Ambitious plans to build 1,850 homes in Rutland over the next 15 years have been submitted to the government – and work is already underway on proposals for a further 3,600 properties by 2046.

Rutland County Council's development blueprint – known as the Local Plan – was thrown into doubt in 2024 when the new Labour government doubled the county's housebuilding targets.

It meant the local authority's draft proposal – which was already in its final stages – was at risk of collapse.

But national planning bosses agreed that the county could proceed with the plan – so long as officers agreed to fast-track a refreshed submission in line with the new targets.

Rutland's 2041 Local Plan – which sticks to the original target of building 123 new homes annually over the next 15 years – has now been sent off to the government.

Once formally approved, work to finalise the 2046 plan – which takes account of the government's revised housebuilding target of 273 homes a year – will be ramped up.

This draft is likely to look in more detail at St George's Barracks at North Luffenham and RAF Woolfox near Greetham.

St George's Barracks site (Photo: LDRS)

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It would mean that Rutland would be committed to building a total of 5,450 homes over the next two decades.

It is not the first time the authority's development plans have hit a bump in the road.

Back in 2021, councillors voted against the council's Local Plan – and refused £29.4 million in government funding.

It forced the then-Conservative administration in Rutland to go back to the drawing board – and meant Rutland did not have an up to date development blueprint.

A Rutland County Council spokesman said: "Rutland County Council is almost at the final stage of the process to develop and adopt a new local plan, which will guide development in Rutland up to 2041.

"Having been through a comprehensive process of evidence gathering, consultation and plan making, we have submitted Rutland's new local plan to the government's independent planning inspector. We are continuing to share information with the inspector and await their findings.

"Following any modifications that may be required by the inspector, a final version of the local plan will be presented to Rutland's full council for adoption.

"While Rutland County Council is allowed to take its new local plan forward for independent examination and adoption, we have already had to commit to producing a refreshed plan.  

"This is because of an increase in Rutland's assessed local housing need, caused by government changes to the National Planning Policy Framework in December 2024."

Factfile

Local authorities across the country are required to have a local plan and to be able to show they have a five-year housing land supply. 

The document must cover a period of at least 15 years and it sets out what can be built and where building should take place. 

Local Plans are not just about housing – they hold important policies to support environmental protection, jobs and the economy. 

They also help to decide where areas need infrastructure for services such as roads, schools and health. 

A Local Plan covers: 

• housing
• education provision
• transport infrastructure
• healthcare provision
• provision for leisure facilities
• open and green spaces