More than 1000 new houses planned between Syston and Barkby

The new Charnwood Local Plan 2019-2036 which will be out for a six week consultation beginning 4th November is calling for 1567 more houses on the Leicester urban edge with over 1000 due to swallow up green fields between Syston and Barkby. The scale of the housing may be seen by viewing the map showing the proposed development in orange by visiting https://charnwood.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s3682/Cab%2017%20Oct%202019%20Item%2006%20Draft%20Charnwood%20Local%20Plan%202019-36.pdf
Scroll down to page 148 and use the zoom to enlarge the area to the west and north of Barkby. Or visit the Stn website to view document including maps.
The proposals of major concern for BABTAG are for 747 houses SE of Syston (HS6), 208 houses on Barkby Road (HS9) 157 houses on land north of Barkby Road (HS8) and 70 houses on Barkby Thorpe Lane west of the railway line (HS16) Worryingly the proposal for 157 houses north of Barkby Road along the Queniborough Rd is for a site where there has already been an application for 195 houses which was withdrawn following local objections.
BABTAG recognises that some new housing will needed but Charnwood across the borough wants to build 7,300 new houses overall but admits that it is planning 1,400 more houses than projections require. It says this is to ensure flexibility and a safety margin. This assumption needs to be severely tested. Can it be right that our rural area which already has had to accept the 4,500 houses of “Thorpebury” should have a further 1000 houses imposed on it?
Local Plan backs the A46 Expressway
Without actually mentioning the Expressway (which if built would drive a motorway standard road through countryside from the M1 near Lutterworth to the A46 north of Syston) the Local Plan expresses its support for the Strategic Growth Plan of which the A46 Expressway is the centrepiece (see page 40 of the Local Plan). BABTAG hopes that the borough has left enough wriggle room to eventually support improvements to the existing A46 as a much greener and far less costly alternative to the Expressway project.
Make Your Voice Heard
BABTAG will be attending the consultation meetings and be putting in writing its comments and objections to elements of the housing proposals and to the A46 Expressway. It urges you to make your own representations if you feel strongly about any of the council’s proposals in this Local Plan 2019-2036
Owen Bentley
Chairman BABTAG