Rutland County Council's decision to scrap its draft local plan and start anew has proven to be a costly endeavor.

Rutland Local Plan: A Costly Restart

Rutland County Council's special meeting held at the Rutland Showground,

September 2021. The scrapped Rutland Local Plan cost £1.193 million to produce.

Rutland County Council's decision to scrap its draft local plan and start anew has proven to be a costly endeavor.

The council's 2021 vote to withdraw the planning guidance document, which was nearing completion, was driven by a controversial rejection of government funding for infrastructure improvements. This made the original plan unfeasible.

A new plan was initiated, with an allocated budget of £1.54 million. However, as of September 2024, the costs have reached £2.251 million, exceeding the initial estimate by £706,000.

The report detailing these expenses highlights that the overspending is largely due to the challenges of operating without a local plan, rather than the costs of developing a new one.

Additional potential costs include:

• Examination costs: £115,000 estimated
• Legal costs: £200,000 estimated

The decision to abandon the original plan was a contentious one within the council. The significant financial burden of the new plan adds to the pressures faced by local government budgets, especially in the current economic climate.

The council's 2021 vote to withdraw the planning guidance document, which was nearing completion, was driven by a controversial rejection of government funding for infrastructure improvements. This made the original plan unfeasible.

A new plan was initiated, with an allocated budget of £1.54 million. However, as of September 2024, the costs have reached £2.251 million, exceeding the initial estimate by £706,000.

The report detailing these expenses highlights that the overspending is largely due to the challenges of operating without a local plan, rather than the costs of developing a new one.

Additional potential costs include:

Examination costs: £115,000 estimated

Legal costs: £200,000 estimated

The decision to abandon the original plan was a contentious one within the council. The significant financial burden of the new plan adds to the pressures faced by local government budgets, especially in the current economic climate.

The scrapped Rutland Local Plan cost £1.193 million to produce.