Our Proposal
This Public Consultation has now closed. Thank you for all comments received, which will be considered by Lagan Homes.
THE FRAMEWORK PLAN
THE ILLUSTRATIVE MASTERPLAN
The main features of the evolving proposals are:
- About 470 dwellings including a policy compliant level of affordable housing and including a range of housing types catering for a variety of ages, family sizes and tenures in line with the requirements of relevant planning policies. The proposal could also include a care home/retirement home;
- Green open spaces across the Site will provide a number of functions and activities, including play and recreational activity, as well as biodiversity benefits through the retention of trees and hedgerows which will retain ecological connectivity and enhance ecology networks;
- A new link road running within the new development between Markfield Road and Desford Lane could ease congestion on Main Street and is designed to have an active frontage with on-street parking and to cater for cyclists and pedestrians. The new primary school and community hub/village hall will have easy access from this road;
- Burroughs Road will be retained as a ‘green route’ with priority for pedestrians and cyclists. Part of the road beyond the recreation ground adjacent to the Plough Inn and up to the new link road will be downgraded to pedestrian/cyclist use only. This will encourage vehicles to utilise the new link road rather than Main Street;
- New pedestrian routes, linked to the wider footpath network will significantly enhance residents’ ability to connect to the countryside;
- Provision of land and financial contributions towards a new village hall/community hub facility and a new primary school. The existing Parish Council village hall is old, small and highly constrained and Ratby primary school has no capacity to expand;
- A functional and connected layout of well-designed streets, paths, and routes with priority given to pedestrians and cyclists to encourage sustainable modes of transport. The proposal will integrate tree-lined primary streets and key buildings to address important spaces and to promote legibility;
- Substantial new tree planting particularly on the western edge to promote the Site’s contribution to the National Forest, enhance amenity, filter views in the wider landscape and address the challenges of climate change. Green corridors permeate the development to provide visual relief and a genuinely landscape-led approach, connecting people to nature;
- The Site is predominately in an agricultural use and the proposal will deliver at least a 10% net gain for biodiversity. This will be achieved through substantial new planting and generous levels of green space provision;
- The new homes proposed will be subject to stringent energy efficiency requirements including the use of air source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points which will mitigate impacts upon the environment;
- The proposals include surface water drainage measures, to ensure that the development achieves greenfield run-off rates. This means that the amount of water running from the developed Site would be no more than the current rates, as an undeveloped field. This will ensure that flood risk is not increased elsewhere as a consequence of the proposed development. The measures will include a number of drainage ponds which will facilitate the creation of habitat-rich areas of wetland.
