Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI)

Since the last Parish Meeting I have made responses to the Developer’s draft Environmental Impact Assessment requirement and the Developers draft consultation proposal. The Developer has indicated the following key planned timescales;

·       Informal Public Consultation – October 2018 to December 2018

·       Formal Public Consultation – March 2019 to April 2019

·       Submission of Application for Development of Consent Order – September 2019

Public Meetings/presentations will be held locally in Burbage and Sapcote as part of the Consultation process.

The Chairman advised the meeting of the following public exhibition drop – in sessions;

·       Friday 26 October , 2pm – 8pm        -  Elmesthorpe Village Hall

·       Saturday 27 October, 10am – 1pm    - Elmesthorpe Village Hall

·       Monday 29 October, 3pm -8pm           -  Burbage Millenium Hall

·       Wednesday 31 October, 2pm – 8pm  – Sapcote Methodist Church

·       Friday 2 November, 1pm – 7pm          - Stoney Stanton Village Hall

·       Wednesday 7 November, 2pm – 8pm  -  The George Ward Centre

·       Friday 9 November, 12pm – 6pm          - St Francis Community Centre

·       Saturday 10 November 12pm – 6pm   - St Francis Community Centre

The Chairman also advised that all of the above details and further information could be found on the website – www.hinckleynrfi.co.uk or by emailing the consultation team at hinckleynrfi@lexcomm.co.uk

Councillors and parishioners discussed this item at length and agreed that it was important for everyone to have their say and attend the Public meetings and presentations and submit their comments in respect of material considerations such as infrastructure, green space, and noise and traffic implications to dbsymmetry.

Fosse Villages Neighbourhood Plan (FVNP)

The Chairman reported that representations received as a result of the second public consultation have assessed and any necessary changes are in the process of being approved by individual Parish Councils as appropriate, in their October meetings. No changes were deemed necessary in the Aston Flamville segment. The FVNP village representatives will meet at the end of October 2018 to formalise it’s agreement, so that the complete document can be considered and authorised by Sapcote Parish Council ( the lead council for FVNP) in their November 2018 meeting, for submission to Blaby District Council who will then control the balance of the approval process.

Cllr Sheila Scott advised the meeting that the plan was still with the consultants at the moment  and she also explained the process once the plan had been submitted to Blaby District Council.

Leicester and Leicestershire Strategic Growth Plan

The Chairman reported on the Leicester and Leicestershire Strategic Growth Plan and advised the meeting on the issues in respect of this item.

He advised the meeting that Blaby District Council would be considering the plan at the Council meeting on 13 November 2018.

The plan was discussed by the Parishioners and Councillors who responded to questions.

The Chairman’s comments on the plan are as follows:

1.     The overall housing NEEDS are calculated at 90,516 with Blaby DC’s NEED shown as 6859 ie 7.65% of the total, yet Blaby DC’s Total Delivery Target is 18890, ie 21% of the total with 15500 of these “strategic sites”

2.     I presume “strategic sites” means around the proposed A46 Express Way. As Blaby DC representatives on the working group “volunteered” these 15500 homes, I presume they must have assumed some locations in order to establish the feasibility of the plan, has this information been shared with any of the parishes involved?

3.     The press release on the possible Whetstone Pastures Garden Village indicated that up to3500 houses could be provided on the 1089 acre site. Using this density it follows that 18890 houses (Blaby’s proposed commitment) would require 5877 acres or 9.18sq miles.

4.     Blaby DC covers an area of 50 sq miles. This plan will consume 18.36% of Blaby’s TOTAL area and clearly a much higher percentage of the existing rural area, in order to meet the City of Leicester’s housing needs.

5.     In addition more land will be required to meet employment needs, not quantified within the plan beyond 2036, to cap it all the plan states the 2011 – 2036 Employment Land Needs does NOT appear to include requirements identified in a separate study relating to logistics and distribution. As the area is deemed to be in the “Golden Triangle” for Logistics & distribution this requirement is likely to be significant. Has the requirement been quantified with respect to Blaby(or am I misinterpreting what the plan says?)

6.     The proposed Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI) , outside the scope of the plan consumes 0.87 sq miles of Blaby DC countryside.

7.     The Parish of Aston Flamville, bordering Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, is highly likely to see the green wedges between the village and Burbage and between the village and the A5 squeezed by HBBC’s growth plans on the one hand, HNRFI on the other hand, and if the A46 link road meets the M69 at Jnc 2 it will complete the concrete ring around the Parish.

8.     I have great difficulty believing Page 25 of the plan, where it states, under the heading of Our Villages & Rural Areas – in recent years our villages & rural areas have been under intense pressures for growth. The strategy proposes that in future, there will be limited growth in these areas consistent with providing for local needs.

9.     So why are Blaby DC proposing to build 18890 homes when the need is stated as 6859?

I sincerely hope that Blaby District Council reject the plan at the forthcoming Council Meeting.

Broadband Update

The Chairman reported that fibre had now been deployed to the distribution box by the M69 bridge on Lychgate Lane and download speeds of c40Mb/s are being received.