Plans for six affordable apartments/maisonettes are due to be determined by Rutland's planning committee tonight.

The application from the Uppingham Home Community Trust concerns a site on land adjacent to a sewage works off Seaton Road.

Councillors will determine the application, rather than county council planning staff, after the scheme was 'called in' by Coun Ian Razzell.

A report by council planning staff prepared for the meeting recommends refusal, saying the application is contrary to national and local planning policies.

It said: "The site is in an unsustainable location with poor access, in particular by walking to access the services and facilities in Uppingham and would lead to a reliance on motor vehicles for transport. The proposal doesn't meet the

requirements for an exception site.!"

"The consultation responses have identified the potential for significant impact on the residential amenities of the future occupiers of the proposed development and the existing and future operation of a sewage treatment works on adjoin land."

The report continued: "Due to the lack of any further information/ surveys from the applicant's agent to address the issues identified, there appears to be no practicable mitigation available at this time that can be applied to the sources of odour and noise.

"The proximity of the proposed receptors would expose any future resident to several different sources of odour, noise and other disturbance. Each of these sources having varying operating scenarios that pose the exposure risk.

"Consequently, the information submitted by the applicant does not address these adequately and there is no mitigating solution or combination of actions that would provide confidence of reducing the risk to the amenity of the proposed development."

"It is considered that the proposed development, located in the open countryside would not contribute positively to local distinctiveness and sense of place in terms of the scale, height, density, layout and appearance."

The reported also noted a lack of ecology surveys and feared protected species could be destroyed or disturbed by the scheme.

The report also noted the 0.08ha site off Seaton Road, 770m south east of Uppingham and 200m from housing is outside the planned limits of development for Uppingham within an area defined as 'open countryside in the Adopted Local Plan and is currently a largely open grassed and treed area

Previously the site has been used as a garden apple orchard by the previous owner prior to being gifted to Uppingham Homes CLT.

An Anglian Water sewage treatment plant sits to the east and a solar farms sits to the north and north-west.

Access would be from Seaton Road and a parking space for each flat and two visitor parking spaces would be provided.

All the homes would be 'affordable' with a variety of rented and shared ownership properties.

The report noted Uppingham Town Council discussed the scheme in February and whilst it supported affordable housing, it had concerns about the application. These included the scheme being near to the sewage works, a lack of footpath and lighting on Seaton Road and the current Neighbourhood Plan for Uppingham not recognising the site as suitable for housing. Therefore, it did not vote for or against the scheme.

Similarly, public opinion was split, with Rutland Council receiving six letters in support and four against. People supported the idea of affordable homes, but not the location.

Planning and Licensing Committee will be meeting tonight at 7pm. The agenda can be found here.