decision demonstrates everything that is wrong with the planning system

Borough Councillor Matthew Lay writes in The Herald

IT WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING to learn last week that the Government’s planning inspector had overturned the refusal of planning permission by Hinckley and Bosworth, for a large housing development north of Ashby Road in Markfield. This decision demonstrates everything that is wrong with the planning system and further highlights the damage being caused by the disastrous changes made to the planning system by the present government in 2012, changes which gave such a leg up to housing developers and has encouraged speculative developments like this to get the go ahead.

I repeat this ad nauseam, but Markfield did everything to comply with the Government’s wishes and therefore I believe was deserving of full protection from a Government inspector. Having attended the appeal and made various representations along with local residents, Cllr David Snart and both Markfield and Newtown Parish Councils, it felt as if we were wasting our breath. ‘Get out of the way’ was the approach taken by the developers and the hefty legal team they had assembled. Ignorant of our concerns and the work the community had undertaken, to bring together its ‘made neighbourhood plan’ that allocated enough land for development and which of course is now being developed providing for our housing needs and more.

It is true, as the inspector pointed out, that the actual housing is in Charnwood Borough Council and only the access is in Hinckley and Bosworth. But the impact of the development is clearly in Markfield and yet, few if any of the few proposed mitigations will come to the village, but we will have to deal with the combined loss of the vista, the clear historic boundary, the principles of managed growth and the spirit of the Government’s intentions to give communities a real say in developing local plans.

The access to the site is in Hinckley and Bosworth and it was absolutely right for Hinckley and Bosworth to recognise that by giving consent to the access it would have effectively given consent to the whole development, so refusal was the correct action by the Borough Council and was the third such planning refusal made since we completed the neighbourhood plan.

Unfortunately, the inspector claimed that, as the housing itself was in Charnwood, it was really for Charnwood to give weight to the impact on Markfield and that he was satisfied this was done properly. Clearly, he wasn’t in attendance when Charnwood Borough Council made its determination. I was present that fateful night and spoke against the development on the basis of its impact on Markfield and the contravention of its neighbourhood plan. I was wrong to expect a reasonable consideration of the facts and Charnwood were only too glad to pass this application as they are faced with a planning deficit which is far worse than that in Hinckley, and of course this application carried few political risks for Charnwood because its impact is on a neighbouring authority and community, it was really simply an afterthought. I would however like acknowledge the support given to us by Cllr David Snart and Newtown Parish Council, but I do lament the decision by Newtown Linford Parish Council not to allow the Markfield Neighbourhood Plan to include the border lands in its plan. It would have made a difference but that is now history, and it is the national planning legislation and guidance that needs to reflect on the inherent and damaging contradictions in the system.

Ultimately the decision by the inspector clearly flies in the face of the spirit of neighbourhood planning and the protections these plans should afford local communities. Excepting that many communities do not have external Borough boundaries as we have in both Markfield, Stanton and Field Head, this decision still undermines the whole process undertaken in Markfield. In fact one is left wondering what more will follow on the Charnwood side of the boundary. Is the A50 a physical barrier or is the leg up to developers so great that developers consider going further in the Charnwood Forest. I sincerely hope not, as this is some of the best countryside in the country which seemingly has little in the way of protection under current interpretations.

I am so frustrated at this decision, and it concerns me greatly as I complete my tenure as a Borough Councillor. I have taken to writing to our local MP to express my frustration and asking him to raise this case (as it sets a worrying precedent) with the Secretary of State as he could still overturn the decision of the inspector and precedent for this exists. He has been supportive of neighbourhood planning, so this is an opportunity to give a clear demonstration of that and in doing so right a clear wrong. Actions always speak louder than words.

Public Transport

A NUMBER of local residents have been in touch over the past couple of months to complain about the dire state of public transport serving Markfield and Stanton.

It is true, the situation is dire and one can only see it getting worse. Very soon the only bus service of use will be that linking Coalville to Leicester that happens to pass Markfield. Even that service is prone to numerous cancellations meaning people have frustrating experiences and are late for work or important appointments. It’s a far cry from the days when we succeeded (thanks to the help of local residents) in getting improved services like the Lougborough Bus and better links to Stanton and the retirement village. I say this because it’s important to remember how far we have fallen in recent years largely due to the reductions in Government funding - which in itself is also bizarre when you consider the Office for Budget Responsibility are predicting the

Governments tax burden will hit a record high of 37.5 per cent as a share of GDP in 2024-25. At this level it will represent the highest sustained level of tax seen in the UK since the aftermath of the Second World War. Your taxes go up but at the same time you get less in return, it cannot be right!

It’s similar to the complaints I receive about the lack of local policing. A service that was massively reduced during the present Government’s time in office. Once again it’s worth remembering how far we have fallen. We once had a team of 6, comprising 3 police officers and 3 PCSO’s working out of a dedicated office at Markfield Community Centre. It was a great success and gave people in the community a great deal of confidence that crime and anti-social behaviour was being addressed - unlike today in which the service has been reduced significantly.

We should aspire to having the best public services possible for Markfield and Stanton and to campaign hard for them. They don’t often just stop, they are allowed to first wither and once they no longer work properly, they are removed, and we are told we cannot afford them anymore.

How is this possible? It happens when we accept second best as the only way forward. As I step away from being your local Councillor, I would urge everyone who wants the best for our communities to work together to achieve it, to have some ambition and to demand that we come first in the line.

Don’t accept anything less.