4. A Vision for Glenfield The Neighbourhood Plan covers the period up to 2029, a timescale which deliberately mirrors that of the Blaby Core Strategy. The main purpose of the Neighbourhood Plan is not to duplicate national or District planning policies, but to sit alongside these, to add additional or more detailed policies specific to Glenfield Parish. The Plan focuses on those planning issues which consultation shows matter most to the community, and to which the Plan can add the greatest additional value. A simple and clear vision for the future development of the Parish has been established based on local consultation. The vision is as follows: By 2029, Glenfield will be a vibrant, healthy, well balanced community that continues to be a great place to live, to be educated, to work and to visit whilst maintaining its historic character and separate identity with an attractive conservation area and variety of open spaces. Our Neighbourhood Plan provides guidance for planners and developers on how to deliver our vision.
Objectives The following objectives naturally evolved from the evidence base to guide proposed actions needed for local sustainable development. It was recognised that some of these are achievable components of policy whilst others are important aspirations for the community: 1) Development will be supported that is sensitive to and respects the character of Glenfield, incorporating appropriate design features to enhance and complement Glenfield’s existing housing, commercial and historic character. 2) It is important that there is a sufficient supply of suitable housing in the Parish. Housing demand is strong as Glenfield is a popular place to live. The Neighbourhood Plan recognises that providing a wide choice of high-quality homes is essential to developing a sustainable, mixed and inclusive community. A better housing mix in terms of tenure and size will help meet the needs of a well-balanced population vital to the on-going viability of local services and the prosperity of the community, particularly in light of its increasingly aged population 3) New employment initiatives that are sensitive to the character of the Plan area and avoid harmful impacts such as increased traffic (without mitigation), parking problems, air quality, the preservation of historic/heritage assets, residential amenity and the local environment will help to boost and diversify the local economy. 4) The Neighbourhood Plan seeks to up-skill the workforce as overall Glenfield has a disproportionate percentage of warehousing, distribution and service jobs which with the demographics of the village mean a lot of people travel into the village to work. The absence of suitable jobs also involves residents travelling elsewhere to work and this adds to the traffic problems and pollution levels 15
