There is just one week left to comment on the draft Masterplan consultation that proposes to turn St.Georges Barracks and the airfield training area in to a new town and large quarry. If you are concerned about these proposals then make sure your voice is heard, the more comments received from the local community the more chance we have of influencing the final form of the development.
Our influence has already been felt in the choice of options, the chosen option includes a ‘green gap’ between the new town and North Luffenham because the Parish Council lobbied on your behalf on this point. So what you say now matters.
You can respond on line by going to this webpage:
There is a link at the bottom of the page to the online form.
Or if you would like a paper form and a copy of the development proposals please contact Tim Collins at 6 Sycamore Road or by email tim.collins.nlv@btinternet.com
Key Issues to consider in your response
1. The scale and density of the proposed new town; is this ‘Right for Rutland’? If build as currently proposed the new town will have 3,500 homes, this equates to about 9,800 people. Rutland’s total population is currently only about 38,000 people. What do you think?
2. While we welcome the Masterplan’s proposal for a green gap to separate the village from the new town is this green gap wide enough? The current plans also suggest that much of the green gap should be given over to playing fields. The Parish Council feels that the green gap could be wider, a proper ‘greenbelt’ between our village and the new town and that it should not be suburbanised with playing fields. We feel the last point is of particular importance as it poses a real risk to the green space: unused playing fields have been sold off for housing development and if well used they pose a threat of development creep with clubhouses and night time flood lights. We believe the green gap should be part of the proposed country park and available for the quiet enjoyment of all local residents.What do you think?
3. The Masterplan proposes that a quarry should be developed to within a few hundred metres of North Luffenham and that it should extend up to the southernmost boundary of the old airfield. This poses a noise and pollution risk to our village. The Parish Council believes there should be a wider separation zone, and that the quarry should not cross south of the old airfield taxi way. This would provide a better buffer zone, be less intrusive in the wider landscape and would also conserve an access corridor to the proposed heritage and ecology zone around the Thor Missile Sites. Importantly this access corridor would continue to provide fantastic views over the Chater valley, views that would be lost to the public if the site was quarried.What do you think?
4. The Masterplan does not currently set out any clear plans for the infrastructure that will (or won’t) be provided before and during the building of the new town. We feel this is a major omission. In addition to the issues already mentioned the acceptability of the proposals will depend on improvements to major road junctions and how the routes the inhabitants of the new town are steered (through careful design and planning) to use in getting to and from it.What do you think?
Now is your chance to make your voice heard – don’t miss out.
PS – If you have already responded and feel there are still issues you would like to raise then please respond again to the consultation
