WHETSTONE PASTUR ES DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTUS FOREWORD Private and public sector working together. If you are reading this, then you have already taken the first step towards getting involved in what I feel is a unique and exciting opportunity. Blaby District is a great place to live, as you’ll discover when you read on, and an area which we are committed to making Cllr Terry Richardson, Leader of the Council even better. Our residents and businesses are happy and prospering and our economy is strong, but we know that we can’t be complacent and have to look to the future in order to meet the needs of our communities. Going forward we will need to provide additional housing, jobs, roads, schools and places to stay healthy and relax. We are a forward-thinking organisation, and keen to support growth where it is sustainable and deliverable. I believe that this project is a great opportunity to do just that. It will see the creation of a brand new community in the right place, at the right time, and with the infrastructure needed. We already have a strong partnership around the table, and a clear delivery strategy in place which I am confident we will deliver. We now need the right development partner in place so that we can make it happen. This is an exciting time for Blaby and we hope you will consider being part of it. Thank you for your interest, and for taking the time to read this, and we look forward to discussing this opportunity with you very soon. Site boundary for indicative purposes only. WHETSTONE PASTURES 2 3 WHETSTONE PASTURES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The development of the Whetstone Pastures site represents a unique opportunity to deliver a major greenfield mixed-use site in a sustainable and effective partnership with the public sector. This will include the delivery of: • A new M1 Junction (J20a), as part of the wider road network infrastructure, including the potential for a Southern Leicester Distributor Road, • A highly significant strategic industrial and logistics opportunity, in the heart of the East Midlands with regional and national significance, • Ambition for approximately 4 million square feet (371,612 sq m) of logistics space with around 5,000 jobs, • New garden village providing c.3,500 homes - an immediate source of local labour, • Simple landowner structure, • Blaby District Council support, • Within advanced local economic partnership area that has already levered over £250m investment for economic and infrastructure development • 22 million people within a 3 hour HGV drive time, • 95% of the population can be reached within a 4 hour HGV drive time, • Industrial and logistics demand is set to continue and Whetstone Pastures offers an exciting opportunity to create a leading employment environment, • Schools, healthcare, sports facilities, green and blue infrastructure, new local shops and community facilities. Blaby District Council is committed to working with both the landowners and the appointed Development Partner to create a high-quality, high-value community that will capitalise on the benefits that our public-sector partners can bring. This opportunity has the ability to focus the skills that both the private and public sector can deliver in a partnership forum that will maximise the potential of this site. This approach will provide both political and financial certainty that will create a firm and stable delivery platform to ensure value creation, sustainability and quality. It will also see partners working together in order to secure public sector investment where possible and explore options for innovation based upon a pragmatic approach focused on the delivery objective. Site boundary for indicative purposes only. WHETSTONE PASTURES 4 5 WHETSTONE PASTURES INTRODUCTION This document is intended to draw together and set out the aspirations, determination and collaborative Map Key approach of both the landowners and Blaby District Council, to deliver a sustainable mixed-use community Footpath through a unified vision. Gas Line Overhead Power Lines The partnership of public and private sectors is determined to create current and future residents of the District. It is an opportunity to create a protocol and approach to cooperation that will endure and form the a wide choice of high quality homes of a size, type and tenure that will Total Ownership Area basis of success. respond to local needs, all set within the context of a self-sustaining, 441 ha / 1,089 ac viable, strong, vibrant and healthy community. It is also an opportunity to The Whetstone Pastures Development proposal offers a unique support the delivery of a sustainable, renewable and low-carbon energy opportunity to deliver truly sustainable strategic growth; comprising strategy and associated infrastructure to help support the move to a low- Based on Ordnance Survey 1:2500 mapping a new community, large scale employment opportunities and with the permission of the Controller of HMSO carbon future, which is central to the economic, social and environmental ©Crown Copyright Licence No ES 100018525 considerable benefits for the surrounding highways network. The plans elements of truly sustainable development. Whetstone Pastures will create would ensure the delivery of a new M1 Junction (J20a), approximately a community that is sustainable both socially and financially. 4 million square feet (371,612 sq m) of industrial and logistics development with over 5,000 new jobs and in excess of 3,500 homes These aspirations are based on a pragmatic approach to delivery that will based on Garden Village aspirations. This sustainable new community ensure that ambitions are matched by financial probity. All opportunities for will deliver facilities including schools, healthcare and sports, green and leveraging in public and private investment will be explored. The support blue infrastructure, new local shops and other community facilities, all for this project is underpinned by a considerable amount of high level set within an attractive landscaped network of streets and parks, on a strategic work that has been, and continues to be undertaken as part of the site located approximately 6 miles (10km) from the major commercial future growth requirements for Leicester and the Leicestershire Area. hub of Leicester City Centre, in the Districts of Blaby and Harborough, The scheme will include the provision of a new M1 Motorway Junction South West Leicestershire. (20a). This piece of major infrastructure is of national and regional This opportunity is coming forward at a time of renewed government importance, and provides enhanced opportunities for future growth within focus on growth and support for large scale strategic development Blaby District and the wider Leicester and Leicestershire area as a whole. It and delivery of major infrastructure. The proposal builds on the is envisaged that the development of the Garden Village and employment opportunities set out in the Housing White Paper, ‘Fixing Our Broken and logistics park will play a key role in the delivery of the new motorway Housing Market’, which was published on 7th February 2017 and the junction. Blaby District Council, Leicestershire County Council and the Industrial Strategy White Paper , ‘Building a Britain fit for the future’, landowners, consider that the regional significance of the proposed published in November 2017 and subsequent consultation documents. motorway junction make it a project which has the potential to receive This is pivotal to the strategic ambitions of Blaby District and the wider support from a variety of sources of public funding. Leicester and Leicestershire Region. Uniquely this project has support It is understood that to deliver a development of this scale requires a from Blaby District Council, Leicestershire County Council and Homes willingness to work collaboratively, with a passion for success, based on England (formerly the Homes & Community Agency). the delivery of high quality development. The proposal for this major The size of the Whetstone Pastures Development proposal would development has cross party support from members of Blaby District signify a step change in the way in which growth is delivered within Blaby Council and the involvement of the local authority’s senior officers. District and represents the District and County Councils’ proactive approach to delivering future development that meets the needs of WHETSTONE PASTURES 6 7 WHETSTONE PASTURES REV DATE INITIAL M1 BLABY LITTLETHORPE WHETSTONE COUNTESTHORPE COSBY REV DATE INITIAL M1 THE OPPORTUNITY M1 BLABY LITTLETHORPE WHETSTONE The Whetstone Pastures site represents an exceptional The momentum that has grown behind the scheme is unique as it Blaby District Council had the foresight to actively explore opportunity to deliver a high-quality, mixed-use community has received support within Blaby District Council from both the the possibility of a large strategic development to deliver a where placemaking will deliver long-term socio-economic value. Planning Department and local members as well as backing from substantial part of the housing and employment allocation up The proposed Garden Village and major logistics destination will Homes England. The proposal for this major development has until 2033. Therefore, the visionary developer will be able to become regionally important in terms of economic growth and cross party support from members of Blaby District Council and optimise this opportunity and grow the brand to the benefit of all. will be a focus for sustainable development for