Environment and Planning
Environment
Summertime being the peak of the flowering season tends to be the measure of success (or otherwise!) for efforts made at other times of the year. TABS is responsible for:-
Manor Field Pond
It is a disappointment that this is turning into a seasonal pond being too low to support water plants in the summer. However, there is no shortage of marsh and meadow plants. Spring plants have included snowflake, marsh marigold, primroses and bluebells. At the moment green alkanet (blue flowers), pink campion and yellow iris are flowering. Later, we look forward to meadowsweet, hemp agrimony, purple loosestrife, gypsy figwort, mint and others. How many can you see? Let us know.
Telford Way Green shrub beds
The colourful bushes planted in the first three circles have now got established and are really looking good. We appeal to Telford Way residents to keep the bushes, especially on the newer 4thcircle (nearest the shops), watered.
Projects by others in progress are: creating a community orchard on the Thurnby Jelson estate and setting aside designated areas of grass to encourage wild flowers. However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that our own gardens, however small, can accumulatively make enormous contributions to nature. Front gardens particularly are also very influential on the general look of a road.
Lastly, but probably the most important, we need to look after what we have got. This means working with the Local Authorities to sensitively manage open areas, hedges and trees, striking a balance between tidiness and clearing obstructions, but at the right times so that nature is fully supported and is able to thrive.
Please keep us informed of any ideas you have on how the parish could be enhanced.
Judith Lord
Planning
HDC LOCAL PLAN
The consultation period has ended and HDC is now processing the comments. So, we await the Council’s approved draft that will go to the Government Inspector this Autumn and to a Public Enquiry next year.
TABS responded, concentrating on the policies against which future planning applications will be judged. The Plan had much to commend it, and it was clear a lot of thorough detailed hard work had gone into it, especially to close potential loopholes.
TABS was able to support the policies on climate change, environment, infrastructure, recreation facilities etc and the range of types of housing needed.
However, TABS did object to having any more houses here! 950 were proposed east of Station Road, 125 off Zouche Way and 175 off Beeby Road. Station Road is already acting as the unofficial outer ring road between Syston and Oadby and is also the only viable access to join the A47 going east. In addition, there will be more traffic coming through from the 4500 house Thorpeberry development already in progress west of Scraptoft.
PLANNING APPLICATIONS
The planning applications for a Lidl store off Zouche Way and for nine bungalows plus an overflow car park on Manor Field South are both still pending decision by HDC. Further input from the applicants has been requested in both cases.
Mike Lord