Huge response to Councillors petition against Housing development

Proposals to put 450 houses between Barlestone and Osbaston have provoked huge opposition. Concerns have been raised that local infrastructure in the villages could not cope with this size of development.

Councillors Bill Crooks (Lib Dem; Barlestone, Osbaston) and Michael Mullaney Lib Dem, parliamentary spokesman for Bosworth, spoke to residents across the two villages about the plans and collected 434 signatures from local residents opposing the development.

Councillor Bill Crooks submitted the petition at a recent meeting of the Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Bill Crooks said "Michael Mullaney and I have been knocking on doors right across Barlestone and Osbaston encouraging residents to write into the Borough Council Planning Department with their comments regarding the planning application from Jupiter Strategic Land Developers to build 450 houses on green field land situated between Bosworth Road and the A447, most of which is in the Parish of Osbaston. As well as encouraging residents to write in, Michael Mullaney and I have also organised a petition so that people who might not write in could sign. The petition was presented by Councillor Crooks (Ward Member) at a meeting of the full Council.

Councillor Michael Mullaney who helped collect the petitions said "A big thank you to everyone who signed the petition. It was clear speaking to people that most people in both Barlestone and Osbaston are opposed to this development. I hope the planners will listen to people's concerns and that the proposals will be turned down by the Borough Council Planning Committee.

"People raised many concerns about the proposed development. There are worries that already overstretched local roads could not cope with this size of development, that the local Primary School is already heavily subscribed and could not cope with the possible amount of new students. The sewage works serving the villages are already struggling to cope and this scale of development would be too much for them.