A decision on plans for the demolition of two Whitwick homes - to make way for 13 new houses - is set to be made by North West Leicestershire District Council's planning committee next week.

However, after being deferred from November so that another Automatic Traffic Count (ATC) can be undertaken, the council says that the applicants will not be doing that.

The scheme, from Nick Harding and Joanne Tudor, centres on land currently occupied by numbers 137 and 139 in Church Lane, Whitwick, near Coalville.

A previous planning meeting heard that councillors were concerned that Leicestershire County Council's Highways had conducted its ATC during the Easter holidays.

That was not seen as not being an accurate representation of the amount of traffic that would normally travel in the area.

A decision was deferred to allow the applicant to undertake a further ATC.

But the agenda for next Tuesday's meeting says 'the applicants have confirmed that their intentions are to appeal the non-determination of the application and consequently a further ATC will not be undertaken'.

The meeting agenda adds: "On this basis, the application is brought back to the Planning Committee for members to make their decision. 

"However the amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework do not change the officer recommendation for this application."

When the application went before councillors, the recommendation was to permit the scheme.

Plans for the scheme have already been discussed by the planning commitee in Coalville. Photo: North West Leicestershire District Council

But next week's meeting will see photographs taken by Cllr Anthony Barker, the Ward Member.

The agenda explains that they were supplied by the Hermitage councillor as a means of showing the parking of vehicles on both sides of Church Lane at a 'quiet time' - with it also being outlined that Church Lane is used as a 'rat run' between North Street and the junction of Brooks Lane.

An additional third-party representation has also been received objecting to the application, saying the proposed development will impact adversely on the highway network, given the overall number of vehicular movements which would be created, as well as the existing constraints associated with Church Lane.

But the council officer's response at the November briefing was that: "The date of the ATC would have a negligible impact on the overall data collected, with the County Highways Authority being of the view that vehicles would likely travel at a greater speed where there are fewer obstructions present on the highway."

Other objections have questioned the demolition of 'two perfectly good homes'.