£1.2m council house plan given green light after ‘horrible’ flats were blighted by anti-social behaviour

New council homes will be built in a Leicestershire town after the previous buildings that were blighted by anti-social behaviour were knocked down.

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council’s (HBBC) planning committee met to decide whether to approve 10 homes and eight flats to be built as part of the regeneration of Peggs Close, in Earl Shilton.

HBBC voted in December 2023 to knock down three buildings at Peggs Close in Earl Shilton and regenerate the site with a £1.18 million scheme, after admitting that public safety was an “ongoing challenge” in the area.

Bulldozers rolled out on site in January this year, with work on the new homes due to begin in January 2027.

Now, HBBC’s planning group have given the go-ahead for more homes and flats on the site, consisting of two semi-detached homes and eight terraced houses, of which five would be two-bedroom flats, and five would be three-bedroom flats.

The original flats were said to be structurally safe, but would have required £500,000 in essential work to keep them in use, with all residents needing to be moved to enable the work to be carried out, adding to the costs.

The new flats, however, will result in a net loss of 10 homes on the site, as the three demolished buildings housed around 28 flats.

The original proposal included 21 homes and flats; however, planning officers said the number of homes was reduced due to concerns from the police and Earl Shilton Parish Council, who said the site looked “cramped”.

During the meeting, Conservative Cllr Richard Allen said the old flats were “horrible” and were “quite scary” when it was dark.

He added: “The demise of the previous development is very much to be welcomed.

“I’m aware this delivers fewer homes than were there previously, but this is very much a case of quality over quantity”.

Lib Dem council leader Cllr Stuart Bray also said that the old flats were a “product of their age”.

He added: “These flats are clearly modern and more suitable for people in today’s living arrangements”.

Conservative Cllr Claire Allen also said the new flats were “such a massive improvement” on the old flats.

She added: “It’s really good for residents and for the rest of the town”.