Dr Luke Evans, MP for Bosworth, has written to the Leader of the Liberal Democrat run Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council about the delay-plagued Local Plan amid concerns it could be deemed unsound.
The lack of an up-to-date Local Plan means that the Borough is currently susceptible to speculative and piecemeal development. By failing to provide an up-to-date Local Plan the Borough Council are leaving our local area vulnerable to development which does not have the much needed infrastructure to support it.
Dr Luke, Edward Argar MP and Leicestershire County Council share concerns that shortcomings in the Draft Local Plan will put additional pressure on areas with already over-burdened transport links and create even more competition for school places. It is the duty of the Borough Council to inform the County Council about the impact which the proposed sites in their Local Plan will have upon local infrastructure so the councils can work together to ensure the necessary improvements are paid for by developers. The Borough Council’s Local Plan does not provide the up to date information needed on this vitally important issue.
As the consultation period for the Local Plan draws to a close, the County Council – who are a stakeholder in the process – have highlighted to the MPs the risk that the draft plan will be submitted without an up-to-date Sustainability Appraisal. This is a key document which ensures the Council’s development plans are backed up with the adequate infrastructure. Without it there are concerns that the plan could be rejected.
The County Council have told the MPs that the Borough Council have failed to give full and proper consideration to the impact on transportation that the intended growth strategy will likely have. Also, there is a lack of detail on the affect upon school places and how new and extended schools will be delivered. Additionally, the County Council feel an opportunity is being missed to align the Local Plan to their ambitious environmental vision.
If the Local Plan is deemed by the Planning Inspectorate to be unsound, the area risks being left vulnerable to speculative development for a further prolonged period of time. The MPs and County Council are jointly urging the Borough Council to provide the detailed information needed to ensure the Local Plan is sound as quickly as possible.
To avoid further frustration to the people of Hinckley and Bosworth, Dr Luke has also written to the Minister for Housing Stuart Andrew MP to convey the concerns he and Leicestershire County Council share over the performance of the Liberal Democrat controlled Borough Council.
Dr Luke Evans MP says “I am gravely concerned that these issues will have a negative impact upon the future development of our beautiful borough. While I welcome the Borough Council’s recent attempts to drive the Local Plan process forward, if this is being done without comprehensive background work on viability and infrastructure, I fear the plan will be rejected. I am doing all I can to lobby for improvements to large scale infrastructure such as the A5 and changes in future planning laws, but simply put if the Borough Council can’t fulfil their obligations, our community is left vulnerable. No amount of lobbying can change that.
“To be clear, most local infrastructure improvements are not decided by national Government, they are the responsibility of the County and Borough Councils who are expected to work collaboratively.
“I have urged the Borough Council to work with Leicestershire County Council and trust they will do this in good time.”
Edward Argar MP has said “Luke and I have discussed at length our many concerns about the underperformance of the Liberal Democrat run Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. I urge the Borough Council to ensure the shortcomings with the information provided to support the Draft Local Plan are addressed as a matter of urgent priority.”
