Asfordby Parish Profile

1. Overview 1.1. Asfordby Parish consists of three villages, Asfordby, Asfordby Valley and Asfordby Hill, which are situated to the north of the River Wreake near to the market town of in . The parish is in Melton Borough and covers 1,066Ha. 1.2. The population of the parish in 2011 was 3,286 and there were 1,454 households. Most of these people live in Asfordby which has a good range of services and facilities. Asfordby Valley is a small village of about 50 houses to the east of the main village. Asfordby Hill lies on the eastern edge of the parish to the south of Holwell Works.

2. Context 2.1. Asfordby is mentioned in the Domesday Book, while the villages of Asfordby Valley and Asfordby Hill developed around the iron works that were founded in 1875 following the discovery of ironstone in that area. Land to the south of Asfordby is characterised by water meadows and washland areas while the valley setting is emphasised by rising, mainly pasture, land to the north. 2.2. The parish is bisected by the A6006 which links Melton Mowbray to the A46 near Six Hills and the A6 at Hathern. To the south of Asfordby is the A607 which links Leicester and Grantham. As a consequence the parish has good road access to Melton Mowbray, Loughborough, Leicester, Nottingham, Airport and the M1. There is no passenger rail station in the parish. 2.3. Asfordby lies to the north of the River Wreake which is a tributary of the River Soar. The Wreake flows southwest, passing through Melton Mowbray, Asfordby, , Brooksby, Thrussington and Ratcliffe on the Wreake, before meeting the Soar near Syston.

3. People 3.1. Over the period 2001 to 2011 the parish population increased from 3,107 to 3,286. In 2011, there were 587 children aged under-16 representing 17.9% of the population. There were 554 people over 65 (16.9%) and 22%, but by 2031 it is estimated that a third of the parish’s population could be over that age. Within this total, the number of very old people grows even faster. 3.2. The ageing population is partly a consequence of the age structure of the population alive today, in particular the ageing of the large number of people born during the 1960s baby boom. It also stems from longer life expectancy. 3.3. The ageing population will place increasing pressure on healthcare and social services, while the number of people of working, taxable age will shrink. This could result in gaps in the jobs market, with businesses and public services lacking the workforce required.

4. Housing 4.1. The 2011 Census shows that there were 1,454 households within the parish with an average household size of 2.26. The number of households is projected to increase by 2031. 4.2. Population growth is the main driver of household growth. Growth is also accounted for by an increase in one person households as the classic four person household- a mum, a dad and two children- looks set to become less common. This is due to people having children later in life, Dwelling Types: Asfordby high divorce rates and Parish people living longer. Detached 4.3. In 2011 there were 76 322 364 1,490 dwellings. Semi-Detached Asfordby has a high proportion of terraced Terraced 728 and semi-detached houses (22% and 49% Flat, Maisonette or respectively) Apartment compared with Melton (16% and 36%), but Source: 2011 Census relatively few detached properties. The tenure profile is much the same as the district average with 75% of properties being owned, either outright or with a mortgage/loan compared with 72% in Melton. 4.4. In 2012/13 the average house price in Melton overall was £192,750 on 607 sales, while in Asfordby it was £171,000 on 38 sales – 11% lower. 4.5. Within the parish there is considerable variation in house prices. Zoopla.co.uk is a comprehensive property website and its estimated average home value for properties in Asfordby Hill is £126,785 (August 2013), £122,704 in Asfordby Valley and £152,448 in Asfordby. 4.6. The Melton Strategic Housing Land Assessment (SHLAA) is a survey of land that is potentially available for house building on large sites (10 dwelling or more). The 2011 SHLAA identified the Hawthorns at Loughborough Road, Asfordby as a site being developed by Jelsons for 66 homes. This development has now been completed. The SHLAA also identified the Asfordby Storage and Haulage site on Main Street as a potential housing site although it wasn’t thought to be available for development before 2015. The list of sites in Asfordby that were rejected are as follows:

Ref No Address Reasons for exclusion 0315 Land east of Crompton Road, Asfordby Hill Planning policy 0316 Holwell Works, Welby Road, Asfordby Hill Planning policy 0345 Land at Station Road, Asfordby Planning policy & flood risk 0346 Land rear of Regency Road, Asfordby Planning policy 0408 Asfordby Business Park, Asfordby Planning policy, access & ownership

4.7. In addition to these sites, there are a number of sites with planning permission which have yet to be built (as at 31 March 2012):

Settlement Site Address Planning Dwellings Permission Remaining to be built 31/03/12 Asfordby 7 Regency Road 10/00283/FUL 1 Asfordby White Farm, 144 10/00177/EXT 1 Main St Asfordby Methodist Church 10/00801/FUL 2 Asfordby The Grange Garden 06/00302/FUL 1 Hill Centre, Melton Rd Asfordby 24 Glebe Road 11/00208/FUL 1 Hill Asfordby 39 Melton Road 11/00082/FUL 1 Hill

5. Jobs 5.1. In March 2011, 84% of the parish’s population aged 16-64 was economically active, compared with a borough average of 74%. Of the 1,871 economically active, 1,820 were in employment. In June 2013 there were 50 Job Seekers Allowance claimants from Asfordby- 2.5% of the workforce. The national rate was 3.5%. 5.2. The 2011Census shows that 18% of residents in employment work in manufacturing compared to the national average of 9%. Relatively few local people work in professional, scientific and technical activities (4%) or education (8%). 5.3. There were relatively few people employed in managerial and professional occupations in Asfordby (21%) compared with Melton (27%) and (28%). However, a higher proportion of the parish’s workers are in skilled trades (16%), plant and machinery operative jobs (12%) and elementary occupations (12%). 5.4. At the time of writing, 2011 Census travel to work data had not been released. The previous, 2001 Census showed that 1,278 people travelled out of the ward for work and just 421 commuted into the ward from outside. Despite there being a number of employment areas in the ward, Asfordby had the second highest net outflow of workers in the district. The following diagram shows that many residents travel to work in Melton Mowbray. There is some longer distance commuting to Leicester. 5.5. Notwithstanding the net outflow of workers, Asfordby was reasonably self-contained with 65% of residents employed in the borough and 22% working in the ward. 5.6. The 2011 Census show that Asfordby ward had the highest number (122) of people travelling to work by bus, minivan or coach in the borough. About 7% residents travel to work by bus compared to a borough average of 3%. Only 5% work from home. 5.7. The principal employment sites in Asfordby are: Asfordby Business Park 5.8. Located to the North of Asfordby Hill Village and 1 mile to the west of Melton Mowbray, Asfordby Business Park is the site of the former Asfordby mine. The site measures some 28ha in total and is owned and managed by Harworth Estates, the property arm of UK Coal plc. Coal mining at Asfordby ceased in 1997 due to adverse geological conditions. In the three years following the closure of the mine, some of the buildings and plant on the site were cleared. Planning permissions were granted for employment use of the remaining buildings. The owners marketed space in these buildings, which businesses began to occupy. Now most of the coal storage sheds, offices and other buildings have been re-used to provide 250,000 sq. ft. of building space. The partial clearance of the site left behind some 16ha of open area, around and between existing buildings, on which infill development could take place. 5.9. The park accommodates around 30 businesses in a wide variety of unit sizes; from 12m2 to almost 5,000m2. The main activity on the site appears to be transport and distribution. Occupiers include haulage firms and suppliers of a wide variety of goods, mostly bulky goods including vehicles, plant and machinery, scaffolding, pallets and industrial chemicals. About 200 people work at the site. All the occupiers are tenants, since UK Coal’s company policy is not to sell land and property. 5.10. The site also includes the former coal railway, which is in use as test track for London Underground. 5.11. In 2000 Melton Borough Council issued a development brief aiming to secure development of the open parts of the site for ‘employment-generating and leisure uses’, together with re-use of the existing buildings of the site. 5.12. In 2009, Melton Borough Council commissioned a Study that looked at the potential use of the business park. As part of this study, Harworth Estates were asked about their plans and aspirations for the future of the site. Harworth Estates proposed to provide additional buildings on the business park in coming years, up to the site’s full capacity. Their masterplan shows infill development on portions of the site which are now vacant, to develop a total site area of 9.8ha for 42,000m2 of industrial/ warehouse space. If this proposed new floorspace were occupied at the same density as the existing space at the site, as estimated by the owners, it would support around 400 additional jobs. Proposed unit sizes range from 94m2 starter units to around 9,400m2. Holwell Works 5.12 The Holwell Works site, as allocated in the Melton Local Plan, measures some 27ha and lies to the east of Asfordby Business Park, from which it is separated by a railway line. The main part was originally occupied by an iron foundry and associated railway sidings and is now vacant and partly derelict, having seen a variety of industrial uses over the years. The site also includes 3.6ha, at the eastern boundary, which is greenfield and in agricultural use, and a small area occupied by existing employment units, including a steelworks and small industrial/distribution businesses including Hanson Quarry Products. 5.13 In 2009, a planning application (09/00356/OUT) was submitted by Rotherhill (Asfordby) Syndicate for the development of 36,152m2 of B1(c) B2 and B8 industrial, warehouse units with parking and service area. Planning permission was granted in 2010, but to date no detailed plans have been submitted. 5.14 In 2011, planning permission was granted for a new industrial unit and open storage facility for St Gobain PAM Ltd (10/00912/FUL). The proposed development will be an addition to the existing Saint Gobain operation for the manufacture of drainage related iron products at Holwell Works.

6. Shops 6.1 Asfordby’s retail centre is located around the ‘T’ junction of Bradgate Lane and Main Street. The majority of units are located within a small 1970s shopping parade along Bradgate Lane, with a number of shop units fronting onto Main Street. The centre consists of several retail units including a Co-op convenience store, a newsagent, a pharmacy, a restaurant and hot-food take- aways. The centre provides mainly for local daily top-up shopping needs. Within Asfordby, the principal destination for main food shopping is the out-of- centre Tesco store at Thorpe Road, Melton Mowbray. That single store accounted for 46% of all the main food shopping trips within the area. In terms of top-up shopping, 34% shop in Asfordby village. 6.2 Asfordby has a reasonably healthy village centre. Despite its proximity to Melton Mowbray the village centre remains free of vacancies. The village plays an important role in serving its local population both for services and small food shops serving top-up shopping needs. There is a good level of free, off-street car parking. The environmental quality of the village centre is good. The centre is free of graffiti and litter, while paving materials, street furniture and shop frontages are of good condition. 6.3 There are no shops in Asfordby Hill or Asfordby Valley, although the Grange Garden Centre is located at Asfordby Hill. The Grange sells garden plants and products, cards and gifts, has a ski shop and Alpine restaurant.

7. Education and Skills 7.1 In 2011, 26% of those aged 16 and over had no qualifications compared to the Melton average of 21%. 7.2 There are two primary schools in Asfordby parish; both provide education for ages 4+ to 11. Asfordby Captains Close Primary School is a pathway school with an admission of 27 in Autumn 2012. Asfordby Hill Primary School has an Autumn 2012 admission of 20. Around 40% of children attending Asfordby Hill Primary School come from outside the school’s catchment area. There are no capacity issues at either school. Secondary education is provided in Melton Mowbray. 7.3 There is no Children’s Centre in Asfordby.

8. Deprivation 8.1. The Index of Multiple Deprivation 2010 combines a number of indicators, chosen to cover a range of economic, social and housing issues, into a single deprivation score for 32,482 small areas in England. This allows each area to be ranked relative to one another according to their level of deprivation. 8.2. The west of the parish is ranked 25,300 and the east 16,904 out of 32,482 in the 2010 index of multiple deprivation, where one is ranked as the most deprived nationally. The east of the parish is among the 10% most deprived areas in terms of income deprivation affecting older people (ranked 12,786th) and also for living and environment deprivation (ranked 6,593rd).

9. Community Safety 9.1. In June 2013, there were five reported incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour recorded in Asfordby, five at Asfordby Hill and one in Asfordby Valley. Compared with the rest of England and Wales, the level of crime and anti-social behaviour in the area is average. Nevertheless, vandalism and anti-social behaviour has been raised as an issue in connection with the provision of sport and recreation facilities.

10. Health 10.1. In 2011, 527 residents had a long-term health problem or disability representing 16% or the resident population. 10.2. There is a GP Surgery on Regency road, Asfordby that is open weekday mornings and is provided by Dr B Kirkup and Partners (Latham House). There are no capacity issues. 10.3. In the last five years there have been two serious road traffic accidents in Asfordby village- one on the A6006 west of the junction with Loughborough Road and the other on Main Street at the eastern end of the village. There were 8 slight incidents. 10.4. At Asfordby Valley over the last five years there have been two serious and one slight incident on the A6006, and one slight incident between the village and Asfordby Hill. At Asfordby Hill there were one serious and two slight incidents at the roundabout, together with two slight accidents on Melton Road and one on Welby road. There have been several accidents on the A6006 between Asfordby Hill and Melton Mowbray, including two fatal accidents.

11. Green Infrastructure 11.1. Green infrastructure (GI) describes the network of greenspaces and natural elements that intersperse and connect our cities, towns and villages. Green Infrastructure includes parks, open spaces, playing fields, woodlands, allotments and private gardens. The 6Cs Green Infrastructure Strategy aims to protect, enhance and extend networks of green spaces and natural elements in and around the three cities of Leicester, Nottingham and Derby, connecting with their surrounding towns and villages. A Green Infrastructure Strategy has also been produced for Melton Borough in response for the need to plan for future growth. 11.2. The Rivers Eye and Wreake corridor is an integral element of the wider 6Cs GI network (sub-regional corridor). It also contributes to the Borough and sub- region’s biodiversity resource and has the potential to provide access to nature for the communities in the Asfordby area. 11.3. Feeding into the Soar and eventually the Trent, the Melton Green Infrastructure Study recommends that the Wreake’s water quality is kept at a highlevel. In addition to its ecological network function the Wreake corridor has the potential to become a major recreational resource. 11.4. Along the river, away from public access needs the vegetation should be left to form a buffer along which wildlife can move. The streams and field drains that feed into the Wreake should also be protected from farm stock and buffered from other land-uses. 11.5. Based on a 10min walk time, there are some parts of Asfordby that don’t have access to informal recreation opportunities. This can be met by improving access to existing provision.

12. Sport and Recreation 12.1. Melton’s Open Space, Sport and Recreation Study was updated in 2011 and contains an audit of sport and recreation facilities in the Borough. Open Space 12.2 The Open Space Assessment identifies a number of amenity areas in the parish. There are known issues regarding the use and quality of some of these spaces. 12.3 Teenagers using children’s’ play areas in the evenings has been a problem, resulting in the play area being removed from the open space off Charnwood Road, Asfordby. The play area on Crompton Road could be improved. 12.4 There is interest in extending allotment provision. 12.5 Hoby Road cemetery is to be extended to provide additional burial space. Asfordby Sports Ground 12.6 Asfordby Sports Ground at Hoby Road has three senior, one junior (equivalent to a 9v9 pitch) and two mini pitches. In addition, it also has a floodlit, long-pile artificial grass pitch (small), sports hall (see below) and a clubhouse house facility. In summer there is a cricket pitch. The site is used by Asfordby Amateurs FC, Melton Allstars, Asfordby Amateur Girls and Asfordby Amateur Ladies. 12.7 Asfordby Amateurs FC has been awarded FA Charter Standard accreditation. The Club is run as a separate entity to Asfordby Ladies & Girls FC. It plays its fixtures at Asfordby Sports Ground and fields 14 teams, providing football opportunities from U7s through to U17. In addition, it delivers a mini soccer coaching academy, accommodating 40 children. It reports membership levels increase on a yearly basis by approximately 11 players from the mini soccer school. 12.8 Asfordby Amateurs FC rents its pitches from Asfordby Sports & Social Club. The Club reports the cost of hiring pitches is approximately £12k per year. Its long-term aspiration is to secure tenure of the site or alternatively relocate to Asfordby. 12.9 Latent demand is defined as the number of additional teams that could be fielded if there was access to a sufficient number of pitches. Asfordby Amateurs FC suggests it is operating at capacity and any future growth would result in the need for additional pitches. Pitch capacity suggests the site has spare capacity to accommodate a further 0.5 matches each week. Asfordby Amatuers Ladies & Girls FC have been awarded FA Charter Standard accreditation. It fields two women’s and six junior girls’ teams- all teams play at Asfordby Sports & Social Club. Holwell Sports and Social Club 12.10 Holwell Sports ground at Asfordby Hill has one senior pitch and a floodlit training pitch which is home to a first team, reserved and under-18 team. There is no junior football, but the Club would like to offer that facility. There is also a bowling green, tennis courts and a rifle range. Asfordby Parish Playing Field 12.11 The Parish Playing Field pitch, adjoining the Parish Hall, is of good quality and has the capacity to accommodate a further 1.5 matches per week. This site is currently used by Asfordby Village FC. Asfordby Hill Primary School 12.12 The school playing fields lie just outside the parish boundary and are shared with Mowbray Ranger junior football club; there are three junior football pitches and one mini pitch. Indoor Sports 12.13 The indoor sports assessment identifies Asfordby Amateurs Sports Club as having an indoor sports hall. The sports hall is rated as adequate but with opportunities for additional provision. Additional indoor sports and recreation provision is made by Asfordby Parish Hall, Asfordby Methodist Church and Holwell Sports and Social Club. Asfordby Captains Close Primary School has a swimming pool which is available for community and sports club use. Asfordby Parish Hall 12.14 Asfordby Parish Hall is well used for parties, weddings, sport, club meetings, conferences, etc. The Hall also hosts the parish clerk’s office and the Asfordby IT Centre. Both are open on a part-time basis. Angling 12.15 Asfordby and Melton Society of Anglers was established in 1991. Club waters include River Wreake from Valley Brook to Sarson Close and Asfordby Village field (via Riverside Close).

13 Energy 13.1 In 2008, average household energy use in the parish was almost 19,000kWh per year, a little more than the average consumption for Melton borough. Most households use mains gas. 13.2 A household is said to be in fuel poverty if it needs to spend more than 10% of its income on fuel to maintain a satisfactory heating regime. Almost 200 of Asfordby’s households are estimated to near, at risk or in fuel poverty. 69% of these being single-person households. 13.3 A planning application for the Asfordby Wind Farm was submitted to Melton Borough Council in December 2010 (10/00951/FUL). The Asfordby Wind Farm is a proposed 9 turbine Wind Farm with an installed capacity of up to 20.7MW to be located at Asfordby Business Park. The Wind Farm would be designed to have an operational life of at least 25 years and would provide enough electricity to meet the average needs of more than 8,500 homes; 33% of the households in the borough. With the wind turbines having a height of up to 125m, the planning application has been controversial and permission was refused by the Borough Council in July 2012. The applicants appealed against that decision and the subsequent public inquiry has been adjourned until November 2013.

14 Flooding 14.1 The area around Asfordby drains from the north to south, from an elevation of around 90 to 75m OAD. There is one ordinary watercourse with springs and ponds to the north-west of Asfordby. The Asfordby Relief Chanel was constructed in 2003 (a recently enmained watercourse) and runs along the A6006 and to the east of Asfordby. This was constructed to divert flows from the north around east Asfordby. A large area to the south of Asfordby lies in the floodplain of the River Wreake. 14.2 The Welby Brook flows from Ab Kettleby south through Asfordby Valley into the River Wreake. In 2005, flood defences were constructed to protect the Brook Crescent area of Asfordby Valley. About 20 properties are protected. 14.3 Potential flood risks are: . Fluvial flooding from the River Wreake (affecting areas to the south of Asfordby, including parts of southern Asfordby itself); . River flooding from the ordinary watercourse to the north-west of the village; . Groundwater flooding associated with spring activity in the area; . Overland flow from farmland to the north of the village (although this has been somewhat mitigated by the Asfordby Relief Channel); . Blockages or insufficient capacity of bridges and culverts on the watercourses.

15 Countryside 15.1 Asfordby is a mainly rural parish and the area that separates the three communities consists of largely undeveloped countryside. Although urban and industrial influences are rarely far away, there remain substantial areas of open, mainly arable, farmland. 15.2 The local landscape is characterised by four distinct areas described in the Melton Landscape Character Assessment; the Wreake Valley, Asfordby Quarry, Village Pastures and Ridge and Valley. Wreake Valley 15.3 This is a gentle lowland river valley landscape with contrasting sinuous river course and regular pattern of small to medium scale pastoral fields with distinct wetland and water areas from former gravel pits, and small-nucleated villages situated along the rising slopes of the valley edge. 15.4 Asfordby, Asfordby Valley and Asfordby Hill are located along the edge of the valley on rising ground above the floodplain. Areas of the flat valley floor have been worked for sand and gravel, and restored as lakes and wetland areas, valuable wildlife habitats and recreational areas. The village of Asfordby and the relatively recent developments of Asfordby Valley and Asfordby Hill are situated on the edge of the floodplain tucked into the rising land to the north. Asfordby is nucleated, centred around an historic core and separated from the industrial areas by a railway embankment. Areas away from the floodplain are less sensitive. Asfordby Quarry 15.5 This is the disturbed, excavated, hollow and depleted large-scale landscape of the former colliery, now partly transformed to industrial use. Large industrial buildings dominate the view, however the valley is enclosed and the views contained. Village Pastures 15.6 Village Pastures are perhaps one of the most typical landscape character areas within Melton, and include many of the smaller attractive villages within a distinctive historic pastoral landscape of small fields, often with ridge and furrow, enclosed by ancient and more recent irregular and regular shaped hedgerows with abundant hedgerow trees. Ridge and Valley 15.7 This area is typical of a broad swathe of land along the dip slopes to the south of Wold Tops, to the northwest of Melton Mowbray. Here the landform is distinctly rolling with a northwest to southeast grain, and the large-scale open arable fields along the ridgeline contrast with the smaller scale enclosed pastures on the valley sides and floors.

16 Green Wedges 16.1 There are concerns that development may lead to the loss of community identity through the coalescence of settlements. Melton Borough Council has undertaken a landscape character and visual assessment of the countryside between settlements where there is the potential for development pressure from our growth strategy. Green Wedges have been identified, but not defined, in the following locations to prevent coalescence of neighbouring settlements: Asfordby and Asfordby Valley 16.2 The settlement of Asfordby Hill is distinctly separate from Asfordby Valley and is surrounded by open countryside. As the area between Asfordby Hill and The Valley slopes significantly and there are extensive views from the south, any development of this area would have a impact on the quality of the surrounding countryside and affect the existing relationship with the Valley. An Area of Separation would be justified on the following basis: Asfordby Hill and Asfordby Valley 16.3 Asfordby and Asfordby Valley are separated by a narrow area of countryside. A small buffer area has been created with a recreational area and some woodland adjacent to the bypass. The eastern side of Asfordby Valley is still open countryside and in need of protection if a joining of the two settlements is to be avoided. 17 Biodiversity 17.1 Although there are no Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) within the parish, a Local Wildlife Site (LWS formerly known as Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs)) has been designated at Asfordby Hill. The southern end of the Holwell Works site is a non-statutory site designated primarily for limestone grassland habitat, and is known to be important for butterflies, the site is believed to be the only site in Leicestershire for the nationally scarce and protected plant the Deptford pink (Dianthus armeria). Establishing buffer zones around this designated site (or indeed expanding the designated site to take in more of the Holwell Works site) would increase the contribution this designated site makes to the biodiversity resources of the Borough as well as reducing the risk that the site would be impacted by development. A wildflower meadow has been created on Hoby Road. 17.2 Holwell works may also qualify as a Local Geodiversity Site (LGS) for being of historical importance for mineral extraction.

18 Historic Environment 18.1 Within the parish there are 18 Listed Buildings: Title Location Grade

Garden Boundary Wall with Beechcroft II Gate Piers to North West of 15 Church Lane Beechcroft

Red Lodge Red Lodge II Hoby Road Coach House And Stable at The Old Hall II The Old Hall Main Street

Village Cross Main Street II

Church of St Bartholomew Church Of St Bartholomew II* Welby Lane Chest Tomb Approximately 2 Church of All Saints II metres South West of Porch of Church Lane Church of All Saints

90 and 92, Main Street 90 and 92 Main Street II

The Old Hall The Old Hall II* Main Street The Blue Bell Public House The Blue Bell Public II House Main Street Title Location Grade

159 Main Street 159 Main Street II

Welby Grange Welby Grange II Welby Grange Cottage Grange Cottage II Welby Lane Barn at The Old Hall Barn at The Old Hall II Main Street Beechcroft, 15, Church Lane Beechcroft II* 15 Church Lane Church of All Saints Church of All Saints I Church Lane The Elms The Elms at Asfordby II Service Station Main Street Pump approximately 30 metres The Old Hall II South West of The Old Hall Main Street

Stone Outbuilding immediately Welby Grange II East of Welby Grange Welby 18.2 There is a Conservation Area for Asfordby which is centred on the historic core of the village. It includes the area around All Saints Church and an area of the washlands surrounding the old Mill including a footpath leading down to the old canal. The medieval bridge on Station Lane and an area of modern housing around The Grove, to the north-west, are also included.

19 Transport 19.1 The parish is bisected by the A6006 which links Melton Mowbray to the A46 near Six Hills and the A6 at Hathern. The A6006 lies to the north of Asfordby along a bypass that was opened in 1989. To the south of Asfordby is the A607 which links Leicester and Grantham. As a consequence the parish has good road access to Melton Mowbray, Loughborough, Leicester, Nottingham, East Midlands Airport and the M1. There are no passenger rail services in Asfordby parish, the nearest station is in Melton Mowbray. 19.2 Bus services are generally good. There is a regular daily bus service linking Asfordby, Asfordby Valley and Asfordby Hill to Leicester and Melton Mowbray (Arriva Midlands 5/5A). Centrebus provides a regular daily bus service to Loughborough, Melton Mowbray and Grantham (Centrebus 8). Centrebus also links the three villages to Melton Mowbray and Nether Broughton on a regular daily basis (Centrebus 23). 19.3 The Parish Council has been responsible jointly with Leicestershire County Council for waymarking, improving and maintaining the public rights of way in the parish. These efforts have been sponsored by the Countryside Commission. In the Centenary Year of the Parish Council was marked with a leaflet promoting the rights of way and, as Colonel Richard Dalgliesh was appointed the first Chairman of the Parish Council in 1894, the "Dalgliesh Walk" has been named after him. 19.4 National Route 48 of the National Cycle Network, known as Fosse2, will run from Lincoln to Exeter with optional extensions over Dartmoor to Plymouth Hoe and northwards to Spurn Point. The Nether Broughton to East Goscote stretch passes through Asfordby parish.

20 Infrastructure 20.1 Schools, health, leisure and community facilities, parks, green infrastructure, and transport improvements are required to support new development. However, current housing market conditions are poor and even if there is a quick recovery, land values will be affected for a longer period reducing the ability of development to fund infrastructure. 20.2 The State is spending significantly more money than it raises in taxation, and is having to meet the gap – called the deficit – by borrowing at record levels. The scale of the deficit has required the Government to make tough choices about how taxpayers’ money is allocated. In these difficult circumstances, we need to ensure that the delivery of housing and other development requirements is not compromised by unrealistic expectations about the future availability of public funding for infrastructure.

21 Planning

21.1 The Melton Core Strategy was to provide a framework for the preparation of the Asfordby Neighbourhood Plan. However, on 11 April 2013 the Secretary of State’s independent Planning Inspector, Mr Harold Stephens, wrote to the Council to set out his preliminary conclusions on the evidence that he had heard and seen concerning the Core Strategy. The Inspector considered the Core Strategy to be “unsound” in its present form and that the changes required to make it sound would be too significant to be dealt with through modifications.

21.2 On the 15 April 2013 the Borough Council decided to withdraw the Core Strategy and commence work on a new Melton Local Plan. The new Local Plan will take many months to prepare and in the meantime any planning applications will have to be judged against the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

22 Key Issues 22.1 The above profile provides a strong evidence base for the identification of the key issues that we face and which need to be addressed by the Asfordby Neighbourhood Plan:

Planning

There is no local framework to guide the preparation of the Asfordby Neighbourhood Plan

Economy

Many residents commute outside the parish for work

No local shop in Asfordby Hill or Asfordby Valley

Society

Population and housing growth

Ageing population

Changing housing needs

The need for affordable housing

Pressure for more housing development

No Children’s Centre Low levels of educational attainment

Concerns about crime and ant-social behaviour

Income deprivation affecting older people in Asfordby Hill/Asfordby Valley

Fuel poverty an issue for some single person households

Opportunities for the rationalisation of sports facilities

Environment

River Wreake informal recreation opportunities

Protecting the countryside between settlements

Peel Energy windfarm proposal

Holwell Works of biodiversity and geodiversity interest

Historic environment

Flooding

Transport and Infrastructure

High levels of car dependence

Road injuries and deaths

Reduced infrastructure funding

The data used in this profile comes from a variety of sources including- the Office for National Statistics, Home Office, Communities and Local Government, Melton Borough Council, Department of Transport, Natural England, Environment Agency, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Department of Energy and Climate Change, and the National Health Service. If you want to find out more about any of the matters raised in this section the following references provide further information. Many of these can be downloaded from the internet. www.statistics.gov.uk www.lsr-online.org www.melton.gov.uk/ www.nomisweb.co.uk/