PROFILE East Leake 1

Introduction

What’s this profile all about?

Rushcliffe Borough is well known for its attractive towns and villages, rich farmland and rolling countryside. It is perceived to be an affluent area and one in which people want to live and work. Despite the economic downturn, these pressures for growth in will continue both in the short and longer term.

Looking at the towns and villages which make up Rushcliffe in greater detail, however, it is clear that each is very different, with diverse communities, different pressures, needs and ambitions for their local area.

The production of this Parish Profile is designed to provide a picture of what has happened within a village or town during recent years and to identify what may happen in the future. The profile has been put together in order to provide support for the Borough Council’s Fresh Approach campaign. It is hoped that the profiles will bring out some of the key issues in relation to your village, and will provide a starting point to have discussions on future development in your village.

The profile pulls together many sources of information, including statistics from the village showing what has happened in recent years and what may happen in the future if trends continue.

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The leaflet also provides a brief summary of what people have told us about East Leake in response to previous consultations carried out by the Council regarding development in the Borough and from the East Leake Parish Plan (produced in June 2004). This information is grouped into topics including age, the environment, employment, education and the local economy. Obviously, what some people have said may not necessarily be supported by everyone.

Localism – what does this mean for future planning within the Borough?

The Borough Council is required to develop long-term plans for the future development of Rushcliffe. These plans still have to be supported by sound factual evidence; however, we now have more scope to develop plans that are truly local to the needs of Rushcliffe. For example, we are no longer given housing targets by Government. However, we are still required to justify any levels of new housing we provide for.

Local communities will also have a chance to develop their own community-led plan should they wish to do so once Rushcliffe’s development plan is in place. It is, therefore, important that Rushcliffe’s plans for the development of the Borough broadly reflect each community’s needs and wishes.

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East Leake as a place

General

East Leake is situated approximately 5 miles north of and 10 miles south of City Centre, in the Wolds.

East Leake is divided into two parts (north/south), physically separated by a green gap set around the floodplain of . This gap offers a strong sense of space through the centre of the village.

Like with many of the villages around Rushcliffe., East Leake’s original role was based around agriculture. The village increased rapidly in size around the time of the Second World War, in part due to the exploitation of local gypsum deposits and the establishment of the British Plaster Board plant. This led to the construction of the Rushcliffe estate of pre-fabricated houses. Since then, East Leake has seen residential expansion which has spread out from the core of the village.

Facilities and Economy

East Leake possesses a range of local facilities, including a health centre, library, village hall and five active churches. There are several play areas, outdoor sports facilities and allotments and Rushcliffe Golf Course lies just to the north of the village. East Leake is also home to Manor Farm Animal Centre which has just become Rushcliffe’s first licensed zoo.

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East Leake’s village centre is located at the centre of the village and contains a varied range of retail units supplying a good range of goods and services including a supermarket.

British Gypsum is the largest employer of local people, its headquarters being located on the edge of the village. There are also a number of smaller businesses within East Leake which provide some local employment. The majority of the workforce however predominantly commutes to Nottingham or Loughborough.

What You Told Us

A new library building would be welcomed, it is suggested this could be provided in conjunction with a new health centre. There are significant gaps in the provision of retail facilities e.g. clothes, shoe shops and banks

Improvements and expansion of the shopping facilities in the centre of the village should be encouraged.

The identification and development of a specific area for small industrial/business units would encourage the provision of employment in manufacturing and technology based industry.

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There are good sports facilities within the village, especially the Leisure Centre and Scouts/Guides and church groups, but there is still general dismay at the lack of provision for young people in the village. A purpose built Youth Club is needed – sites near the village centre or within the Leisure Centre complex are suggested as being suitable.

Transportation

Road connections

East Leake lies close to the A60 and A6006, and is within 5 miles of the . The A60 connects the village with the north of the Borough including the nearby settlements of Bradmore, Bunny, and . The A60 also provides a direct route to Nottingham City Centre and can get congested at peak times, particularly at its junction with the A52 at the Nottingham Knight roundabout. Access to the A453 and the M1 is to the north of the village via Gotham Road.

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Public Transport

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There are a number of transport companies who operate regular bus services through East Leake, Nottingham, Loughborough and other locations throughout the Borough. Nottingham railway station and coach station are within a nine mile distance. Loughborough railway station, Parkway Railway Station and East Midlands airport are less than seven miles away.

What You Told Us

There is a need for more car parking facilities in the village centre

Dedicated cycle lanes should be provided to accommodate the expected increase in this form of transport

A train line through to Nottingham from East Leake to accommodate a rapid transit as part of the NET system including the provision of a new station could be considered.

Environment

There are a number of environmental designations in the countryside surrounding the village. A Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) exists

8 along the old Great Central rail line, along the western edge of the village, with another SINC being located at Manor Farm. East Leake has a Conservation Area which encompasses the historic centre of the village.

The Kingston Brook runs through the centre of the village, with land either side being at risk of flooding. The land that surrounds East Leake is a mixture of grade 2, 3 and 4 agricultural land.

What You Told Us

One of the aims of the Parish Plan is to document ownership of all key open spaces/verges and seek ways to enhance their attractiveness. It is considered that the creation of a policy to identify existing green corridors and protect them is also a priority for the village.

Another aim of the Parish Plan is to establish a nature reserve in Meadow Park and improve the environment within Meadow Park

Your Population

Recent estimates show that East Leake’s population has increased by 12% overy the last twenty years1; this

1 Source: 1991 and 2001 Censuses, 2009 population estimates.

9 is slightly lower than the Borough average increase of 14%.

East Leake’s age profile is broadly comparable to both the population of the Borough and nationally. East Leake does however have a higher proportion of people that are of pensionable age and a slightly lower percentage of younger people. East Leake’s population is generally ageing, reflecting the national trend.

East Leake: Age Profile (2009)

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35

30

25 Leake 20 Rushcliffe 15

Percentage of population Percentage 10

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0 0-15 16-24 25-49 50-pensionable age Pensionable age Age group

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Housing

House Prices and Incomes

The average house price in East Leake at the end of 2009 (£166,805) is at the lower end of average prices within the Borough and is considerably lower than the average for the same period in England and Wales (£210,774) and Rushcliffe (£208,074) as a whole.2 An average priced house in East Leake would cost around 4.3 times the average household income.

Entry level prices in East Leake are lower than in the Borough as a whole, indicating that first time buyers and single income households may be attracted to the area. In comparison the average rental prices for the private rented properties in the ward in March 2009 indicated that the area has an affordability problem, with deficits between the rent and the amounts that Local Housing Allowance will usually award.

2 Land Registry 2009

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Recent Development

Number of Properties Built in East Leake 2001-2010

80

70 60

50

40 30 20 Number ofNumber Properties 10

0 1234123412341234

Market Housing Affordable Housing Market Apartment Affordable Apartment Property Type and Number of Bedrooms

Between 2001 and 2010, 180 new homes were completed within East Leake, 159 of which were market housing and 21 of which were affordable housing for rent or shared ownership properties to enable people to get onto the housing ladder. The graph on the previous page shows the types of houses that have been built in East Leake over the last few years.

Both East Leake’s population and the number of new homes built in the village has increased over recent years, Between 2001-2009 the number of new homes built has increased East Leake’s overall housing stock by 7%. This increase has largely been due to the availability of larger brownfield and other suitable sites coming forward within East Leake over a short space of time, such as site of the former Harry Carlton School, East Leake Hall and the former garage site on Main Street.

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East Leake: Percentage population change and additional dw ellings, 2001- 2009

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6 East Leake population 4 East Leake new dw ellings 2

Percentage change 0 2001- 2001- 2001- 2001- 2001- 2001- 2001- 2001- 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Year

Housing need

Housing waiting lists are a starting point for a broad indication of affordable housing need. However, waiting lists need to be treated with a degree of caution as there may be duplication in numbers of people on the register across the Borough. People can put down a number of preferred locations. The graph overleaf indicates the number of people that are on the housing waiting list for East Leake.

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The graph indicates the type of housing that applicants are eligible for rather than what they have requested – i.e. single people or couples below pensionable age would only be eligible for a 1 bedroom flat.

Waiting List Figures: East Leake

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30

Number list on 20 10 0

it y y t s rly rly rl rl la e e te e e e e f use ld ld d d d o Bed e e el el e ed flat h hous hous onet e e b b s 1 2 ed th th b r the r the r r bed bed mai fo fo 2 3 4 d t t e a a b low fo low fo fl fl 2 a a g g ed ed b b 1 2 bun bun d d 1 be 2 be Type of property

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Opportunities for Housing

In total there are currently 8 planning permissions for residential development in East Leake, with 164 dwellings remaining to be built in total. These permissions are shown on the map on the following page. It is unlikely that this limited supply will be sufficient over coming years to provide the range and choice of housing needed to satisfy the differing needs of the population.

The Rushcliffe Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) 2010, which was undertaken by the Borough Council, identifies sites that may have potential for residential development. It also identifies what constraints there are for each site, how many units could potentially be accommodated on them and when they could potentially be delivered. The map on page 16 shows the sites that have been included in the 2010 SHLAA. The map also shows some of the constraints that exist.

There are few opportunities for further development within the built up part of East Leake. This means that if new housing is to be built in the future, sites adjacent to the settlement would have to be considered for development.

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What You Told Us

The Parish Plan states that the Parish Council will strive to identify small infill sites in the village and work with the Local Planning Authority on all housing issues.

Development which leads to expansion outside the village boundary should be prevented.

Affordable Housing and older person’s accommodation should remain available in perpetuity and should be built to a Lifetime Homes standard.

The village is a sustainable location with good public transport. New residential growth would assist in maintaining the vitality and viability of the village by supporting the existing shops and local facilities.

East Leake has had too many houses over the last 10 years, with no additional infrastructure provision. The Health Centre cannot cope with existing patient numbers, schools are also struggling to accommodate pupil numbers, there is no bank, and more shops have been lost.

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SUMMARY OF MAIN ISSUES

A number of new houses have been built in East Leake over the last ten years. East Leake’s population has also increased quite significantly during the same period.

East Leake has a higher proportion of older people than the Borough and national averages. It also has a lower proportion of younger people and people of working age.

An elderly and ageing population can have serious impacts on the local economy and the services and facilities it provides. For example, extra pressure will be placed on the services that elderly people especially rely on such as health and social care. The local economy could also suffer with the very elderly often having smaller amounts of disposable income to spend. Declining numbers of people under the age of 16 could also impact on local schools and their future viability.

Comments from local people also highlight pressure on services within the village. Feedback from consultation with residents informs us that the Health Centre is struggling to cope with existing patient numbers, and local schools are struggling to accommodate pupil numbers. It is also considered that there is a need for additional local facilities such as the improvement and

20 expansion of shopping facilities, including additional car parking.

Due to increasing average life expectancy and people living in smaller households, it is unlikely that the limited supply of sites with planning permission in East Leake would maintain the existing population level of the settlement. A declining population would likely compound the problems identified above.

This leaflet is also available to download from www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/planningpolicy

Rushcliffe Borough Council T 0115 981 9911 Civic Centre F 0115 945 5882 Pavilion Road E [email protected] W www.rushcliffe.gov.uk Nottingham NG2 5FE