Approval would make mockery of our views
REGARDING building on land at Ashby Road Markfield (“93 homes plan to be considered again, by a different authority”, December 11):
The land is in the parish of Newtown Linford, within the borough of Charnwood, but immediately adjacent to Markfield village, which is in the borough of Hinckley and Bosworth.
The site north east of Ashby Road is pristine land in open countryside at present used for equestrian purposes and is within the protected area of Charnwood Forest.
Being an area of outstanding natural beauty, there is a presumption against development.
Surprisingly, Charnwood Borough Council has shown scant regard for the preservation of the forest by giving outline approval to the building of up to 93 houses on the site.
In effect, the development will become a part of Markfield village since it is immediately adjacent to the village boundary and would be dependent entirely on access to the village, its infrastructure and facilities.
The access from the site requires the approval of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.
Alarmingly, I understand their planners have recommended that approval be given and a final decision will be made at the planning meeting which will take place this evening.
What seems to have been overlooked is that Markfield Parish Council prepared a Neighbourhood Plan defining the needs of the parish until 2039 and this already includes considerable housing development.
This was taken to a referendum by the villagers. It received a substantial majority approval and has been accepted by HBBC.
While technically the Charnwood development is outside the scope of the Markfield Neighbourhood Plan, physically the development will impinge directly upon that plan by taking the planned housing and associated infrastructure of the village well beyond what has been democratically accepted in the referendum.
Both parish and borough councillors are opposed to the access being approved by HBBC and I sincerely hope that approval will not be granted, otherwise it will make a mockery of the referendum which has already defined the housing needs of Markfield and would be detrimental to the village in general.
I would urge villagers to make strong representations to HBBC to reject access for the development.
Barrie Gannon, Markfield