Planning Authorities
Leicestershire County Council, 7 district and borough councils and Leicester City unitary authority
Two-tier system for most of Leicestershire. Leicestershire County Council handles minerals, waste, highways and acts as Lead Local Flood Authority. The 7 district and borough councils below are the Local Planning Authorities for all other development. Leicester City Council is a completely separate unitary authority - it handles all planning functions for the city. Rutland County Council (01572 722577) is a small separate unitary covering the county of Rutland to the east - it is not part of Leicestershire. East Midlands Airport, within North West Leicestershire DC, generates a significant safeguarding zone across a wide area of north Leicestershire.
Leicestershire County Council
Minerals and waste planning; Lead Local Flood Authority; highways; Leicestershire and Rutland Historic Environment Record
LCC holds the Leicestershire and Rutland Historic Environment Record (HER), which should be consulted at pre-application stage for all sites with archaeological potential. LCC Highways must be consulted on all development generating significant traffic on the county road network. As LLFA, LCC has statutory SUDs approval responsibilities for major development across all 7 districts.
Leicester City Council
Leicester city - separate unitary authority; Richard III Visitor Centre; Jewry Wall Roman bath-house; highly diverse city; regeneration
Leicester is one of England's most diverse cities and has a rich archaeological heritage - King Richard III's remains were discovered beneath a car park in 2012. The Jewry Wall (Roman, Grade I Scheduled Monument) and extensive Roman deposits underlie much of the city centre. Archaeological evaluation is routinely required for central Leicester sites. The city is undergoing significant regeneration around the waterfront and former industrial areas.
Blaby District Council
Blaby, Narborough, Wigston Magna, Countesthorpe, Braunstone - south Leicester fringe; Grand Union Canal; M1/M69 junction
Blaby district wraps around the south and south-west of Leicester city and is subject to significant housing growth pressure. The M1/M69 junction and the strategic logistics corridors in the south of the district are key infrastructure considerations. The Grand Union Canal runs through the district and the Canal and River Trust is a statutory consultee for development within 8 metres of the waterway.
Charnwood Borough Council
Loughborough, Shepshed, Syston, Mountsorrel - Charnwood Forest; Bradgate Park; Precambrian granite outcrops; Grand Union Canal
Charnwood Forest is an area of ancient Precambrian granite landscape with some of England's oldest rock outcrops. Bradgate Park (1,100 acres, Country Park, Grade II* registered landscape) lies within the borough. Development affecting the character of Charnwood Forest is carefully controlled. Mountsorrel Quarry (one of England's largest granite quarries) creates noise and dust constraints in the eastern borough. Loughborough University is a major development generator.
Harborough District Council
Market Harborough, Lutterworth, Fleckney, Broughton Astley - rural south Leicestershire; Grand Union Canal; M1 corridor logistics
The Lutterworth and M1 J20 area of Harborough is one of England's prime logistics locations, with several major distribution warehouses. The south of the district borders Northamptonshire and includes good agricultural land (Grade 2/3) which is a material planning consideration for development. Market Harborough is a well-preserved market town with a significant Conservation Area.
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council
Hinckley, Burbage, Market Bosworth, Groby, Markfield - Bosworth Battlefield; National Forest fringe; M69/M1 junction
Bosworth Battlefield (where Richard III was killed in 1485, Scheduled Monument) lies within the borough at Ambion Hill, near Market Bosworth. The battlefield setting is a significant heritage constraint for surrounding development. The borough borders Warwickshire to the south and the National Forest designation covers the northern fringes, where new woodland planting is encouraged alongside development.
Melton Borough Council
Melton Mowbray, Bottesford, Bingham fringe - Vale of Belvoir; Belvoir Castle; Stilton cheese; rural east Leicestershire
Melton is England's "Rural Capital of Food" - home to Stilton cheese, Melton Mowbray pork pies and a strong food production economy. The Vale of Belvoir is a gently rolling agricultural landscape and the setting of Belvoir Castle (Grade I, Duke of Rutland) is protected across a wide area of the vale. The borough borders Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. Melton Mowbray town centre has a Conservation Area with significant listed buildings.
North West Leicestershire District Council
Coalville, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Castle Donington, Ibstock - National Forest; East Midlands Airport; former coalfield; M1/A42 logistics
East Midlands Airport safeguarding affects a large area of the district and beyond - cranes, tall structures, wind turbines, solar panels and masts in the safeguarding zone require consultation with the airport operator (MAG/East Midlands Airport 01332 852852). The former Leicestershire coalfield around Coalville requires Coal Authority consultation. The National Forest covers significant parts of the district, encouraging development that incorporates new woodland planting. Castle Donington has extensive motorsport/events infrastructure around Donington Park circuit.
Oadby and Wigston Borough Council
Oadby, Wigston, South Wigston - compact urban borough south of Leicester city; residential character; University of Leicester campus fringe
Oadby and Wigston is England's smallest non-metropolitan district by area, almost entirely built up as a suburb of Leicester. Development opportunities are primarily infill, conversion and redensification. The University of Leicester's Oadby campus (Beaumont Hall) is a significant listed building complex within the borough.
Building Control
Building Regulations approval and inspections across Leicestershire
District, Borough and City Building Control Services
Each council operates its own building control service; some share arrangements with neighbouring authorities
Contact the relevant district or city council directly for building control: Leicester City (0116 454 1000), Blaby (0116 275 0555), Charnwood (01509 263151), Harborough (01858 821100), Hinckley and Bosworth (01455 238141), Melton (01664 502502), North West Leicestershire (01530 454545), Oadby and Wigston (0116 288 8961). Registered Building Control Approvers (private inspectors) operate across the county on all project types.
Heritage & Conservation
Belvoir Castle, Bradgate Park, Jewry Wall Roman remains and the Richard III connection
Historic England - East Midlands
Statutory consultee for listed buildings, scheduled monuments and conservation areas across Leicestershire
Key Leicestershire Grade I assets include Belvoir Castle (Duke of Rutland), Kirby Muxloe Castle (English Heritage, moated castle ruins), the Jewry Wall Roman bath-house in Leicester city, Bradgate House ruins, Staunton Harold Hall and church, and Abbey Pumping Station in Leicester. The Bosworth Battlefield Scheduled Monument is a critical heritage constraint in Hinckley and Bosworth. Leicester city centre has a dense concentration of Roman and medieval archaeological deposits requiring evaluation.
Belvoir Castle
Grantham Road, Belvoir, Leicestershire - Grade I; seat of the Duke of Rutland; commanding ridgeline position above the Vale of Belvoir
Belvoir Castle's ridgeline position means it is visible across a very wide area of the Vale of Belvoir and into Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. Development affecting views of the castle from the vale or the ridgeline character is a sensitive planning matter for both Melton Borough Council and Historic England. The registered park and garden (Grade II*) adds further landscape designation around the castle.
Environment & Landscape
River Soar, River Wreake, National Forest and the Coal Authority former coalfield zone
Environment Agency - Midlands
River Soar, River Wreake, River Welland - flood risk and environmental permitting across Leicestershire
The River Soar runs through Leicester and northwards to join the Trent at Trent Junction. The Grand Union Canal broadly follows the Soar corridor. Flood risk zones are significant along the Soar, Wreake and in the Melton Mowbray area. Flood Risk Assessments are required for development in Flood Zones 2 and 3. Parts of the Anglian Water region cover east Leicestershire; the EA Anglia team (0370 850 6506) handles those catchments.
Natural England - East Midlands
Charnwood Forest SSSI; Bradgate Park; Prior's Coppice NNR; Swift Valley NNR; National Forest habitat networks
Charnwood Forest is a nationally significant landscape with SSSIs covering the ancient granite outcrops, heathland and acid grassland. The National Forest covers a large swath of NW Leicestershire and into Derbyshire and Staffordshire - development in the National Forest zone is expected to provide new woodland planting, administered by the National Forest Company (01283 551211). Great crested newts are widespread across Leicestershire.
Coal Authority
Former Leicestershire coalfield - Coalville, Ibstock, Bagworth, Ellistown, Hugglescote and surrounding areas
The north-west Leicestershire coalfield centres on Coalville. Development in Coal Risk Areas requires a Coal Mining Risk Assessment. Check the Coal Authority's interactive map before any development in north-west Leicestershire. Mine shaft locations, shallow workings, surface instability and methane migration are the primary constraints. The last Leicestershire colliery (Bagworth) closed in 1991.
Utilities & Infrastructure
Water, electricity, gas and roads serving Leicestershire - note East Midlands Airport safeguarding
Severn Trent Water
Water supply and sewerage across most of Leicestershire
Anglian Water (0345 791 9155, anglianwater.co.uk) serves parts of east Leicestershire including areas of Harborough and Melton districts. Developers should confirm the correct water undertaker for their site using DEFRA's drainage maps or the relevant water company's coverage tool before submitting planning applications.
National Grid Electricity Distribution - East Midlands
Electricity distribution across Leicestershire - formerly Western Power Distribution / East Midlands Electricity
Cadent Gas - East Midlands
Gas distribution network across Leicestershire
National Highways - M1, M69 and A46
M1 north-south through county; M69 Leicester-Coventry; A46 Newark-Leicester-Coventry; A42 M42 link NW Leicestershire
The M1 is Leicestershire's main motorway spine. The M69 provides the Leicester-Coventry link. The A46 dual carriageway is an important strategic route. Development generating significant traffic on these routes requires a Transport Assessment with National Highways as a statutory consultee. East Midlands Airport (01332 852852) must also be consulted for tall structures, cranes, wind turbines, solar and masts across a wide safeguarding zone.
Trade Bodies
Key construction industry organisations serving Leicestershire
Federation of Master Builders - East Midlands
Representing SME builders across Leicestershire
NHBC
New home warranty and building standards inspection across Leicestershire
LABC
Building control warranty services across Leicestershire