Agenda item

An update on the local plan will be provided.

Grant Butterworth, Head of Planning, was present to give an update on the current consultation of the Draft Local Plan and its impact on Abbey Ward. It was noted that:

·         The Local Plan was a 15-year plan for  growth in Leicester. The Plan had to meet targets and policies set out by the Government.

·         Leicester had already grown through the city boundary so development opportunity in the city itself was limited. Therefore, most District Councils had agreed a Statement of Common Ground to help meet almost half of Leicester’s housing target.

·         There had been 3 previous consultations on the Plan, with the last one being in 2020. The current stage of consultation would close on 27 February. The Plan would formally be submitted to Government in the summer.

·         In the current Draft Plan, there were 7 proposed sites in Abbey Ward, all on greenfield land.

·         The proposed site on Thurcaston Road was one of two potential site options in the Plan for a 12-pitch transit site for Gypsy and Traveller communities. Statute required that the Plan make provision for Traveller sites.

·         A Planning application for the Heacham Drive site had been submitted.

Discussion was focused on the proposed Traveller site on Thurcaston Road. Residents raised their strong objections to the proposal. It was noted that this site was proposed for industrial use in the previous drafts of the Plan and that this had been changed in the latest version. Officers noted that this was because they could not combine permanent and transit Traveller site proposals as originally envisaged therefore, they had to include new options in this consultation to meet statutory requirements.

Residents noted that other potential sites for the transit site had been dismissed for various criteria including environmental quality, road access, and distance from other Traveller sites. Residents felt that these criteria had not been applied and considered equally and that this site did not meet the criteria as well and cited various reasons why it did not. Officers encouraged residents to raise these points through the official consultation so that they could be considered by the Council and the Government.

It was noted that individual site proposals in the Local Plan would still need to be finalised and go through the Planning application process should they be allocated. The Planning application process would be where detailed highway issues and other practicalities were considered.

In response to a question, it was noted that the Plan included an Open Spaces Assessment as set out the Government rules around open space in new developments as well as on a ‘per head’ plan wide basis.

It was noted that all residents had received leaflets publicising consultations as well as letters being sent to those living adjacent to proposed site allocations and that the response levels at previous stages were not high.

In response to a question, it was noted that the size of a pitch was roughly equivalent to 1 Caravan.

Councillors stated that they were opposed to the proposed site for any use at all including industrial and it was also reported that the local MP was also opposed.

ACTION:

That Officers note and take into account comments and concerns raised by local residents at the meeting and through the consultation process.