STATEMENT MADE TO BLABY DISTRICT COUNCIL PLANNING COMMITTEE - 28TH NOVEMBER 2024
The Parish Council was obviously disappointed that the application was approved by the District Council at its Planning Committee Meeting on 28th November. The Parish Council made representation at the meeting as follows:-
"Our comments today are brief. That does not mean we support this development, quite the opposite in fact!
But sadly, we have exhausted all we can say as a Parish Council and are here today to give our support to local residents who are just as exasperated as we are.
It is extremely disappointing that despite 611 objections together with concerns expressed by the Parish Council and residents at the District Council’s Committee meeting in October, this development is being recommended for approval.
The reduction in numbers to 35 dwellings per hectare is still a long way off from the District Council’s own assessment for the site. As part of its call for sites in the Local Plan, Blaby District Council proposed 30 dwellings per hectare. We also note the lack of consistency in terms of density in relation to existing nearby residential areas. For example, Beechings Close which is 27.5 dwellings and Waterloo Crescent which is 31 dwellings per hectare. The Parish Council questions whether the District Council genuinely believes that this reduction of 20 dwellings is sufficient, or is accepting this figure without question. The Parish Council would prefer to see this figure lowered even further, if this development must be approved.
And who is to say, that if the application is approved and detailed applications are submitted of the design of the dwellings, that they won’t be 2.5 storey properties – with no reduction in potential vehicle ownership, and no reduction in potential vehicle movements navigating the narrow stretch of Willoughby Road and poorly designed and potentially dangerous double mini-roundabout junction?
Overall, this insignificant reduction does not contribute in any way to reducing the adverse impact on the character and appearance of the area, the local infrastructure and services nor in fact provide new residents with the access to facilities and services they would hope for when buying their new home. Therefore, the Parish Council’s original objection and concerns still remain.
It is noted from page 76 of the reports pack that, at the request of committee Members in October, Severn Trent Water was re-consulted. Whilst we acknowledge that a response from Severn Trent has finally been obtained, we are extremely concerned that this application was recommended for approval before this information was provided.
We note that Severn Trent request that a hydraulic modelling exercise is undertaken to predict possible areas of flooding and pollution and insist that this is undertaken by the Applicant before this application is permitted.
The Parish Council also note that Severn Trent Water was re-approached by the applicant. Unfortunately, Severn Trent Water’s response came as no surprise whatsoever. It is basically a wait and see approach. Once the houses are built, the damage is done with even more pluvial flooding and surface water run-off and increased pressure on the sewerage network. Surely, prevention is better than cure and a preventative approach is necessary to avoid such problems.
There is no acknowledgement in Severn Trent Water’s responses of the existing problems. Residents speak to us about how surface water run-off has reached their properties, not to mention the issues with sewage entering the foul water systems of their properties over recent years. We continue to urge them to record these incidents as evidence that the systems are not working.
Will the proposed balancing ponds cope with the water run-off, years down the line when there is even further development? Well, that is a very good question. This is a further example of the perils of piecemeal development without substantial improvements to the drainage, sewerage systems and overall infrastructure.
Unfortunately, many of the original concerns raised by the Parish Council remain unanswered:-
How the roads through the village will cope with the additional vehicular traffic?
How safe will the roads and pavements be for pedestrians and cyclists?
How far will the new residents need to travel to take their child to school or go to a local shop?
Will they be able to get an appointment at the Health Centre?
And all this is made worse by the cumulative impact of all the other planned housing in Countesthorpe and neighbouring villages, not to mention the hundreds of houses in the locality still at application stage.
What more can we say?"
COUNTESTHORPE PARISH COUNCIL STATEMENT TO BLABY DISTRICT PLANNING COMMITTEE – WITH REGARD TO PLANNING APPLICATION 24/0001/OUT
Outline planning application for the development of up to 205 dwellings (access only) with vehicular access point from Willoughby Road, with all other matters (relating to appearance, landscaping, scale and layout) reserved | Land East of Willoughby Road, Countesthorpe
You will recall us being here in July when 170 houses were approved for Foston Road. Now a further 205 are recommended for approval at the opposite end of the village, yet again on a site not allocated for development. Are you really going to increase our contribution even further by approving this application?
You must be aware of our lack of school places, employment opportunities, transport options, bank, post office, parking spaces, leisure centre etc. And of the pertinent comments made by 612 residents who objected to this application. We fear you will ignore them too.
You will also be very aware of our highways infrastructure, already at breaking point.
Previously someone remarked that you can’t use a development to mend a broken infrastructure. A development, however, can make an already broken infrastructure immeasurably worse. This application should not be approved until extensive improvements have been made to mitigate against the further harm this development will cause. Please refer to Policy CS11.
As always, the LHA say that the impacts of the development on highway safety would not be unacceptable, when considered cumulatively with other developments, the impacts on the road network would not be severe. We would like to ask “At what point would the cumulative impacts become severe?” Apparently, not after the Foston Road development, nor this development. What about Gillam Butts, a further 50 houses awaiting determination. When exactly!
The local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan for the south of Leicestershire shows that the entire length of Station Road in Countesthorpe has been given a poor walking and wheeling score. Significant improvements are needed on this, the main route through the village. Anyone who has walked or cycled in Countesthorpe will tell you of the horrors of narrow roads, even narrower pavements and of buses and lorries whizzing past centimetres away from our shoulders.
The LHA is satisfied that walking is a viable means of travel for future residents. Very unlikely. You can't seriously believe that parents will walk all through the development, down the footpath to Beechings Close, and all the way to the school with young children? They will drive. No parent will risk their child’s safety on our roads and pavements for any longer than necessary. They will drive. No matter if there are cycle spaces at their homes. No matter how many pathways are provided to and from the development. They will drive. Imagine walking that distance to the Health Centre whilst ill. They will drive. And, when they do drive, they will have to navigate a poorly designed double-mini-roundabout junction which we believe is dangerous and unfit for purpose. Will it even have an official pedestrian crossing?
New developments should seek frequent, accessible and comprehensive public transport links to higher order centres. Good luck with that. You can give people as many bus passes as you like but unless they work on the 85 bus route it’s totally pointless. They will drive.
By requesting alleviating measures at junctions at Hospital Lane and South Wigston, the Highways department acknowledge they expect increased vehicle movement. Of course they do. People WILL drive, and through a Countesthorpe already bursting at the seams.
The Local Flood Authority also has no objection. They can say that an area that has already flooded is low risk, but they can’t foretell the horror that awaits homeowners as yet more housing leaves an impermeable footprint on the landscape. Last week we experienced the second one-in-100-year flooding event within 9 months, bringing many local routes to a standstill. And again this week, more misery created by flooding. We are not experiencing an exceptionally wet winter, autumn has only just begun! Should the need for more housing outweigh the safety and peace-of-mind of existing residents?
Condemning residents to further carnage, your Future Site Connectivity comments suggest that you are actually supporting increasing this horror by filling in the gaps and expanding even further into the countryside! Which, then, moves that precious countryside even further away from current residents.
The Parish Council notes that plans will now include a service road, giving access to future development and that proposed allotment space will be relocated within the site. We are disappointed this significant change was agreed without consultee or public consultation.
The developer will no doubt say that people need houses, some will be affordable and in a pleasant space. True. Must they be in Countesthorpe where the infrastructure is already at breaking point? Surely there must be better places to put all these houses for which you’ve failed to provide a plan.
Chairman, please direct the Committee to use common sense and refuse this application.
Outline planning application for a residential development of up to 205 no. dwellings (access only)
Land East of Willoughby Road, Countesthorpe
Planning application number 24/0001/OUT
To view the documents, visit Blaby District Council's Planning Portal website and enter the application number.
(Please note that this application is outline only, so if it is approved, there would be further applications giving details about the housing designs, landscaping etc)
