East Leake 1
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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 Rushcliffe 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. 2 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. 3 East Leake as a place General East Leake is situated approximately 5 miles north of Loughborough and 10 miles south of Nottingham City Centre, in the Nottinghamshire Wolds. East Leake is divided into two parts (north/south), physically separated by a green gap set around the floodplain of Kingston Brook. 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. 4 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. 5 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 M1 motorway. The A60 connects the village with the north of the Borough including the nearby settlements of Bradmore, Bunny, Ruddington and Costock. 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. 6 Public Transport 7 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, East Midlands 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) 40 35 30 25 Leake 20 Rushcliffe England 15 Percentage of population Percentage 10 5 0 0-15 16-24 25-49 50-pensionable age Pensionable age Age group 10 11 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 12 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.