Harborough Local Plan 2011-2031, Proposed Submission

Any driver travelling south (to Oadby and beyond) east (outward bound along the A47) from the Scraptoft North SDA would use Station Lane/Road through to the A47. While drivers from the SDA wishing to travel westwards to the City of Leicester may use other routes, congestion issues on those alternative routes are likely to result in these drivers choosing to use the Station Lane/Road route to the A47 before turning to the west.

The junction of Station Road with the A47 is already at capacity. In addition, traffic travelling from the proposed SDA through Thurnby would compound traffic throughput; congestion on Grange Lane through to Main Street and Stoughton Road; and, would further compromise pedestrian safety in the centre of the village in the proximity of St Luke's Primary School and other village amenities.

The Plan does not explain how these issues will be mitigated. There is insufficient account taken of the evidence provided in the Edwards and Edwards report.

The impact on air quality does not appear to have been taken into account.

This is essential. Recent cuts in the already poor bus services into the City of Leicester and within the PUA have greatly reduced provision for the local community.

The Parish Council is concerned at the trigger point for schools and what will happen in the interim until trigger points are reached. What provision is there within the current primary school provision at Fernvale and St Luke's primary schools to meet the interim needs of families moving into the SDA?

The Parish Council is concerned at the trigger point for community facilities and what will happen in the interim until trigger points are reached.

It is important that any community facilities are located centrally so that they are easily accessible. Facilities should also complement existing provision within Scraptoft and the neighbouring parish of Thurnby and Bushby.

The Parish Council is concerned at the trigger point for a doctor's surgery and what will happen in the interim until trigger points are reached. GP provision needs to be the full range of primary care and not simply a GP surgery. It should be noted that the Bushby surgery is a satellite to Billesdon surgery and does not have the capacity to expand. What provision is there within current provision to meet the interim needs of families moving into the SDA?

Support the policy in general. However, The current Scraptoft nature reserve is too important to the local community to be de-designated and the land built on. This part of the proposal is in conflict with the made Scraptoft Neighbourhood Plan, Policy S11, which highlights the nature reserve as an important element of the Green Wedge between Scraptoft and Leicester City.

The area was given nature reserve status in 2002, following an ecological report conducted in 1999. LCC ecologists revisited the site in May 2017 and reported, contrary to the findings of consultants acting for the SDA promoter, that:
- there had been no deterioration in the bio diversity of the site which meets the current local wildlife criteria for scrub-grassland habitat mosaics
- the site is well used by members of the public;
- there was no evidence of anti-social behaviour;
- a wide range of bird life, insects, trees, shrubs and herb rich areas of grassland was identified.

Thurnby and Bushby Parish Council supports as sound. The Parish Council responded to the Green Spaces Review in 2016, recommending a number of sites be designated as OSSRs. Four of these have been omitted from the Inset Map 63 (Scraptoft, Thurnby and Bushby) and need to be included - the areas are the greens on Telford Way; between Forest and Anthony Drive; Bradgate Close; and, Hollies Way.