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A planning application (ref 20/01021/OUT) has been submitted to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council (HBBC), our Local Planning Authority (LPA), for outline planning permission for up to 63 dwellings on land North of Station Road.

The Market Bosworth Neighbourhood Plan is based on extensive consultation with residents and stakeholders and this proposed site was explicitly rejected as suitable for housing during consultation as part of the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan.

The original Neighbourhood Plan consultation identified two potential sites for development; land to the North and land to the South of Station Road. The outcomes from the 500 households who answered this question were:

North of Station Road(Golf Course side) / No. 131 / 28%

South of Station Road (Industrial Estate side) / No. 328 / 64%

Nil response / No. 41 / 9%

The clear preference by 64% of the respondents was for the South of Station Rd, and this was subsequently endorsed in the final Neighbourhood Plan by 89% of respondents in the referendum prior to its adoption.

The stakeholder, landowners and Hinckley and Bosworth Council have been working collaboratively to develop a Masterplan for the development of over 100 houses plus some additional premises which would offer employment opportunities on the South side of Station Road. This Masterplan will shortly be available for full consultation in order to bring the scheme forward.

Residents may recall being sent a postcard by the developer requesting comments as to the suitability of the site north of Station Road. Please be aware that this is a formal requirement for the developer but carries no weight with the planning department. Even if you have responded to this postcard your response will not be considered to be a response to this formal planning application and you should now comment formally as outlined below if you want your comment to be considered when this planning application is reviewed by HBBC’s planning department.

You should also be aware that this is an outline planning application and any eventual development will be subject to further applications and may bear little resemblance to the outline shown in this application, but once outline permission has been granted there is little likelihood of being able to make significant objections to the development.

Both Market Bosworth Parish Council and Bosworth Vision (the Neighbourhood Planning Group) believe that this application should be declined as; it is in direct conflict with the wishes of residents expressed during the development of the Neighbourhood Plan and conflicts with a number of policies in the Plan.

You can view and make comments on the planning application at https://pa.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/online-applications/, putting the reference 20/01021/OUT into the Keywords search field.

The Neighbourhood Plan can be viewed at Neighbourhood Plan

It would be very helpful if any comments you do submit to the LPA (via the above link or via email at planning@hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk) are copied to Market Bosworth Parish Council (email: clerk@marketbosworth-pc.gov.uk) or dropped into the post box at the Parish Hall on Park Street.

Note that the deadline for submitting comments is 5th November.