Plans that would see a Hugglescote street having to serve 53 more homes on a new housing development have been passed by North West Leicestershire District Council.

But the revised scheme only got the go-ahead by the narrowest of margins at Wednesday's planning committee.

Councillors were split 5-5 on whether the plans should be permitted - and they only got the green light when committee chairman Cllr Ray Morris voted in favour of the scheme.

But one councillor accused developers of 'gerrymandering' the scheme - and changing their intentions once outline planning permission had been received.

The 400-home development - North of Standard Hill and east of Highfield Street - was orginally only intended to have 97 homes being accessed from Highfield Street.

Now there will be 150 - with the plan including an amendment to the Highfield Street section - and without complying to certain conditions agreed when outline planning permission was given.

Coalville councillors John Geary - the ward member - and John LeGrys, who lives close by, strongly opposed the new plans at the meeting.

But Rob Thorley, Land and Planning Director of developers Jelson Homes, said: "The main change is remove the vehicle link between the two parts of the site.

"It was proposed to cross the brook in the central part of the site, but since it has been established that signifcant ground remodelling operations would be required.

"Removing the road link means the brook can remain an open channel, creating a much more attractive area.

"This would add to the overall quality of the scheme.

"Removing the road link does mean the number of units accessed from Highfield Street would increase to 150, but this has found to be acceptable by Leicestershire County Council.

"This does include off-street parking to the rear for all but three properties on Highfield Street that back on to the scheme. This will help to reduce the current parking pressures on Highfield Street."

Cllr Geary's views were in the report put to councillors and he spoke again on Wednesday.

He said: "I hold by those comments.

"Myself and the residents now think this scheme is totally unacceptable.

"It was emphasised that residents would be able to take advantage of parking to the rear of their propertis, not true.

"Fourteen homes will have no rear access and will be affected by the no-waiting restrictions.

"Under reserved matters, only 97 dwellings would be served from Highfield Street.

"This authority granted permission for a development without all the relevant information.

"It hadn't been completed.

"Building materials will be coming in off Highfield Street.

"If this had been on the table on May 8, would it have been agreed?

"I think not. The original scheme was put forward to get approval - as soon as they got it, they gerrymandered the situation to get a scheme which isn't acceptable.

"I'd like to see it thrown out - if not, I'd like it deferred."

Cllr LeGrys said that residents have been 'confused' at the way the matter has progressed.

He said: "There's a lot of technical jargon gone in on this.

"But this committee approved, in February 2022, for 97 dwellings with decent access on to Highfield Street.

"It's now been downgraded by County Highways and is very close to a bend in Highfield Street,

"We've been unfair to our residents - but the developer is allowed to do this.

"I'd also challenge that the traffic count on this is wrong.

"But the planning law is an ass. Now we are going to put 150 new houses on to Highfield Street when residents - and businesses - were told it was only going to be 97.