Strategic Growth in Leicestershire– Another Way? Willoughby Waterleys Residents Association David Campbell-Kelly - Chair What is WWRA? • Willoughby Waterleys – Conservation village in Harborough District • Parish borders Blaby DC • Formed in 2018 in response to Strategic Growth Plan • Membership from nearly 90% of village. • Ensuring planning policy fairly and appropriately applied • Ensuring all alternatives are considered • Taken initial professional advice • Background to the Proposal • Midlands Connect – Upgrade A46 • Leicestershire Strategic Growth Plan – 2050 • Garden Village application – 2017 • Garden Village application – 2019 • Blaby Local Plan review • Leicester City – Local Plan • Junction 20a – M1 SGP- Probable By-pass Route • A46 Expressway mainly through Blaby and Harborough Districts • Start at J2 M69 • South of Sapcote, north of Broughton Astley • J20A of M1 at A426 interchange • Between Willoughby Waterleys and Countesthorpe. • South of Great Glen and East of Houghton on the Hill • Between Syston and Queniborough • 25 miles long and £2-3 billion Alternative Proposition • New M69 junction between J2 and M1 • NW then arcs to NE passing Desford • Routed between Ratby and Kirby Muxloe • Under M1 • And connect to existing A46 • A46 Northern by-pass improvements likely needed • Hobby Horse roundabout improvements Advantages of West and North route • 6 miles of new road not 25 miles • Huge cost saving • Through route – circa 8 miles shorter • Avoids high quality High Leicestershire landscape • Alleviates J21 pressure – through traffic avoids M1 completely • Reduced environmental impact • Maximises use of existing infrastructure Where else could development go? • Up to circa 15,000 homes possible associated with new road • Sustainable Urban Extension to New Lubbesthorpe • Additional Employment at Desford • Latest Government forecast households are lower • Leicester City needs to be challenged to do more to meet its own unmet need • Why are we looking 31 years ahead? Next Steps • Midlands Connect Stage 2 report • Harborough DC – conditional SGP support only • Blaby - Local Plan review • Blaby unfair increase from 360 to 925 new homes • No specific consultation on unmet need allocation in the County • J20a Business case – challenge needed • Funding Conclusion • We are not anti development • Want to see SUSTAINABLE development in right place • The SGP is reliant on new unsustainable infrastructure • No account of climate change impact in SGP • No commitment to public transport improvements in SGP • Over emphasis on Logistics – over supply and poor quality jobs • Realistic alternatives need to be FULLY considered • WILL COUNTESTHORPE JOIN US? .