Since November 2008, Blaby District council have been drafting the final submission of the LDF (Local Development Framework) Core document which will dictate planning and housing policy in the district until 2026.  Within this document, LARD has identified two policies that directly affect Littlethorpe and its neighbours, these are...

1. Littlethorpe will be taking at least 150 additional properties from the period of 2006 to 2026.  This is an increase of 21% when compared against Croft, Cosby, Narborough and Whetstone who on average have been assigned a 7% increase.  Please review this table for details.
2. In the event of developer's wishing to build affordable housing on Green Wedge sites, the District Council can waive any planning or building regulations and restrictions.  This could allow developers to avoid contributions and responsibilities to education authorities, transport infrastructure and flood prevention.

The full consultation can be found here where you can review the 'Core Strategy' and other supporting documentation.  It is highly advisable you read through these materials to understand how Blaby District will be shaped over the next 17 years and how those changes will affect Littlethorpe and its neighbouring villages.  However, we've created a simple guide to completing the online form below that will allow you to make your representation to the council regarding the above and preserving our Green Fields.

Your comments must be submitted either online through this form or by downloading this document and sending it to the address stated in the document.  We cannot stress how important it is for you to make your feelings known to the District Council, it is only by making such representations that we can effectively stop developments, such as the one by Davidsons, in the future...

LDF / Core Strategy Cheat Sheet

This uses the example of objecting to the number of properties allocated to Littlethorpe.

1. Click here and then onto the 'Submit your response online' or click here for the direct link.
2. Click onto the button titled 'Submit Comments...’ located at the top of the page.
3. If you received a letter from the District Council in early August, enter the reference you were given on the covering letter in the 'Customer Login' box.  (If you did not receive a letter, don't worry, you can still submit your comments without entering this).  Click onto the 'Next Page' button.
4. Complete your name and address.  In the 'Contact Type, select 'Via Email' and enter your email address in the Contact Details, if desired, as well as any other information you feel comfortable providing.  Note: there is no need to complete any 'Agent Details'.
5. Click onto the ‘Next Page >>’ button
6. To submit your thoughts regarding Littlethorpe receiving an unfair proportion of additional properties, select the following options...
• In 'What would you like to Comment on?' select 'Policy'
• In 'What is your policy comment concerning?' select 'Policy Content'
• In 'Please select the Policy Title with Reference' select 'Settlement Hierarchy -- POLICY 5'
• Select 'Inform the Authority that you would like to Object to the Document/Policy' and click onto 'Next Page >>'
7. The next page is the 'Tests of Soundness' where you must select the appropriate selections, e.g. 'Is Unsound because it is not: Justified'
8. Click onto the 'Next Page >>' button.  If you want to, you may feel it appropriate to enter different information within this page.
9. In this page (Document Summary), enter your comments and justification to those comments such as it not being in proportion with other villages, the overloaded transport infrastructure (i.e. train crossing), clogged up roads (even more clogged up due to the car park being charged for) and over-subscribed classrooms at Greystrokes.
10. In the Representation Method, please select the appropriate entry.  Note: unless you want to attend any meetings please select 'Written Representation'.
11. In the 'Did you raise the matter that is the subject of your representation...' select 'No' and provide appropriate comments unless you've raised this issue in the previous comment submittal in November 2008.
12. When completed, click onto the 'Make New Comment' to add more comments, for example on policies regarding the green wedges, or click onto the 'Submit Comments' to complete the process.

OTHER OBJECTIONS : GREEN WEDGES

Regarding the Green Wedge and allowing those Green Wedges to be built upon and the elimination of any regulations in the event of a proposal, the following elements are effected...

• Objecting about the 'Document' and section 6.17, where...
  
  "although it will be the strategic approach to release less sensitive areas of Green Wedge to meet development requirements."
  
  This defeats the principal of assigning land as Green Wedge and gives license to developers to build on prime land that is either part of the green lung (separating Cosby, Whetstone, Littlethorpe, Narborough and Enderby from one of the most busiest Motorways in the country) or causing villages to spill into each other, blurring their settlement boundaries and losing their unique identities.
  
  
• Objecting about Policy 6 and specifically section 7.6.6.
  
  "On sites where 100% affordable housing is being provided, the Council will consider reducing or removing planning obligations. The Council is intending to produce an Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document to consider these issues in more detail."
  
  This is effectively gives license to the Council to waive any obligations that housing developers may have to educational bodies, transport, flood prevention and any other pertinent rules or regulations AND to do this on Green Wedge land.  Safe to say this isn't an acceptable policy and will only encourage cavalier and irresponsible developments in the future.
  
  
• Finally, objecting on Policy 15 on Green Wedges, section 7.15.2.
  
  "In order to meet the development requirements of the District the Council recognises that some areas of existing Green Wedge (as set out in the Council’s adopted Local Plan) will need to be reviewed. In order to identify those areas of Green Wedge that could accommodate growth (without undermining the integrity of the Green Wedge and its functions), the Council has undertaken a review of all Green Wedge areas to assess which are most (and least) sensitive to future Green Wedge boundary reviews."
  
  The importance of Green Wedges has not faded over time and if anything, the protection of all previous allocated Green Wedges takes a greater weighting considering current and future environmental factors such as clean air, flood run-off and maintaining unique and fragile eco-systems.