The controversial decision to scrap Rutland's major planning document and start again has cost almost three quarters of a million pounds more than first anticipated, new papers show. 

Back in 2021, the council held a vote to withdraw its local plan – which was in the final stages and go back to the drawing board, after a controversial decision to not accept almost £30m of government cash for infrastructure improvements led to the local plan being unviable. 

When the county council took the decision in September 2021 to cancel the plan – which had cost £1.193m to produce – and begin a new one it set aside £1.54m to cover the costs. 

But details in a report to be considered by the county authority's cabinet tomorrow (September 10), show the new plan has cost £2.251m so far, which is £706,000 more than allocated three years ago and costs could rise even further. 

A table shows that not having a local plan has cost the council £1.028m since 2021. (Photo: NubNews)

In the years after the decision to start again, the authority had given additional funds to the budget, taking it up to just over £2m, but that budget is now £229,000 overspent. 

The report about the new plan, which will be discussed by the council's cabinet tomorrow and will likely be approved for public consultation, says the overspend is 'largely as a result of support the additional demands from not having a local plan rather than the production of a new plan'. 

A table shows that the authority has incurred £1.028m of costs since 2021 as a result of not having a local plan and the cost of the plan to produce so far has been £1.223m. 

The papers say more costs could come:  

"There are still significant risks in the forecast projections, these are mainly:  

• examination costs of the new local plan: £115,000 estimated (depends on the nature and level of objections following consultation on a pre-submission plan);  
• legal costs of the new local plan: £200,000 estimated (depends on the nature and level of objections following consultation on a pre-submission plan and any legal challenge following the adoption)." 

The decision to scrap the original local plan was a controversial one and split the authority.  

The additional costs to the council for the new plan is a significant sum in a climate of pressures on local government budgets. The authority is in a cost-saving phase and in spring decided not to fund the Catmose Sports Centre in Oakham to continue operating. It says it had spent £800,000 in the past four years to keep it running.