Councillor’s view on lane problems
CHARNWOOD Borough councillor, Coun Mary Draycott, has spoken out over the state of the road in Moor Lane, Loughborough.
Recently the Echo reported that residents living down the lane have expressed frustration after being told that bin lorries will not go to their homes to pick up their rubbish, because of the poor state of their road.
The lane, just off Empress Road, which is littered with pot holes, runs over the canal, passes by Carillon Cricket Club and onto a number of properties including farms.
The borough council said that plans have been put in place for the waste and recycling to be collected at a special point on the lane.
The Echo also contacted Leicestershire County Council at the time and a spokesperson said: “The first part of Moor Lane, up to the canal, is maintained by the authority including for vehicles. However, the remainder of the route after the bridge is classed as a byway, which means we are not required to provide a surface for vehicles..”
However Coun Draycott has added another factor - housing development in the area.
She told the Echo: “The approved planning application for Windmill Road, Great Central
Road and Moor Lane development was in three parts. The first two are new build housing, but the third housing, not allowed by Charnwood Borough Council’s plans committee, was to be a nature area, with the possibility of an overflow car park for the Great Central Railway, plus a small community building.
“The reason for no housing was that area is prone to flooding, as the river is close by.
“The developer though has not fulfilled that part of the development, and the land has been left in a very poor condition which is currently being checked out by the Environment Agency and Charnwood Borough Council.
“Until this is resolved the question of the ownership of this piece of land still has to be decided.
“Because of these complications the final condition, which is that when all the development is completed Moor Lane down to the Cricket Club will see major highway improvements take place, has not happened.
“As a Charnwood Borough councillor for the area I have been pressing for a number of months now for decisions to be made by the borough council about this development. Including the land in question, which needs to be re-instated to its former state.
“Who is going to do that and who will take responsibility for it in the future the council or the developer?
“It is not having these matters decided that is preventing the county council in doing the now over due highway works, which was agreed in the planning application.”
Coun Draycott, said she was: “Continuing to press Charnwood Borough Council for these important decisions to be finalised, for the sake of the local residents who are losing out with such a poor condition of Moor Lane.”
In reply a spokesperson for Charnwood Borough Council told the Echo: “We’ve been undertaking discussions with the developer and the Environment Agency about the undeveloped land, which will be managed by the land owner in the future.
“The resurfacing works to Moor Lane are required to be undertaken before the development is completed and then adopted by Leicestershire County Council under a legal agreement.
“As the housing development works are still underway the road has not yet been completed. We will continue to liaise with the developer to ensure the work to resurface Moor Lane is carried out in accordance with the planning permission.”