Support
Harborough Local Plan 2011-2031, Proposed Submission
Representation ID: 7526
Received: 03/11/2017
Respondent: Dr Andrew Moltu
Arnesby is not the chocolate box village the Parish Council like to imply.
There are many areas that could support infill building that have been left unused offering nothing to the outlook or service of the village.
The district plan should facilitate reasonable development and not be used as a blunt tool for those who will object to all development.
I believe trained planners are better skilled to make these decisions than residents with Nimby agenda.
I am writing this in specific reference to the proposed district plan in reference to the Parish of Arnesby.
I have seen the proposal from the planners at Harborough Council which I am broadly in support of. However I am concerned that the Parish Council is seeking to use a local "Referendum" to effectively override the proposed plan and impose a reversion to the existing plan which has a number of anomalously designated land.
Historically significant areas within the village have been subject to the designation of "Important Public Open Space" which, following our discussions with the planning officers are not supportable in legal terms, as that much of the land so designated is neither public, open or serving any important function.
I believe that much of this was imposed in the 1970s as a blunt tool to restrict a proposed major development, however in the current era where such matters are more open to scrutiny it would be legally dubious to try and sustain the designation.
I would hope that the planners will resist the pressure from the Parish Council to revert to the old plan.
The unforeseen impact over the 40 years that the existing plan has been in place has limited the possibility of even small scale building in the village and contributed to the loss of local amenities such as Post Office, Public House, bus service, shops and factories. Indeed the Post Office, shops and factories have been converted or demolished to generate housing.
Maintaining such restrictions will simply continue the negative impact on the village, forcing the young and elderly to leave because many of the areas simply because of the limited housing.
I fear that the Parish Council is being excessively influenced by residents seeking to prevent local building to maintain the exclusivity and thus cost of an Arnesby House.
I grew up in the village but like many was forced to leave for study and work and priced out of returning and seeing the continued unjust imposition of excessively restrictive planning rules would be unfortunate for future generations.