DESFORD PARISH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
Your parish council has used the information you all gave us in the questionnaire last year, and done a lot of research into sources like census data and Hinckley Borough planning documents. We are starting to pull all this together, and have come up with a very draft Vision for the Parish in 2036 and some objectives to guide how we get there.
Please have a read and let us know what you think!! It all probably reads a bit formal, but this is your chance to help us make it better: any ideas gratefully received!
(email: desplan16@gmail.com )
VISION
Desford Parish comprises:
* the villages of Desford and Botcheston,
* the hamlet of Newtown Unthank and the retirement village of Kirby Grange
* some 90 properties in the village envelope of Kirby Muxloe in Blaby district
* scattered businesses, farms and houses, sometimes in groups,
* significant employers at the periphery of the villages or the parish boundary, such as Caterpillar/Neovia, Crown Crest and Merrylees Industrial Estate.
All these elements are set within rural, mainly agricultural, countryside, and past policy has ensured they have not coalesced. All are visually separated from each other by open areas, and this separation is highly valued by the residents of the parish.
Desford in 2036 will be modestly more developed than it is in 2017: housing will increase both organically and to meet the requirements of the Hinckley and Bosworth BC local plan, incorporating clearly identified local needs. What is currently valued will be conserved and enhanced and progress made towards dealing with problems and deficiencies identified by residents and businesses in the consultation process. By robust and positive planning policies and realistic statements of aspiration, development will be guided to enhance the community for existing and new residents, businesses and visitors.
OBJECTIVES FOR THE PLAN
Future development will be guided to safeguard and where possible enhance the sense of distinct communities of varying sizes within a shared rural backdrop. There are also separations between the settlements in the parish and neighbouring villages, e.g Newbold Verdon, Ratby and Peckleton and this key objective will encompass protecting and enhancing those separations.
Desford’s history and heritage are valued by the residents. The plan will identify, schedule and assess buildings and land in accordance with HBBC criteria, and make proposals
* for a Local Heritage List
* for possible extensions to the conservation Area
* and for further buildings for statutory protection.
Developments will be required to respect historical and heritage considerations, and although the Parish does not benefit from a specific character in the built environment, the plan will contain policies to encourage high standards of design appropriate to each location and the furtherance of energy sustainability in methods of construction.
The landscape setting, open spaces and amenities of the parish are important aspects of living in Desford. Landscape character has been strategically assessed by HBBC and the plan process will include a detailed local supplementation. Although retail and commercial leisure is limited in the parish, there is an extensive range of community facilities available, many provided by small enterprises or individuals. These include much valued public open spaces and access to the countryside. Development will be expected to respect these provisions and where possible enhance them, possibly by use of the Section 106 process. Policies for protection and statements of aspiration for improvement will be contained in the plan.
Low levels of deprivation and unemployment are characteristic of Desford at present. HBBC Local plan does not envisage substantial new allocations of land for employment, but the major new development proposed at the Neovia complex will have an impact on village life: positively in terms of increasing employment opportunities and negatively in terms of impact on Desford village, particularly the issue of traffic. Technological advances are causing new ways of working, and policies will be included to integrate the land use impact of such changes with what is valued in the Parish.
Aspirations opportunities and problems were identified in the community and stakeholder consultations: the most pressing being the impact of traffic on the villages and hamlets. The plan will identify where a neighbourhood plan has a role, for example in guiding new development to locations where it will least exacerbate existing issues, and contain relevant policies as permitted by the statutory authorities.