CPRE Leicestershire

The Leicestershire Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England

Formerly the Council for the Protection of Rural England

Leicestershire Housing Issues

Leicestershire will be taking the brunt of provision for new homes within the area defined by the Draft East Midlands Regional Plan as 'The Three Cities Sub-Area'. This Draft Plan sets out what is supposed to be a sustainable future for the East Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS). Cutting across the normal process of Regional Planning has been an initiative from the Government called 'Growth Point Planning'. This has not been subject to the normal process of public consultation and the extra housing has simply been added to the original housing projections for the region. More information about the RSS can be accessed at http://www.goem.gov.uk/goem/psc/suscom/rss/eastmidlandsplan/

'Growth-point planning' is supposed to be all about sustainability. This doesn't mean ripping off and mis-treating the environment in the way that has been carried out in the past - it means quite the opposite; in a nutshell, not robbing future generations of the largely natural benefits enjoyed by those of the present. By definition, anything sustainable is an activity that can continue ad infinitem so long as what is consumed is instantly renewed. Since we all, in effect, are living on what was once a green-field site the use of 'sustainable' in planning terms rings a bit hollow. With net population growth increasing it is difficult to see how we can achieve sustainability. A planning concept that has come into common parlance is that of the 'Sustainable Urban Extension'.

Growth-point development and Sustainable Urban Extensions ideally mean less distance for the daily commute and - if public transport can run efficiently - less dependence on our cars and less pollution. It also means, through the aid of government grants, town centre regeneration and more jobs in urban locations. The total funding (approximately £5.5M) for the 'Three Cities' is a powerful incentive for local authorities to go along with the Department of Communities and Local Government's aims. Although this might sound a lot, it amounts to just over £10 per new dwelling - not a lot when it comes to tackling unsustainability and carbon-obesity! The Regional Spatial Strategy Review is unfortunately target-driven by the provision of new homes, rather than the promotion of balanced sustainable development.

Theoretically good as an ideal - people living near to where they work in affordable and well-designed homes with a second-to-none public transport system. There has to be a down-side - energy and water supply are rapidly becoming hugely problematic; no one has yet bitten the bullet on either of these issues and at least one aspect, that of sewage, waste water and drainage, doesn't seem to be at the top of anyone's list. The other bullet to bite is whether or not to generate electrical power within urban limits and distribute the 'waste' heat to nearby homes, businesses, hospitals and schools and to encourage micro-generation generally.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England is fighting for a sustainable future at the forthcoming RSS Examination in Public. If you have particular views please let us know by contacting Leicestershire CPRE at cpre@quorncpre.co.uk or PO Box 7986, Loughborough, LE12 8XT.

Development south of Loughborough spreading its tentacles into the valley of the River Soar and the hills of Charnwood Forest.