Decision delayed over £2m Little Stanion housing scheme payment

Ninety-nine houses and a village hall have yet to be built at Little Stanion

The future of the final phase of a Northamptonshire housing development is uncertain after a decision on a £2m payment was delayed.

Developers at Little Stanion, near Corby, want the local council to waive an agreement that they pay £11,000 back for every house they sell.

They also want to scrap an uplift sum which they would have to pay based on profits.

JME Developments said it would be "unviable" if the payments remained.

North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) heard from the firm in a meeting about their request to remove their obligation to pay £11,000 for every home they sold back into the public purse.

JME have also asked to scrap "The Little Stanion up-lift sum", which would contribute 34% of the additional house sale profits back into the community - primarily towards the costs of the primary school.

Increased costs

The estate, which has been under construction for more than a decade, is yet to start its final phase of development in Corby. That will see another 99 houses and the village hall built.

James Moore, managing director at JME, said factors such as "increases in building costs, funding costs" and "mortgage rates which have impacted sales" were behind delays with the construction and finance issues.

He asked for the committee to support the amendments to the planning conditions to "return the development to a viable position" and ensure the delivery of the community building.

The village hall was supposed to be completed after planning permission was approved in 2018, but developers said they were looking to finish the site by 2028. That is nearly eight years after the intended construction completion date.

Councillor Chris Horsman, of Little Stanion Parish Council, said: "How would you feel if you'd been waiting for five years for something ultra special and today is the day when the decision is made to settle this JME-created fiasco?

"That's how the residents of Little Stanion feel today. We're dying to hear if our dream is about to come true and that you will back us."

After discussion, councillors felt that there was more to be considered before approval and voted to defer the decision to a later date.