Desford Parish Neighbourhood Plan

Breaking!!!

Davidson’s Ashfield Farm Development Appeal

We need your help!

As many will be aware, despite having been rejected three times, Davidsons is appealing the refusal of its planning application for 120 houses near the Primary School at the top of Kirkby Rd. This hearing with the Planning Inspectorate is to take place in March, with a 28^th February deadline for representations from the public regarding the Appeal.

See a draft letter of representation here

See a crib sheet for making a representation to the inspector here

Progress with  the NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN Spring 2021

The draft Neighbourhood Plan drawn up by the local Working Group has  gone through the consultation stage with Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council and has now been presented to and approved by the External Examiner. The next stage is to put the plan to a referendum of parishioners, when we hope to get your approval at long last!. We can’t do this yet, because Covid restrictions mean referenda are banned until May at the earliest.

In terms of housing issues, the following planning applications have been made to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council in the past year, prior to our Neighbourhood Plan being fully approved:

1. 80 houses at Barnes Way, opposite Bosworth Academy, now called Duke’s Field: approved and under construction
2. 80 houses to the east of Peckleton Lane: won on appeal and now hosts a sign saying “Land acquired”
3. 120 houses at Ashfields Farm to the north of Kirkby Road (down on the right past the Primary School); refused at its first, second and third appeals after strong resistance from Desford Parish Council and several Borough Councillors. The Borough Council received 203 letters opposing this development and only one supporting it. Despite this, the developers have placed a fourth appeal to develop this site and we regret to report this is supported by the Planning Officers at HBBC, but not by several of the Borough Councillors. The Neighbourhood Planning Working  Group is taking legal advice and opposing this development vigorously.

The Parish of Desford is a good place to live
This is according to 70% of the respondents to the recent Neighbourhood Questionnaire which 627 of you returned and which is currently being analysed.

The local shops and Sport in Desford are well used but most respondents travel out of the village for the ‘big shop’

Concerns have been expressed about  the number of HGVs, the volume of traffic through the parish, inconsiderate parking and speeding vehicles.

A high number of respondents would like to see more work opportunities for young people and there is some support for the development of light industry but not for heavy industry.

Protection of recreational and open spaces, access to the countryside  and provision of sporting activities are obviously important to respondents as are maintaining the essential characteristics of the Parish and the approaches to it.

There is still much more work to be done on collating the many comments and statements that respondents also added and this will take time.

Be assured, however, that the working group is meeting regularly and with the guidance and support of consultants will produce an appropriate plan which will be submitted to the authorities and to you the residents in due course.

.Desford Neighbourhood Plan Pre-submission report and associated appendices.

Use arrows to control the Timeline.

Pre-Submission Comments Form