The failings of a floundering trout farm have helped secure an 11-home development in a local village.

The owners of River Gwash Trout Farm in Belmesthorpe Lane, Ryhall, told Rutland County Council's planning committee on Tuesday 18 April that their 25-year-old business was no longer viable.

They blamed "seasonal parasite problems" in the River Gwash, which they said had worsened over the past decade, and "changing trends in the fish farming industry as a whole".

Simon Boon Homes of Cotterstock, near Oundle, is behind the redevelopment plans for homes that will be built from Stamford stone and slate with timber-frame windows.

The development will be located just off the River Gwash. Image credit: LDRS.

At the meeting, the agent for the developer, Peter Wilmot, said although the site was not identified in Rutland's former Local Plan as a housing development site, it had scored highly against assessment criteria used to assess the suitability of sites.

Members of the planning committee said they needed to ensure there was a supply of land for housing in the short term, while the county's new Local Plan is being drawn up.

They approved application number 2021/1268FUL, allowing the redevelopment of the trout farm to go ahead.

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