Ashburton RoadAffordable homes and an
enhanced recreation ground

No, the development area is separate to the recreation ground. The recreation ground will be retained and enhanced as part of the proposals.

We know how important the recreation ground is for the community. As such, we are looking at opportunities to enhance it further. We are exploring a range of ideas, including new footpaths, additional play equipment and benches, and solar lighting to enhance safety.

The 1620s House and Garden is close to the site, but already benefits from extensive screening thanks to a large area of trees and planting. As part of our forthcoming application, we will be liaising with North West Leicestershire District Council and Historic England to determine any impact the proposals will have and how these can be mitigated. This will result in a detailed heritage impact assessment, which will be published once an application is submitted.

Ahead of submitting a planning application we will be undertaking detailed work to assess the impact that the proposals would have on local roads and how this could be mitigated. Our proposed solutions will then be independently assessed by the highways authority to ensure that they are suitable.

It is also worth noting that one of the benefits of this site is that it provides an opportunity to deliver new homes in area close to existing services and amenities. This can help to reduce the need for people to use cars to get around.

As part of the planning application process, we will be engaging with relevant organisations to assess the impact of the scheme and how it can best be mitigated. For a scheme of this size this is generally done in the form of financial contributions to help fund these services. In addition to this, we are also looking at opportunities to deliver a car park for Hugglescote Community Primary School to improve safety during pick-up and drop-off times.

Delivering a scheme that is sensitive to the environment is central to our approach. This is why we are committed to making sure that the development delivers a net gain in biodiversity. This will include creating new habitat areas for wildlife to enjoy and extensive planting, including new trees on the recreation ground.

The UK is in the midst of a housing crisis where people are growing up in areas where they will be unable to afford a home if the shortage of homes is not addressed. This is for many reasons, including inflation and the growing older population.

As a result, it’s easy to see that the dream of having an affordable place of your own to live and work risks being out of reach for a whole generation of local families. It is important to also acknowledge the older generation who are struggling to find a home to meet their changing needs. Without urgent action to deliver more suitable homes that people can afford, this problem will only get worse and more local people will be priced out of where they grew up.

Our site at Ashburton Road has the potential to deliver 50 much-needed affordable homes in a range of sizes to help address this need.

An outline application seeks to agree the type of development, the total number of homes to be delivered, and the proposed access point. We are still exploring opportunities for the open space on the site and want to hear your thoughts on what we can do to provide an area that benefits the community. This could include spaces for play or an informal recreation ground.

MyPad is keen to get input on the plans from the community before submitting a planning application. You can provide feedback by visiting our Have you say page and completing our survey, or by contacting us using the details provided below.