The planning application is in.

The planning application for the Willoughby Road fields has been received by Blaby DC and they have posted a notice to that effect. The picture on the right is of the notice attached to the allotments field gate. clicking on the picture or here should load a larger picture but it may take some time to load so below is a transcript of the text. BLABY DISTRICT COUNCIL Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 Notice Under Article 8 Proposed development at Land At Willoughby Road Countesthorpe Leicester

Planning application notice.(click on the image for a larger version)

I hereby give notice that Davidsons Group is applying to Blaby District Council for planning permission for; Proposed residential development (maximum 120 dwellings) associated landscaping and infrastructure with access from Willoughby Road (Outline).

Application is classed as a Major Development

The application does not accord with the provisions of the Development Plan in force in the area

Members of the public may inspect copies of the application, plans and other documents submitted with it at the Planning Department, Blaby District Council, Desford Road, Narborough, Leicester during normal office hours. Anyone who wishes to make representations about this application should write to the Council at the above address within 21 days of the date of this notice; quoting reference number 09/0780/1/OX.

 The notice is signed and dated 20/01/2009

The notice also carries a map of the proposed development shown here on the right. This outline appears to agree with the previously published digrams from Davidsons but makes no mention of the feared access through Glebe Drive.

What does this all mean?

Well the bit that probably caught your eye is "The application does not accord with the provisions of the Development Plan in force in the area"

Its complicated and I'm not sure I have it completely but here goes.
Over the last five years due to large developments at Broughton Astley and other places Blaby has built more than its quota in its existing housing framework but this is due to be replaced. The new ten year framework is not yet ready but will be soon. I'm not certain if the 'current' framework is expired but it seems it may be. So with The Government (if you can call it that) pushing for housing and the developers and Church eager for a fast buck they are all jumping in to get planning through in the uncontrolled period.
It gets worse; because there is no framework in place, any refused planning application gets taken to appeal and in whitehall and is pretty well automatically allowed to proceed due to it being an election year.

Oh, and you know that application on Countesthorpe Road? Well the appeal on that doesn't report until AFTER the meeting to decide the Willoughby application. If we didn't know how trustworthy our politicians and and public officials were we could almost think that there was a hidden agenda but perish the thought.