Villagers hoping to ‘draw a line’ as plans for homes are rejected
RESIDENTS who fear their village is facing too much development have secured a double victory with planners.
Plans for 93 homes, between the A50 and Ashby Road, have been turned down by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, although they were approved by Charnwood Borough Council, in which most of the land sits.
Hinckley and Bosworth councillors have also rejected a scheme for 48 “affordable” homes, off Ratby Lane.
Opponents had said this proposal was in open countryside and would add to congestion on the roads.
There were also fears that the two-storey properties would intrude into the privacy of Markfield Court retirement home.
Councillors turned down the scheme as it was within a rural area and was not sustainable, being located more than a kilometre from village amenities.
They also said that the development would have negative adverse impacts on neighbouring residents and the infrastructure. Both schemes were outside the settlement boundary for the village, as set out in the Markfield Neighbourhood Plan. The plan, adopted in September, outlines where developments should be built.
Markfield borough councillor Andy Furlong said the two decisions gave him optimism that other speculative applications for fields outside the village could also be turned down.
He said: “The simple message is that I will insist Markfield has taken its fair share of the pain. It’s now time for developers to look elsewhere.”
Coun Furlong said that another scheme, for 72 homes off Hill Lane, which is also outside the settlement boundary, has a good chance of being refused in light of the two decisions (see below).
But he also acknowledged the pressure on the village to accept more housing, saying said: “The good people of Markfield are not Nimbys, they are realists. They know how difficult it is to stop ‘build, build, build.’
“That’s why the Markfield Neighbourhood Plan accepts the development of 282 houses off London Road, where construction is already under way.
“This was not an easy decision, nor was it popular, and I share the anguish of residents who have watched the destruction of trees, hedgerows and habitat in recent days.
“The plan allows the community to draw a line.
“Yet, we still have far too many speculative developments hanging over the village.”
The good people of Markfield are not nimbys, they are realists. They know how difficult it is to stop ‘build, build, build’. Cllr Andy Furlong