Rutland residents are stepping up their campaign against the county's council draft Local Plan.

The group Fight4Rutland, launched a few months ago, has created a new website and it has just emailed its opposition to councillors across the county.

Their letter said the group wants the best for Rutland and Rutlanders and opposes "the disastrous over-development planned for St George's Barracks (SGB)."

It continued: "Over 2,300 houses slap bang in between North Luffenham, Edith Weston and Normanton and next to Rutland Water, in a Local Plan seemingly driven entirely by the MOD and Rutland County Council (RCC) in the face of widespread opposition from Rutlanders.

"F4R is campaigning for a reasonable plan that would benefit our local communities, wildlife and tourism instead of damaging this by creating a dormitory town of 2,300 plus houses.

"We are also concerned about RCC's increasingly anti-democratic position, refusing to currently allow public presentation of deputations or questions, (zoom attendance is allowed but no other participation) and generally appearing to be trying to force the development through at any cost and regardless of the changing socio-economic profile of the UK, including Rutland, following the Covid-19 crisis."

The group's spokesman, Susannah Fish told Oakham Nub News the campaign aims to raise awareness of the draft local plan, which it wants to be more 'sustainable.'

Susannah, a former senior police officer who now works as a consultant and executive coach, says the F4R includes a wide cross-section of Rutland residents who care passionately about the future of the county.

"A small group people put F4R together but a vast number of people object to what Rutland County Council is trying to do."

The group would give guidance to people seeking to object as objections must be made in a certain way to matter. This includes explaining why the draft local plan isn't 'sound.'

The 58-year-old mother-of-three, who lives in Wing, said the draft local plan is at a 'critical stage' in its adoption process.

Due to the pandemic, the plan has not yet been approved by central government. A public hearing before a government inspector has yet to take place, which has been delayed until the end of summer, Susannah explained.

She added: "Rutland is really against the county council and what it and the Ministry of Defence are doing.

"In Bedfordshire and Peterborough, local plans were recently chucked out because of similar developments facing objections from 300-500 people. Already we have 1,500 people objecting in Rutland.

"In terms of the level of the objection and opposition, we are in a different league. The government's National Planning Policy Framerwork says new developments should be led by the community. Rutland County Council aren't doing this."