Possible Major Developments in Glenfield

Precis of the Blaby District Council Alternative Options Document

During recent years a number of studies and consultations have taken place across the whole of the country which has resulted in the generation of Regional Plans, one of which is the East Midlands Regional Plan. The East Midlands Regional Plan is also known as the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) and this name gives a better clue to the importance of the document as major parts of the RSS deal with the use of space.

Following several revisions, and changes by the Secretary of State (July 2008), the final RSS will be published this winter. It will contain key issues that affect Blaby District. These issues include the quantity, phasing and broad location of dwelling growth. The RSS now requires a minimum of 8,650 dwellings to be built within the District of Blaby by 2026 (including affordable housing). The building programme is phased with 260 dwellings per year being required between the years 2006 to 2011, 340 dwellings per year between 2011 and 2016 and 460 dwellings per year from 2016 to 2026 (years run from April to March). A mini review is being undertaken and this may result in a further increase in the minimum requirements.

In addition to the demand for land for housing the RSS encourages Local Planning Authorities, of which Blaby District is one, to designate land for employment needs, although the RSS does not quantify the land required.

The RSS encourages a policy of urban concentration, which requires most of the growth to be around Principal Urban Areas (PUA) and includes parts of the Blaby District that are close to Leicester, including Glenfield. The RSS also advises re the need for a Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE) to the west of Leicester in Blaby District.

Blaby District Council has, as a result of the RSS, prepared a document that provides detail and explores options about where both dwelling and employment land will be designated. This document is known as the Local Development Framework Core Strategy Alternative Options (AO).

Of the 8,650 dwellings that are required the AO indicates that 5,720 need to be found within Principal Urban Areas, with the remaining 2,930 being found elsewhere within the district. Of the 5,720 there are a number of dwellings that have been constructed that can be counted and others for which plans have already been approved. The net result is that some 4,000 additional dwellings are required in and around the PUA.

The first map shown indicates those areas that the AO suggests could accommodate these 4,000 dwellings, following appraisal by Blaby DC and discussions with developers and landowners.

The area marked C on the map is some 430 hectares and could accommodate up to 5,000 dwellings. Area B is 170 hectares and could accommodate 3,500 homes and area A is 90 hectares. The AO does not specify how many dwellings could be built on A, but this could be as many as 2,000. This provides a total capacity for 10,500 dwellings, so the question is - where should the 4,000 dwellings be built?

Two studies have indicated that the district of Blaby needs 25 hectares of land for Strategic Employment Sites (SES). In a similar manner Blaby DC has highlighted three potential areas to be used for SES. These are marked A, B and C on the second map. The area marked C is 25 hectares, the area marked B is 20 hectares and the area marked A 90 hectares.

You will note that the area marked A is common to both the SUE and the SES. The total area in the options for SES is some 135 hectares, so once again the question is - where should the 25 hectares be?

The Alternative Options document states that “Key areas that require further work include the impact of the Options on: transportation; ‘infrastructure’ (the facilities and services that support communities); and the Green Infrastructure”. There is, thus, a lot of work to be completed.

The Alternative Options is now out to consultation and replies to Blaby District Council are required by Thursday 18 December 2008. There is a public exhibition about the AO at Park House on Monday 8 December 2008, from 4:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The full AO and its supporting documents can be found on the Blaby DC web site, as can a web response form, the preferred response method. Glenfield Parish Council has set up one click links to these documents, see our home page.

You can also express your views by email or by writing to Blaby District Council. Again information is on our home page.

You may wish to comment on how much and where dwellings and employment premises should be, you are not restricted to sites A, B and C. You may wish to comment on the infrastructure and/or available services and the impact that different sized developments would have on these. There is the subject of separation between Glenfield and those urban areas around it and the currently defined green wedges. Climate change and the need for renewable energy is another issue. You are asked to bear in mind that Blaby District Council now has an obligation to identify sites for dwellings and employment and that Blaby District Council cannot refuse to take part.

Finally, we apologise for the complexity of this report. The detailed history behind the current situation has purposely not been given. Finally, we remind you that a full copy of the AO is available from our home page.