A controversial plan to knock down two homes - and build 13 in their place - has been approved by councillors.

However, their decision now holds no weight after the final say was passed to the planning inspectorate instead.

The proposal, for land off Church Lane, Whitwick, was put forward by Nick Harding and Joanne Tudor who decided to appeal the application on the grounds of "non-determination".

The time allotted to North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) to rule on the development expired in November on the day after councillors voted to defer their decision and ask the applicants to look again at the amount of traffic that goes down Church Lane amid concerns the area is a "rat run".

Mr Harding and Ms Tudor declined to offer a deadline extension to the authority at the time and said they would be appealing.

They also refused to re-do their traffic survey, which councillors objected to because it had been done during the Easter school holidays when they felt less traffic was present.

Leicestershire County Council, as the local highways authority, raised no concerns over the development's impacts on neighbouring roads, however.

The county council's highways team added the objected-to assessment undertaken by the applicants was not meant to assess the amount of traffic travelling along Church Lane in the first place.

Instead, it was to consider vehicle speeds along the route so officers could determine conditions around visibility from the site entrance.

This development was not expected to produce enough additional journeys to and from the site to require any further analysis, they added. An application can only be refused for highways reasons if the impact on the road network is "severe" or if safety would be "unacceptably" compromised.

Mr Harding and Ms Tudor's application proved highly controversial with the local community too, with 62 objections filed against it.

Other concerns include the risk of overshadowing, loss of privacy and general impact on neighbouring homes; the strain on local services such as the medical centre and schools; and the impact of the construction work on the neighbouring cemetery which the parish fears will be "distressing for the bereaved".

Plans show the extent of the proposed scheme. Image: North West Leicestershire Distrcit Council

Councillors remained torn when they returned to debate the plan this week, voting six to five in its favour. But their ruling now only serves as an indication on the council's position in relation to whether it believes the development is appropriate for the area or not. A Government planning inspector, appointed to oversee planning disputes, will be the one to decide whether it should go ahead.

Speaking at the planning meeting, Councillor Rachel Canny said she recognised the "distress" of local residents in regards to the plan. However, she added there was currently an "urgent need for housing" nationally, with "every space and every little bit of grass up for grabs".

"We have got to provide housing," she said. "The development as I see it gives a good mix of housing […] There is nothing in the report, there is nothing from any of the authorities that said there is anything majorly wrong about this [application]."

However, Coun Peter Moult maintained his opposition on the grounds of highways safety. The route is "dangerous", he believes. He added there is a school "500 meters away", with schoolchildren walking along Church Lane to get there.

The new homes would be made up of two two-beds, seven three-beds, three four-beds and one five-bed property. The majority of the parking would be off-street, with multiple spaces for each home.

The application is for outline planning permission only. This means the inspector will determine whether it is acceptable in principle, with the full details to be set out and decided on through a later application. No date has yet been given publicly for the appeal.