Shenton Lane Inquiry
Background
On 4 April 2023 the Parish Council was notified that a planning application submitted by Gladman Developments Ltd for development of land on Shenton Lane for up to 125 dwellings had gone to Appeal and that an Appeal Inquiry had been scheduled to take place at the Hinckley Hub over an anticipated 6 days commencing on 25 July 2023.
The planning application was originally submitted to the local planning authority, Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council (HBBC) for consideration in 2022. The application was not determined - either approved or refused - by HBBC by its target deadline, therefore Gladman Developments Ltd have taken the application to the Planning Inspectorate for determination by Appeal instead. The Appeal reference is APP/K2420/W/23/3317090.
On 13 April 2023 the Parish Council applied to the Planning Inspectorate for Rule 6 party status to enable an active role at the Inquiry. Rule 6 party status was granted the same day.
Gladman Developments have issued many documents relating to their Appeal which are under constant review.
Principle documents are Gladman's 'Statement of Case' in which their arguments for approval of the planning application are laid out, and their 'Statement of Common Ground' with HBBC.
Gladman Developments Ltd's Statement of Case (PDF, 269 Kb)
Gladman Developments Ltd's Statement of Common Ground (PDF, 222 Kb)
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council's role as the Local Planning Authority
As the Local Planning Authority, Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council (HBBC) will attend the Appeal Inquiry commencing 25 July 2023. HBBC has submitted documents to the Planning Inspectorate in response to Gladman Development's Statement of Case. Updates on the status of the planning application and Appeal can be viewed on HBBC's website.
HBBC's documents include a Statement of Case prepared by Leicestershire County Council as the Local Highway Authority, as well as their own Statement of Case.
HBBC Statement of Case (PDF, 191 Kb)
LCC Highways' Statement of Case (PDF, 184 Kb)
The Parish Council's role
As a Rule 6 party, the Parish Council must also prepare a Statement of Case and Statement of Common Ground.
The Statement of Common Ground is currently being prepared, whilst the Statement of Case was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 11 May 2023 along with the Parish Council's supporting documents which are all shown below:
Market Bosworth Parish Council - Statement of Case (PDF, 431 Kb)
Market Bosworth Parish Council Statement of Case Appendices (PDF, 1.6 Mb)
Market Bosworth Design Codes (PDF, 7.7 Mb)
Market Bosworth Landscape Review (PDF, 6.1 Mb)
Market Bosworth Tree and Hedgerow Survey (PDF, 8.8 Mb)
Market Bosworth Housing Needs Assessment (PDF, 1.3 Mb)
Housing Needs of Market Bosworth - survey by HBBC (PDF, 477 Kb)
Market Bosworth HNA 2020 (PDF, 755 Kb)
An Appraisal of the Character of the Approaches to the Market Bosworth Conservation Area (PDF, 1.8 Mb)
Assets of Local Heritage Value (PDF, 1.8 Mb)
Community Crowdfunding
To support its role as a Rule 6 Party, the Parish Council resolved at an Extraordinary Meeting on 2 May 2023 to appoint a barrister to assist with the initial two stages of the Appeal Inquiry: preparation of the Parish Council's Statement of Case, deadline 11 May 2023 and to attend the Case Conference on 25 May 2023.
It would be enormously beneficial for the Parish Council to appoint a barrister for the actual Inquiry itself. The barrister would put forward the Parish Council's objections, stressing the local viewpoint, and would respond to questions from Gladman's barrister in a more confident manner than Councillors or the Clerk may be able.
The Parish Council is delighted to learn that, due to the strength of community feeling against this planning application, a crowdfunding site has been set up to raise funds to contribute to the Parish Council to fund the costs of appointing a barrister.
The crowdfunding site has been set up by a group called Market Bosworth Community in Action. As at 20 May the group has raised an astonishing £16,000 towards a target of £25,000, with 11 days left to go.
Thank you to everyone in the community for such enthusiastic and affirming support for the work of the Parish Council in the Appeal Inquiry!
