Hinckley Times

Traffic warning on new estate proposals

Plans for thousands of new homes near A5

- KAREN HAMBRIDGE karen.hambridge@trinitymir­ror.com

FAMILIES living near Normandy Way are being urged to have their say on a major new housing developmen­t on their doorstep.

Consultati­on with Bloor Homes, which is planning the 850 property estate, has already prompted road safety and community hub improvemen­ts.

Ward councillor­s are keen for locals to continue to press for mitigation measures as the applicatio­n reaches its conclusion.

A letter has gone out from Councillor David Bill (Lib Dem, Clarendon) asking people to get in touch with comments.

He says the matter is particu- larly important given the Government’s insistence on a boost in home building and allocation of new areas for constructi­on across the A5 border.

“The Government continues to press for further developmen­t and since this was first put forward other housing applicatio­ns are in the pipeline, most notably a 3,530 house developmen­t just along the A5 from the junction with The Long Shoot. We have to do our best to point to the impact of all of this on our existing road structure which we all have to endure every day.”

The new mega estate is being mapped out as part of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council’s emerging Borough Plan.

This earmarks agricultur­al land bordered by Weddington Road, the A5 and The Long Shoot for some 3,530 dwellings, part of a blueprint to build 10,040 homes in the borough by 2031.

Cllr Bill said while the homes are not in Hinckley and Bosworth itself the impact on transport infrastruc­ture leading into Hinckley along the A5 and around the adjoining rural roads cannot be under-estimated.

Only recently stretches of the A5 near MIRA HORIBA and at Dodwells island have been revamped and expanded, costing millions of pounds.

There are now also proposals to make the whole stretch bordering Leicesters­hire and Warwickshi­re a dual carriagewa­y.

Speaking about the Bloor scheme, mapped for fields opposite the Triumph factory, Cllr Bill said: “As the local councillor­s we have been working with planners and residents to try to mitigate the impacts and have of course been pressing for a speed reduction on Normandy Way and other safety features such as crossings.

“With the expansion of population there is clearly a need for improved and expanded facilities and the developmen­t will include a new primary school which will help take the pressure off our existing schools which are obviously near capacity.”

Features of the developmen­t include a new roundabout, toucan crossings, a 40mph speed limit, landscapin­g, allotments, parkland, sports pitches, health facilities, a shop and a community centre.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom