Landnear village is bought ready for newhomes
A COUNCILLOR has vowed to fight unwanted planning applications as a fresh scheme is being drawn up for a site near Burbage.
Redrow Homes has purchased an area of land between Burbage and the M69.
Robert Wilson, interim managing director at Redrow Midlands, said: “We are delighted to have exchanged on a parcel of land south of Burbage this week, which will form part of a future development project.
“We are still at the very early stages of the process, but we are looking forward to engaging with local stakeholders and will share our plans with the local community in due course.”
The developer was also behind a new estate of 72 homes, off Lutterworth Road.
LIb Dem councillor Paul Williams represents Burbage Sketchley and Stretton on
Hinckley and Borough Council.
He said that the village’s borough councillors are unanimous in their opposition to “inappropriate development”.
The representative said: “Without doubt, Burbage is at risk of these unwanted schemes succeeding, but all of your local borough councillors are united that we must fight, and fight hard against inappropriate development in our village.
“We recognise the local infrastructure cannot possibly support these levels of development.
“Unfortunately, Government messages to developers encourage these speculative developments on greenfield land which has not been allocated for such development.
“Within our borough, there is a requirement to find about 450 new homes per year, by taking some very difficult planning decisions. At present there is over five years worth of houses already approved to proceed across the borough.”
Plans have also been filed for 165 homes, off Lutterworth Road, as well as a separate application for 80 homes on fields to the south of the Cardinal Drive estate, in Burbage.
Councillors recently refused plans for 140 homes and an extension of the Sketchley Meadows business park over concerns about traffic and the loss of a green corridor, with the scheme now going to appeal.
Cllr Williams said: “Large developments in Barwell and Earl Shilton are ready waiting for developers to reach final agreements.
“These developments have been specifically designed alongside the infrastructure needed to support this growth. This has to be the way forward.
“Unfortunately developers see an opportunity to acquire, build and sell homes in areas where the developers can make a maximum return, with little concern for the longterm harm to the local community.”
Cllr Williams also hit out at the Government’s proposal to overhaul the planning system to speed up applications and build more homes across the country, which was published in August.
He said: “The Government has published a white paper which aims to speed up the building of these schemes, on the prospective that the problem lies with local councils dragging their feet and not passing these schemes quickly enough.
“Their solution is to allow developers to build without planning permission needed on land labelled for “growth”.
“They will claim local communities will decide where this land is allocated, but the reality is that the Government is likely to impose impossible conditions to resist.
“Without doubt it is going to be a fight, a fight which is not based on common sense.
“The fight will, unfortunately, be within the arcane planning rules.
“Please understand we will fight, and fight to win, but it will be a long, hard campaign.”