Fosse Highcross Ward Blaby District Councillors Monthly Report - September 2023

Blaby District received a special visit from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as part of his regular PM Connect events. Attending, with Alberto Costa MP, were Chief Executive Julia Smith, Chairman Cheryl Cashmore and her consort and Councillors, Ben Taylor, Nigel Grundy, and Susan Findlay.

When asked a question on local government by Julia Smith, the PM said he recognised the value of District Councils such as Blaby District and the positive impact they have on communities.

Councillor Activities

During August District Councillors take a break with limited meetings planned. The following meetings were planned and attended by one or both of us:

• Meeting with BEC UK to discuss Childrens mental health – 1st August.
• Burbage Planning Committee to discuss applications affecting Aston Flamville – 7th August.
• Elemesthorpe Parish Council – 10th August
• Onsite meeting with a resident to view and discuss the lack of maintenance of V38 footpath, Sapcote.
• Fosse Villages Shaping Our Futures – 16th August.
• New Settlement Design Workshop  ‘Land west of Stoney Stanton’ potential development – 21st August.

After the relatively quiet August there will be many training events and meetings during September:

• HNRFI Member Reference Group – 4th September.

• Training – Scrutiny Work Programme – 5th September.
• Blaby Parishes Group – 6th September.
• Planning Committee – 7th September.
• Sapcote Parish Council – 7th September.
• HNRFI Planning Inspectorate Preliminary Meeting 12th September.
• Training – Finance without numbers – 14th September.
• Review of Strategic Assets – 14th September.
• Elmesthorpe Parish Council – 14th September.
• Chairman’s at Home Event – 15th September.
• Training – Planning Masterclass – Housing – 19th September.
• Sharnford Parish Council – 21st September.
• District Council Meeting – 26th September.
• Joint Consultative Committee Meeting – 27th September.
• Tour of New Lubbesthorpe development – 27th September.
• Audit & Corporate Governance Interviews – 28th September.

News Release

• Strike action called off after talks.
• Huncote field footpaths reopen.
• Community Grants second round deadline looms.
• Rogue taxi driver prosecuted.
• Start of rail freight hub examination.
• Air quality is improving within the District

Improvements in air quality will see three Air Quality Management Areas in Blaby District removed.

Blaby District Council, like all authorities, has a duty to review and assess air quality in its area and submit annual reports to the Government.

If measurements show pollution is above target levels, then an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) must be declared with a plan of action to fix the problem.

HNRFI – Date for start of examination

The commencement of the HNRFI’s examination has been set as Tuesday 12th September.

The Preliminary Meeting is held in public and concerns procedural matters only. It is not essential for the public to attend the Preliminary Meeting, however Council Officers along with the Leader Cllr Terry Richardson & Planning Portfolio Holder Cllr Ben Taylor will attend.

The Procedural Decision, formally setting the timetable for the Examination including deadlines for receipt of detailed Written Representations and for comments on the Relevant Representations made by other Interested Parties, will be published after the Preliminary Meeting.

The HNRFI Member Reference Group, made up of Council Officers and District councillors will be meeting on Monday 4th September, Chaired by Cllr Ben Taylor as Portfolio Holder for Planning. This will be to discus our Written Representation due to be submitted.

Major Planning Applications

Blaby District Council Planning Committee did not meet in August but planning applications across the border in Burbage, a village covered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council have appeared which could influence the villages in Fosse Highcross Ward.

22/00192/OUT Residential development of up to 85 dwellings on land opposite Spring Acre, Lychgate Lane, Burbage

This development was refused by H&BBC Planning Committee in January 2023. The developer has now lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate. If the appeal is successful, it will mean the 85 dwellings will be within one mile of Aston Flamville and the ensuing traffic problems it could bring.

LATEST: Surprisingly, H&BBC have jointly prepared a Statement of Common Ground with the developer resulting in the Council withdrawing their evidence in respect of Reason for Refusal 2 and it is agreed that highways is no longer a matter of dispute between the parties.

23/00673/OUT Residential development of up to 343 dwellings by Jelson Homes, either side of Aston Flamville Road, Burbage.

This development was originally submitted under application no. 22/01037/OUT and was refused by H&BBC on highways grounds on 30th March 2023. The new submission now calls for a roundabout on Aston Flamville Road. The planning application was discussed at Burbage Parish Council Planning Committee on Monday 7th August where it was refused by parish councillors, however the final decision will be made by H&BBC Planning Committee at a future meeting.

LATEST: National Highways have recommended that planning permission not be granted for a period of 3 months to enable the applicant to provide up-to-date Trip Generation information.

Blaby District Council Planning Department has submitted a consultation document, together with a submission from your district councillors.

Local Planning Applications

23/0670/FUL Demolition of existing prefab offices and erection of new industrial unit,

THS Containers, Aston Lane, Sharnford.

23/0610/OUT Outline application for residential development of three dwellings, Church Farm, Station Road, Elmesthorpe.

23/0470/FUL Retention of storage containers in open countryside, Church View House, Cooks Lane, Sapcote.

23/0471/FUL Retention of site cabin in open countryside, Church View House, Cooks Lane, Sapcote.

23/0382/HH Two storey extension, car port, ancillary workshop and agricultural store, Springfield Farm, Donkey Lane, Sapcote.

23/0658/HH First Floor Extension, 19 Sharnford Road, Sapcote.

Fly Tipping

The latest illegal dumping of rubbish is right on the border with Harborough District but only a road width away from Blaby, on the Roman Road just off B4114 Coventry Road, Sapcote. It is quite clear that the offender has been paid by an unsuspecting citizen to remove white goods from a refitted shop.

The innocent person can also be fined for fly-tipping if they don’t check that the removal/scrap man has an up-to-date waste licence.

Gigaclear rollout

Villages Impacted - Sharnford, Sapcote, Frolesworth, Leire, Ashby Magna, Ashby Parva, Ullesthorpe, Claybrooke Parva, Dunton Bassett

Parish Councils have received a notification from Gigaclear, a Fibre-to-the-Premises broadband service, that they wish to install ultra-fast broadband service to residential and business properties in our villages. This service will be chargeable and require a physical cable being laid under the road and a trench on your property. For this network to go ahead it will require the full support of the community. Your councilors will follow progress with great interest.

We found the ‘The’ in ‘The Roundhills’

Your Councillors were made aware of a road sign that did not match up on both sides of the road, one saying ‘Roundhills’ and the other saying ‘The Roundhills’. After reporting this to Blaby District Council, the sign was replaced.

A PDF version of this newsletter can be downloaded from the link below.