Harborough Local Plan 2011-2031, Proposed Submission

Policy BE2 does not comply with objective 11. There is a history of flooding in Ullesthorpe from the watercourse that drains most of the existing Magna Park development and supplies the water for Claybrooke Water Mill. It will also run through the site of Magna Park application 15/01531/OUT. There is no evidence that the re-routing of the naturally occurring springs with the proposed site and the resulting effects downstream have been fully assessed. The issue is not mentioned in this Local Plan proposal despite concerns being raised on numerous occasions both verbally and in response to planning application consultations. The flooding issue has escalated over recent years and each time Magna Park is expanded water levels rise quicker.

The original Magna Park site was built on a former RAF aerodrome which could be considered as a brownfield site. The two outstanding planning applications for the proposed Magna Park expansion area are for land which is currently agricultural land. This conflicts with paragraphs 111 and 112 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF): The proposed submission of the Harborough Local Plan 2011 to 2031 does not consider whether there are any brownfield sites which could be used in preference to the agricultural land currently proposed.

The original Magna Park site was built on a former RAF aerodrome which could be considered as a brownfield site. The two outstanding planning applications for the proposed Magna Park expansion area are for land which is currently agricultural land. This conflicts with paragraphs 111 and 112 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF): The proposed submission of the Harborough Local Plan 2011 to 2031 does not consider whether there are any brownfield sites which could be used in preference to the agricultural land currently proposed.

Policy BE2 conflicts with Objective 2. Unemployment in the area is very low, the majority of the workforce required for an allocation of this size in Policy BE2 would have to be recruited from outside the district. Out-commuting of people within the district holding skilled jobs would not be significantly reduced as, previously highlighted, 74% of the opportunities are for essential/basic jobs, the people filling these roles will commute from areas where unemployment is higher and house prices are lower. 81% of the existing Magna Park workforce commute from outside Harborough District postcodes. The Magna Park Growth Sensitivity Survey concludes the allocation of 700,00 sq. m. of extra warehousing would generate 9689 extra jobs. In the whole of the Harborough District there were only 1400 people registered as unemployed from July 2016 - June 2017 (Nomis Official Labour Market Statistics). Unemployment in the Harborough District for this period was 3% well below 4.3% for the East Midlands and 4.6% nationally. The majority of the workforce required would have to commute from outside the district. Public transport in the area is inadequate and anyone commuting into the area would most likely have to use a private vehicle. This will impact on congestion and pollution, particularly in the surrounding villages who are already used as 'rat-runs' around the clock due to shift patterns.

Whilst the size of the allocation to 2031 is now reduced to 1,500 dwellings, the ultimate size of the development to 2036 remains 2,750. This is 750 more dwellings than was proposed in the original consultation documents. This is a massive development, much bigger than any other housing proposal in the plan, the impact on surrounding areas will be significant.

The spine road will be a single two lane district distributor road designed to serve the new development while also facilitating some relief to through traffic within Lutterworth town centre. It is currently proposed as a 7.3 carriageway width with a 30/40 mph speed limit. The spine road will be constructed in its entirety, including the bridge over the motorway before the completion of 1,250 dwellings, projected to be in 2029, unless otherwise agreed by the Council in response to currently unforeseen circumstances. There is great concern that delaying the completion of the spine road will contradict Policy 11 Infrastructure as the infrastructure will not be in place until 45% of the development is in place. It is also noted that previous support for the development was based upon the proposal of a Lutterworth Eastern By-pass, this has now been down-graded to a spine road with access from a traffic light controlled junction. Delaying the implementation of the spine road will also impact the Air Quality Management Area in Lutterworth town centre. Lutterworth town centre is one of just two Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) in the District, primarily as a consequence of the volume of traffic including HGV's using the A426.

Is 40% affordable housing viable or deliverable? This amounts to 1,100 affordable housing units for the proposed Lutterworth East development.

Lutterworth is surrounded by a great number of villages who are all facing the same problem, there are not enough properties for elderly people wishing to downsize. There is a definite need for extra care provision. On the proposed Lutterworth East development implementation of this policy would allow for 275 properties of this nature, is this sufficient, particularly when considered against the 40% affordable housing requirement.

Policy GD6 of the proposed Local Plan suggests an Area of Separation should be implemented between Bitteswell/Lutterworth/Magna Park, to maintain separation of both Lutterworth and Bitteswell from Magna Park. There is no mention in the proposed Local Plan of maintaining an Area of Separation between Magna Park and Ullesthorpe who are equally at risk.

Affordable Housing: Is 40% affordable housing viable or deliverable? This
amounts to 1,100 affordable housing units for the proposed Lutterworth East development.

Specialist Housing: Lutterworth is surrounded by a great number of
villages who are all facing the same problem, there are not enough properties for elderly people
wishing to downsize. There is a definite need for extra care provision. On the proposed Lutterworth East development implementation of this policy would allow for 275 properties of this nature, is this sufficient, particularly when considered against the 40% affordable housing requirement.