February 2025 - Our Month in Review
It was good to meet residents this month near the Highcross monument to discuss the diseased tree on Bumblebee Lane and what can be done.
Many thanks to the office of Alberto Costa for arranging this, including David Findlay and Davide Moruzzi.
We have had further meetings with National Highways in which we raised the tree issue along with ongoing safety concerns regarding the Highcross and Smockington Hollow A5 Junctions.
Following the A5 meeting we continue to review the number of accidents between the notorious junctions of Fosse Highcross and Smockington Hollow and, yet again, another road traffic accident last week. This brings the total number of accidents since 2020 to 5 fatalities, 12 serious accidents with drivers and passengers hospitalised, and numerous slight collisions and near misses. In 2020 National Highways spent three million pounds to solve the problems at this black spot. We now find that National Highways intend to spend a further four million pounds in 2 years time by carrying out more road surfacing and even more road signs, all of this to save 1.75 lives per year! Where are the radical improvements such as a roundabout or speed cameras?
We, as your District Councillors will continue to push for changes to save lives now, not in 2 years time.
Debate Not Hate – LGA Campaign
At Blaby District Council's January Full Council meeting, we debated #DebateNotHate. Both your District Ward Councillors along with other Councillors across political parties signed the pledge to uphold the Local Government Association's (LGA) Debate not Hate campaign message.
Press release here: https://www.blaby.gov.uk/.../councillors-endorse-anti.../
Around the District
First buildings complete at New Lubbesthorpe local centre 
A topping out ceremony has been held at the new local centre at Blaby District’s award-winning community New Lubbesthorpe.
The ceremony marked the completion of the initial construction phase of the two-storey mixed-use development known as the Brook Centre.
The event involved delegates from various organisations including Blaby District Council, other local authorities and representatives from the NHS and local school.
When completed the Brook Centre will house a Sainsbury’s Local store on the ground floor along with four other retail units including a café/bistro. The first floor will feature the Forest House Medical Centre.
Councillor Ben Taylor, Blaby District Council Portfolio Holder for Planning, said: “It’s great to see the first local centre take shape at New Lubbesthorpe, a fresh landmark in the development of this vibrant, pioneering community.”
Brook Centre will be the first local centre in New Lubbesthorpe which will eventually feature 4,250 new homes. Work is expected to be completed this spring.
Councillor Activities
During January, your councillors have attended many training events and/or meetings, including social functions:
- Blaby Cabinet Meeting – 2nd
- Devolution White Paper Briefing – 8th
- Sapcote Parish Council – 9th
- Scrutiny – Draft Budget – 15th
- Highcross Tree Survey – 16th
- Training – Personal safety for councillors – 16th
- Sharnford Parish Council – 16th
- National Highways A5 improvements – 20th
- Scrutiny – Draft Budget – 22nd
- Sharnford Fete Committee – 22nd
- Planning Committee – 23rd
- Sharnford Bacon Buttie – 25th
- District Council Meeting – 28th
- Scrutiny – Draft Budget – 29th
- Sharnford Flood Meeting – 29th
During February, your councillors will be attending meetings and training events. Because of the recent government proposals, the number of activities could increase:
- Meeting with resident concerning A5 accident issues + make a video - 1st
- View tree issues in Elmesthorpe – 1st
- Draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy – Teams – 4th
- Audit & Corporate Governance Committee – 6th
- Sapcote Parish Council – 6th
- Scrutiny Task & Finish – Recruitment – 11th
- Planning Committee – 13th
- Sharnford Parish Council – 20th
- District Council Meeting – 25th
- Sharnford Fete Committee – 26th
News Release
- First buildings complete at New Lubbesthorpe local centre.
- Lucky Seven has been a record year in the Love Blaby Lottery
- Council to pay costs of £94,111 following the loss of the planning appeal for the Enderby Hub
- Rail Hub concerns raised to new Transport Minister
- Councillors endorse Debate not Hate message
- Appeal after tiny puppies abandoned in Enderby
The Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange will remain in our monthly reports until the final decision is made by the Secretary of State. 
HNRFI decision delayed
As you will be aware, the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI) decision has been delayed to 10 March 2025 by the Secretary of State for Transport. The Secretary of State published two documents; a Minded to Refuse Letter (explaining why the application may be refused) and a Recommendation Report (outlining advice from the Planning Inspectorate to the Secretary of State) and gave the developers Tritax Symmetry, until 10 December 2024 to submit further information.
Rail Hub Concerns raised to new Minister
Grave concerns about the impact of the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI) have again been raised by Blaby District Council.
Councillor Terry Richardson, Council Leader, and Councillor Ben Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Planning, outline major issues in a new letter to government.
Both have written to Heidi Alexander MP, following her recent appointment as Secretary of State for Transport. They call for an early decision to reject the plans.
The 662-acre HNRFI scheme from developers Tritax Symmetry is considered a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. It features a rail hub and 850,000sqm of warehousing on countryside southwest of Elmesthorpe. The area lies between the M69 and Leicester to Birmingham train line.
It is due to be decided by Ms Alexander following a lengthy review by the Planning Inspectorate. Last September, her predecessor, Louise Haigh MP, said she was ‘minded to refuse’ the scheme. However, she gave Tritax more time to submit evidence in support of their application.
With those documents received, interested parties have until February 7 to make further comments.
The letter highlights various negative impacts, most notably on the already overloaded surrounding motorway network. It says the scheme could stifle, not encourage economic growth.
Ms Alexander is urged to “carefully consider the negative social, environmental and economic impacts of the HNRF” and “consider the highways infrastructure mitigation that is required in this part of the region.”
The Councillors say: “We hope that the recommendation provided by the examining authority and the total lack of effort on behalf of the applicant to mitigate the issues raised will lead you to reach the same conclusion as your predecessor.
“This extended wait for a decision is having a material impact on local plan making but more importantly is causing a huge amount of stress to the residents in this area especially those under threat of losing their homes due to compulsory purchase.”
Councillor Ben Taylor said: “We have always said this scheme would destroy vast swathes of countryside and ruin the rural character of our District forever. We have also raised continual concerns about the huge negative effects it would have on our highways and motorways and the lack of measures from Tritax to overcome these. As the deadline for the decision on the HNRFI scheme approaches and with a new Secretary of State for Transport in place, we felt we should again express our grave concerns. We hope Ms Alexander takes these on board and agrees with the previous position that the scheme should be rejected.”
A decision is due on the HNRFI by 10 March. For more information on HNRFI and to read the letter in full visit: Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange – Blaby District Council
New Local Plan
We continue to work on our Local Plan which will guide growth across the District up to 2041, shaping where housing, employment and retail sites should be developed and where development should be restricted.
For the latest info on our new local plan, please see Blaby District Council’s dedicated webpage: https://www.blaby.gov.uk/planning-and-building/local-plan/new-local-plan/
Major Blaby District Planning Applications
24/0004/FUL – Land off Gillam Butts, Countesthorpe
Development of 41 dwellings
Application to be determined by Planning Committee on 13th February 2025
24/0527/OUT – Land off Oak Road, Littlethorpe
Outline application for the erection of up to 155 residential dwellings
Application to be determined by Planning Committee on 13th February 2025
24/0874/FUL - The Works Aston Lane Sharnford Leicestershire
Demolition of existing pre-fab offices and siting of 29 self-storage containers with erection of new boundary fencing and landscape bund
Application to be determined by Planning Committee on 13th February 2025 after ‘call-in’ by
Cllr Taylor
25/0016/VAR – Bouskell Park, Welford Road, Blaby
Variation of Condition 2 (approved plans) and removal of Conditions 3 and 4 (relating to surface water drainage details) of permission 24/0746/FUL
Application to be determined by Planning Committee on 13th February 2025
24/1040/FUL – The Gables, Chapel Lane, Sharnford
Residential development of 3 new dwellings and alteration and extension to ‘The Gables’.
Application to be determined by Planning Officer under delegated powers
24/1079/FUL – 27 Leicester Road, Sapcote
Alterations and extension to the property, change of use from a dwelling to an 8-bed, 8-person house in multiple occupation (HMO)
Application to be determined by Planning Committee at future meeting after ‘call-in’ by Cllr Taylor.
Local Minor Planning Applications
24/0994/FUL – 8 Station Road, Elmesthorpe
Erection of single storey outbuilding for storage incidental to main dwelling.
24/0539/HH – 1 New Walk, Sapcote
Retention of wooden trellis and picket fence to form means of enclosure within the curtilage of a listed building.
24/1002/HH – 65 Calver Cresent, Sapcote
Building front and rear dormers to create more bedroom space and rear kitchen/dining room extension.
25/0033/HH – 7 Tuckey Close, Sapcote
Front and Rear extensions to bungalow. Installation of log burning stove and flue.
25/0046/HH – 17 Buckwell Road, Sapcote
Single storey front extension and white render to front and sides of existing dwelling.
Appeals
02/0184/1/PX – Applicant appealed against decision by BDC to refuse Retention and use of mobile home for residential purposes in breach of Condition 2.
Local Planning Enforcement
None
PDF version of this newsletter can be downloaded from the link below.
