STRATEGIC GROWTH IN LEICESTERSHIRE – ANOTHER WAY? Presentation by Willoughby Waterleys Residents Association to residents of Countesthorpe 15 th January 2020
WHO AM I? Good evening. And Thank you to Countesthorpe Parish Council for facilitating this meeting. My name is David Campbell-Kelly and I have been a resident of Willoughby Waterleys for almost 30 years. I am now mostly retired having spent my working life in the house building industry, predominantly employed by major house builders. I am NOT a planning expert. I am also Chair of Willoughby Waterleys Residents’ Association. I am, however, also a member of the public who is concerned by the rush, by some Politicians in the County, to pursue uneconomic and unsustainable long-term development. These plans have been proposed by all the Councils in Leicestershire in a document called The Leicester and Leicestershire Strategic Growth Plan. Tonight, I will outline some broad details of this proposal and then set out an alternative strategy that WWRA has been proposing for some time. WHAT IS THE WILLOUGHBY WATERLEYS R ESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION? Willoughby Waterleys is a small south Leicestershire Conservation Village, located in Harborough District, whose northern boundary adjoins Blaby District and Countesthorpe Parish. The Residents Association was established in 2018 and has membership from almost 90% of homes in the village, recognising the grave concerns over the SGP and members wish to engage in influencing how strategic growth in The County can be provided. The Association’s members recognise the County’s Councils need to plan for economic growth and accept that new homes are required. We are NOT militants but are seeking to ensure that planning policy is fairly and appropriately applied and that ALL feasible alternatives are thoroughly investigated before commitment to any element of the SGP. To date, WWRA has taken initial Transport, Planning and Legal advice. The cost has been significant, and members have funded all advice through the collection of subscriptions and donations. Lobbying of Councils from a number of Parishes, Districts, County and MPs has been undertaken primarily to set out WWRA’s thoughts on the alternative SGP proposition. BACKGROUND TO SGP PROPOSAL MIDLAND CONNECT Before considering the SGP, it is necessary to understand the rationale for upgrading the A46. This was initially set out in a Stage One report prepared by Midland Connect, a government quango. That report discloses the desire to future proof the A46 to offer a resilient and reliable alternative to the motorway network, particularly for business and freight traffic, whilst offering the opportunity for new development. Ensuring predictable journey times for A46 traffic from the south west to north east is a key part of the Midland Connect report. To achieve this around Leicester, it has been proposed that a south/east A46 bypass be provided around the City. Another of the identified issues, is the weight of traffic using J21 of M1. The alternative proposal I will outline will also deal with these issues. A second stage report from MC is expected to further evaluate the merits of specific improvement schemes and will eliminate those schemes whose cost will outweigh the economic benefits. It is our belief that the cost of a south/east by-pass will be too expensive and will out-weigh the economic
benefits. All the more so, given the possibility of a cheaper alternative being available. This second report is now significantly delayed, and we understand that is precisely because alternatives are being considered. STRATEGIC GROWTH PLAN PROPOSALS The SGP was approved by all the Councils in the County by the end of 2018. The Councils in Leicestershire latched on to the possibility of a South /East bypass and made this the main plank of the SGP. It identified that the construction of such a road could open the possibility of major development opportunities and could provide 38,000 new homes and associated Employment Land all by 2050. What the SGP did not do is outline any alternatives. Everything relied on the construction of the south/east route, which will require significant Government funding if it is to be constructed in full. There was no consideration of what would happen, by the County’s Authorities’ , if funds were not made available and the by-pass is delivered. A coordinated County wide solution is essential if new infrastructure is to be maximised and unsustainable development is to be avoided. It is also worthy of comment that there is very little reference or commitment to improvements to existing highways or public transport. Our alternative will be demonstrated to be more sustainable, cost effective and deliverable and it must be fully explored before any aspects of the SGP are implemented by any Authority in their Local Plan review. GARDEN VILLAGE PROCESS The SGP seeks to maximise opportunities to deliver new housing in major stand alone settlements which can then provide new infrastructure. If you were at the last meeting Councillor Richardson was very keen to emphasis this point. But these schemes must be sustainable and have due regard to the massive influence that Climate Change is going to have. Blaby DC has for some time been holding private meetings with the land owner of Whetstone Pastures Farm. This culminated initially, with a submission by both, to the first Garden Communities scheme for a Garden Village. Whilst this was unsuccessful it was resubmitted to a later scheme and was awarded Garden Village status in 2019. This scheme provides Blaby DC with additional funding from Government, of £150k pa for three years. This money is for additional resources at the Council to interrogate the planning case for the GV. If at any point it is not worthy of consideration, the funding of later stages would not be provided. The planning case continues to be reviewed by Blaby DC BLABY DC LOCAL PLAN Coinciding with all this Blaby DC has an obligation to review its forward planning document, known as a Local Plan. The plan when adopted should have 15 years to run. So, it will look at planning to around 2037. The purpose of the plan is to identify long term development locations and strategies and there are several key stages to go through before adoption. This includes a Public Inquiry. Blaby Dc has recently issued a “ Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment ” . This summarises sites that have been proposed for consideration for future development. It includes
many sites that Blaby has made it clear that they do not want to see come forward as extensions to existing settlements, including a few not far from here! The next stage is the issue of a first draft plan and it will no doubt identify Whetstone Pastures as a strategic development opportunity. The plan has been delayed almost certainly due to Leicester City. LEICESTER CITY LOCAL PLAN It is acknowledged that Leicester City will not be able to meet its own housing needs in the longer term. It however has no current adopted Local Plan, so it cannot say with any certainty how many homes it is short by. Adjoining Councils have an obligation to assist and without this detail, it is not possible to prepare what is called a Statement of Common Ground and Blaby DC is unable to finalise its Local Plan. A draft Plan was expected from Leicester City before Xmas but is still not issued. It will still have to go through consultation and a full Inquiry, before it is formally adopted. JUNCTION 20A – M1 If a South/East by-pass was built a new Motorway Junction on the M1 would be essential. However, there are moves afoot to pursue a new junction, irrespective and ahead of a decision on the by-pass. Leicestershire County Council (not Government funded) have quietly taken from reserves £2m, to consider the business case for a motorway junction. It will be an essential piece of infrastructure if the Garden Village is approved. However, the benefits of a new Motorway junction without significant other infrastructure is very questionable. It is suggested that it will help J21. How? Any traffic from the south getting off to go to the City will have to fight its way up Aylestone Road! A new junction would also have massive impact on traffic flows throughout the whole of South Leicestershire. Countesthorpe and Willoughby Waterleys are right in the firing line, even before you add in 3500 new homes. LIKELY ROUTE OF SOUTH/EAST A46 BY-PASS Before exploring the alternative strategy, it is necessary to attempt to understand the likely route of the south/east by-pass. It is expected to predominantly pass through Blaby and Harborough Districts. It is our belief that the route of any Expressway would start at J2 of the M69, proceed to the south of Sapcote, the north of Broughton Astley and cross the M1 (J20A) at the intersection of the M1 and A426. It would then skirt past Willoughby Waterleys to the north, in close proximity to the village associated with the possible Garden Village. The route then is determined by avoiding Great Glen and Houghton on the Hill. We believe that the high ground to the west of Houghton on the Hill is a significant barrier and that any route would therefore have to go to its east, which determines that the route goes to the south of Great Glen. From the A47 the Expressway would pass through the highly valued High Leicestershire Landscape before reconnecting with the existing A46. There is no possibility of the road joining the A46 at The Hobby Horse roundabout and therefore would need to be constructed linking to the A46 north of Syston, probably squeezing between Queniborugh and Syston.
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