Campaigners opposed to a housing development made their views known at a council meeting.

Protesters from the group 'Protect Quarry Farm' attended the cabinet meeting of Rutland County Council on Tuesday 17 October.

Developer Allison Homes' proposals to develop 650 homes on the Quarry Farm site, if approved, will make up part of the Monarch Park estate which will be part of the wider 1,300-home Stamford North development.

Despite the Quarry Farm development being an extension of Stamford's built-up area, representatives at South Kesteven District Council will not be making the final decision. It instead falls across the border and is the responsibility of Rutland County Council.

Protesters were peaceful at the recent Rutland-based demonstration. Image credit: LDRS.

The Protect Quarry Farm group is demanding that the development site be granted candidate local wildlife status to secure it for future generations.

They also want the link road required for the Stamford North development, east of Quarry Farm, to be routed away from the areas of the site with prominent wildlife.

On its Protect Quarry Farm Facebook page, the group states: "This is not the meeting to decide whether planning is granted, but it does set out the agreement to co-operate between South Kesteven District Council and Rutland County Council on the draft new local plan, which includes Quarry Farm.

"Is it fair that Rutland gains all the rewards in the form of housing targets, council tax and developer contributions, while Stamford residents shoulder the burden?"

Rutland County Council's Cabinet meeting was attended by protesters. Image credit: LDRS.

At the meeting the protesters sat in silence as Cllr Paul Browne (Lib Dem) said: "The new local plan is the keystone to future development in Rutland until 2041.

"The process started when we asked for your opinions in the 'issues and options' consultation last year. We have learned a great deal from those responses."

Rutland County Council unanimously agreed that the new draft Local Plan be put to public consultation between 13 November 2023 and 8 January 2024.

The plan sets out a guide for what can be built and where it can be built, and covers that decision making process, with people in Rutland asked for their opinion on planning policies and opportunities for future development and investment.