funding from the Bardon Quarry Community Fund.

The Chief Executive reported that no petitions had been received under Standing Order 36.

The Board considered a report of the Chief Executive, a copy of which, marked ‘Agenda Item 7’, is filed with these minutes. The Board was also in receipt of written representations from the local member Mrs. N. Bottomley CC which raised concerns about HGVs speeding on Paudy Lane and whether the proposal did constitute “back-hauling” as submitted by the applicant.

In accordance with the procedures for making representations to the Board, local residents Karen Dalzell-Payne, Elizabeth Hollingshead and Elaine Goodwin spoke in objection to the application and Jennifer Saunders (Saint-Gobain) spoke as the applicant.

It was noted that the applicant had previously offered to pay for solar powered speed signs to be erected on Paudy Lane however the Parish Council did not wish to take ownership of the speed signs therefore the signs had not been erected. Members suggested that the Local Highway Authority (Leicestershire County Council) could take ownership of the speed signs rather than the Parish Council and asked for the Board’s view on this to be reported to the Highway Authority.

RESOLVED:

That the application be permitted subject to the conditions nos. 1-17 as set out in the appendix to the report.

The Board considered a report of the Chief Executive, a copy of which, marked ‘Agenda Item 8’, is filed with these minutes. The Board was also in receipt of an addendum report which responded to late representations received from the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, Harborough, Oadby and Wigston Green Party, Mr D. Page CC and Mr P. King CC.

In accordance with the procedures for making representations to the Board, the following persons spoke in objection to the application - Chris Attenborough (Great Bowden Residents Management Company), Cllr. Paul Claxton (Great Bowden Parish Council), Cllr. Phil Knowles (Harborough District Council), Cat Hartley (Director of Communities & Wellbeing - Harborough DC) and Neil O’Brien MP. The objectors raised concerns about highways and traffic, odour, noise, ecology and the local environment, and the use of maize, straw, and poultry manure.

The local member Dr. S. Hill CC spoke and raised concerns about odour emanating from the site, HGV movements, the impact on the water quality of the River Welland and the lack of need for the proposal. Dr Hill CC submitted that paragraph 168 of the National Planning Policy Framework was outweighed by these other planning considerations and therefore the application should be refused.

Lewis Smith (Robert Doughty Consultancy) spoke on behalf of the applicant. In response to a question of clarification from the Board about whether tractors would be used to transport feedstock to the site, Lewis Smith confirmed that the vast majority of all the traffic entering and exiting the site would be HGVs as set out in the Transport Statement, alongside some Fastrac (NB these are higher speed tractors). Members raised concerns that there was still a possibility that some of the feedstock would be transported by tractors and trailers, rather than HGVs, and this could be problematic when the tractors turned off Welham Lane onto the A6. The Local Highway Authority (Leicestershire County Council) confirmed that the Transport Statement did not take account of the possibility of tractors and trailers being used. Some members were therefore of the view that they did not have sufficient information to make a decision on the application.

Members noted that Hursley Park Country Park was located approximately 200m south-west of the site and concerns had been raised around possible harm to habitats within the park. It was also noted that Harborough District Council proposed to create a green corridor connecting Hursley Park Country Park, the James Adler Nature Reserve and three newly secured rewilding plots. Members raised concerns about the possible environmental impacts of the proposal on these sites and stated that further information and analysis was required regarding this issue.

RESOLVED:

That consideration of the application be deferred to a future meeting of the Board to enable further information to be obtained regarding the environmental impacts of the proposal on the green corridor comprising of Hursley Park Country Park, the James Adler Nature Reserve and the rewilding plots, and the potential highways impacts of tractors entering and exiting the site.

The Board considered a report of the Chief Executive, a copy of which, marked ‘Agenda Item 9, is filed with these minutes.

In accordance with the procedures for making representations to the Board, Mr. P. Harrison CC spoke as the local member and Kirsten Cunningham (Holcim UK) spoke as the applicant.

Mr. Harrison CC objected to the application due to concerns about the impact of noise, dust and pollution from the site on local residents.

RESOLVED:

That the application be permitted subject to the conditions nos. 1-64 as set out in the appendix to the report.

The Board considered a report of the Chief Executive which set out the delegated decisions issued in the period 1 April 2025 – 30 June 2025. A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 10’, is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:

That the contents of the report be noted.

The Board considered a report of the Director of Environment and Transport which set out the delegated Tree Preservation Order decisions made between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025. A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 11’, is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:

That the contents of the report be noted.

The Chairman advised that the next meeting of the Board would take place on Thursday 11 September 2025 at 2.00pm.