Hundreds object to fresh plans for homes in village

Residents living in a Leicestershire village where fresh plans for 155 homes have been submitted fear of more flooding if the development is approved.

Blaby District Council previously refused an application from Gladman Developments Ltd for 108 homes on land off Oak Road in Littlethorpe in July 2019.

Now the firm has submitted a second application, which was sent to the council in June, for the homes near Narborough railway station.

In response, the developers said in planning documents that the site was at "low risk of fluvial flooding".

According to the latest plans, a new road and cycle path would be created, connecting the development to Oak Road, while pedestrian access would be created to the estate from Chestnut Close and Beechwood Road.

It would include 39 "affordable" homes, as well as public open spaces, footpaths, play areas and landscaped green areas.

A consultation carried out by the developers before the latest application found concerns about the development's impact on the nearby road network and schools and services, flooding at the site, and how the development would affect wildlife.

And the residents' association of Chestnut Close in Littlethorpe fear the worst.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said more than 350 people had objected to the proposals online, with additional postal objections.

The association said: "The floodplain five years ago was not as high as it is now.

"It is right on the edge of the new development, and we know for a fact that this field was flooded last year.

"If the 155 houses get built, all the water off the roofs, the driveways and the new roads will go straight into this river.

"Consequently, the flooding will be a lot worse. We know early this year or late last year, it was impossible to get out of this village, without going through flood water. When the field floods, it sort of sinks down where the stream is, it is like Lake Geneva over there."

Villagers said they were also fearful the new development would cause further traffic issues, and also expressed fears over the potential effect on wildlife.

"Not only do we get badgers, we get rabbits and pheasants," they said.

In the planning documents, the developer stated that its flood risk assessment said: "The development would be operated with minimal risk of flooding, would not increase flood risk elsewhere and is compliant with the requirements of national and local policy and guidance."

It added surface water runoff would be managed with sustainable drainage systems.

Documents stated the site had been "designed to minimise its ecological impact" and the proposed homes would "not have any adverse impact on the transport network" surrounding the site, including "both capacity and safety aspects".

A consultation on the plans ended on 29 July, with a decision expected on 29 August.

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