Residents fight plans to add 120 homes to scheme

Residents are fighting proposals to add another 120 homes to a housing scheme in their town.

Land to the south of Sutton Close in Oadby, Leicestershire, has been included in the borough council's emerging local plan - which sets out areas the authority want to build on and where.

The council's plan said the site, which would be an extension to the existing 600-home Cottage Farm development, could take "at least" 120 new properties, according to documents.

Residents held a meeting to draw up a statement objecting to the proposals over a potential loss of countryside and impact on roads and nearby services, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It said roads in Oadby suffered "severe and ongoing traffic congestion", especially around schools, and there had been concerns over emergency service access with reports of an ambulance being "blocked from reaching an elderly resident due to severe congestion".

There are also "significant concerns about the capacity of existing local services" such as schools and doctors "to accommodate the increased population", objectors added.

The draft local plan said a detailed transport assessment to consider the impact on nearby roads would be required before any development could take place.

It also said the council would seek contributions towards schools, healthcare and community facilities from developers.

The statement, which objectors have submitted individually to the council's public consultation, which ended on Friday, said residents understood the council "undoubtedly faces pressure to meet its housing targets".

It added: "The focus must be on delivering the right development in the right places."

Oadby and Wigston Borough Council will compile and respond to all the representations received, before submitting its plan to the government's Planning Inspectorate.

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