Unsold holiday lodges could become permanent homes

The lodge site has not had a single holiday home sold in seven years, the owner said

The owner of 20 holiday lodges in Leicestershire has applied for them to be used as homes.

The lodges were built in Medbourne after applicant Tom Hartley was given planning permission in October 2017.

The structures were allowed with a condition they would be used for holiday purposes only and not as a person’s “sole or main place of residence”.

But seven years later, and with all of the holiday homes unsold, Mr Hartley now wants Harborough District Council to allow people to live in the lodges.

The lodges at Medbourne Edge off Hallaton Road have had “extensive marketing both locally and nationally”, according to documents submitted to the council seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Contesting the condition the lodges cannot be occupied as a person’s “sole or main place of residence”, Mr Hartley said a similar appeal had been allowed in Devon.

He said residential use of the lodges would have no greater impact than holiday use, and the permission as it stood “places no restriction on the length of stay”, so anyone could stay there for an unlimited period as long as they had another main residence.

A decision is expected to be made by early December.