EMAIL TO STEVE ATKINSON & TREVOR PROWSE REGARDING GROBY COLLEGE PRESENTATION

From: **** ******* [mailto:*******@ntlworld.com]
Sent: 20 February 2009 16:28
To: Steve Atkinson
Cc: Trevor Prowse; (& others)

Subject: Last night's meeting

Dear Mr Atkinson,

Thank you and Mr Prowse for attending last night's meeting at Groby.

It would have been easy to leave such a presentation to the planning officers involved in drawing up the proposals and I am sure you were both well aware of the reception those proposals - and its proponents - would receive.

I also appreciate that you took the time to underline the fact that the meeting was organised and hosted by the Council and not by any political party. As I'm sure you would agree, this issue transcends politics and the Council should never be seen to be favouring one political party over another - or giving the impression that it was doing so.


The failings of the night have been well documented in other emails to you that have been copied to me.

I hope the main success of the night - for all parties concerned - was that you were left in no uncertain terms as to the fundamental flaws in the decision to consider Groby for significant housing developments and for a travellers' site.

I understand the Council has to find space within the borough for new houses and for new travellers' sites and I realise it is no easy task to carry through such Government requirements without upsetting a few people.

Surely the key is to put such developments in locations that are best suited for them, and which cause the least amount of disruption and inconvenience to the people of the borough for whom you are already responsible?

No healthcare, educational or dental facilities

It was obvious from last night that Groby is already hugely under-served with regards to education, dental and healthcare facilities, plus other community infrastructure.

It is also obvious that the Council's 'plans' to address these issues are no more than a wish list that depends (a) on the disposition of the county council and the Primary Care Trust to develop facilities in Groby, (b) the availability of funds within those bodies to finance the developments and (c) the availability of land for development in a village that has none!

You have no money, no space, no plans and no timeframe to accommodate the healthcare and dental requirements of more than half of the village's current population. You have no money, no space, no plans and no timeframe to accommodate the growing educational requirements of the village.

We have seen substantial housing developments around the village over the last twenty years or so - none of which have resulted in the creation of the necessary broader infrastructure.

The addition of a further 109 houses and a travellers' site will do nothing to improve that situation and will, in fact, exert even more pressure on an already-critical situation.

This will not help current residents or new ones - something that is especially pertinent with regards to travellers and Circular 1/06, a document you were happy to feature in your presentation but which you haven't taken a blind bit of notice of when creating your proposals.

Where is the logic in putting travellers where there are no healthcare and educational facilities for them - criteria that are so important that they are mentioned several times in the guidelines to which you are supposed to adhere?

A transit site that won't help the borough

It was also obvious from last night's meeting that there is a far more suitable location for a transit site in Stoke Road, Hinckley. It is more central for the borough and, as such, is more useful in terms of removing illegal campsites quickly and efficiently from within the borough. Besides which, I understand there is more of a requirement for such a site in Hinckley, plus the town has a far greater number of the required facilities than Groby will ever be able to provide.

Such a site in Groby would quickly be filled by Leicestershire Constabulary with caravans from illegal sites across Leicester, but from outside the borough - meaning the site would be of no help at all in resolving Hinckley & Bosworth's illegal camps.

Where is the logic in that - a borough transit site that can't be used for the borough?


These are just two of the many concerns that local people and local politicians have regarding the proposals in their current form.

It is very disappointing that the Council's own planning officers couldn't see the same issues when compiling their report in the first place.

Fortunately, this consultation period gives you and them the opportunity to rectify matters. For the sake of the Council's and your own reputations, I very much hope that you do just that.

Yours sincerely,
**** *******
________________________________________

Hi **** & Steve,

I would also like to back **** in thanking you for your time at the meeting, and rather than writing you another full email covering the same as **** I would just like to say that his email is very true and gets 100% backing from me!

My other concern which I feel needs covering is the Policing issue that I raised at the meeting with regards to the lack of police and the poor response times in arriving at an incident when it happens in the village. To increase the population of Groby or any other village in the area will put an even greater strain on this very limited resource, please can you tell me what influence HBBC have on the policing levels within our villages and how we can get these improved?

One other point that seems to have been overlooked is that the children from all the surrounding villages end up at Groby Community College, so whether it’s Ratby, Thornton, Kirby Muxloe or Markfield my children’s education will suffer regardless as the school is already overpopulated, under funded and under resourced to accommodate the pupils they have attending at present, could you also clarify how this will be addressed prior to any increase in population within the surrounding area??
Kind Regards

***** ***