Campaigners celebrate as plans to destroy Hinckley's Big Pit are turned down

A proposal to fill in the "Big Pit" behind Ashby Road in Hinckley and build houses on the site was turned down at the County Council Planning Committee this afternoon.

Hundreds of local residents signed petitions and wrote in to object to the proposals to destroy the Big Pit. Campaigner,s including local Lib Dem Borough Councillors Jeff Bannister, Lynda Hodgkins and Keith Nichols objected to the plans. Whilst Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council also opposed the plans to fill in the Big Pit.

Hinckley's Liberal Democrat County Councillors David Bill and Michael Mullaney went to the Planning meeting to put the local residents case for saving the "BIg Pit".

Reacting to the Committee's decision to oppose the destruction of the Big Pit Cllr Michael Mullaney said "This is great news for residents living in the Ashby Road, Stoneygate Drive area of Hinckley. There has been huge opposition from local residents to the plans to fill in and build on the "Big Pit".

"The Big Pit is a local environmental asset for this part of Hinckley. When filled with water it virtually forms a lake and it has long been an area for local wildlife.

"People didn't want to see this local nature feature destroyed, and the County Council's own Ecologist objected to the plans to destroy the Big Pit.

"There were also real concerns at the sheer number of lorry movements that would have been required to go down Ashby Road to infill the Pit. There were concerns about the noise and dust that would have been created by the plans. There were also widespread fears that if the "Big Pit", which regularly fills with water, were to be built upon it could cause serious flooding problems in the local area."

Cllr David Bill added "We are delighted that the Big Pit has been saved despite the strenuous efforts of County Planners to persuade County Councillors to have it filled with rubble.

"This was a tremendous effort on behalf of the local community who rallied round to make sure that their views were known.

"This is of course only one further twist in the story of the "Big Pit" which goes back to the start of the last century.

"We will not be satisfied until it is officially recognised as a public and environmental amenity,

"We now need to start planning for what comes next. We want to hear from everyone who wants to take part"