Submission by Cllr. David Snartt responding to the pre-application consultation for 150 dwellings on land adjacent to Markfield Lane, Newtown Linford by Pegasus Group.
Planning application now received by Charnwood Borough Council. Application number P/22/1031/2.
"I make the following comments on the proposal.
Thank you for providing the information about the proposal to develop the site, Land at Markfield Lane within the Parish of Newtown Linford. The village of Newtown Linford is classed in the ‘Other Settlements’ category within the current Charnwood Local Plan hierarchy which states ‘These villages may be suitable for some small scale infill development to meet local needs. To be considered small scale, a development should be appropriate in size for the village they are in and the character of the site’s location and surroundings. Any development that increases the need to travel by car will not be considered to be acceptable small-scale development. In my view, the proposal to build 150 dwellings on this site fails this test.
The reasons: The site was submitted to Charnwood Borough Council’s Strategic Housing and Employment Availability Assessment (SHELAA). I believe there is agreement that this site is not proposed for allocation in the submission for examination of the Charnwood Draft Local Plan. I refer to submission documents SD/6 Appendix H (May 2021) of the Sustainability Appraisal Report, this report gives details about this site which included: Biodiversity and nature conservation: the site contains grassland and a brook (Fishpool brook), development is likely to result in isolating adjacent woodland/grassland and the loss of habitat. The scale of the site could potentially affect the character of the village. Access to a secondary school, more than 3200 metres. Access to convenience store, over 1200 metres distance to a food shop/supermarket. Access to leisure facilities, no facilities within 120 meters.
In my opinion, with the information provided by both the Charnwood Local Plan 2011 to 2028 and the omission of this site from the allocations for submission for examination to the new Charnwood Draft Local Plan, this proposal would cause considerable harm with the loss of biodiversity and habitat. It is also clear from the distances provided in Appendix H of the Sustainability Appraisal Report this site is not sustainable and the car would be the main mode of transport to attend school and buy the smallest items from a food shop/supermarket. I believe the harm to develop this site would significantly outweigh the benefits when considered against the detail outlined above.
I will also be interested to see how this fits with Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council policies DM4 of the Site allocations and Development Plan Policies and the Markfield Neighbourhood Plan."
