Alberto Costa, MP for South Leicestershire, has formally applied to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to review the flawed plans for the Lutterworth East development.
Alberto, who issued a survey on the proposed development to households in parts of South Leicestershire including Lutterworth and the villages of Bitteswell, Cotesbach, Gilmorton, Kimcote, Walton, Shawell, Walcote and Misterton, said he received an enormous response from over 2,000 households who had quickly returned their completed surveys over the past two weeks to express their strongly held views on this controversial project.
Of the 2,183 surveys returned, a whopping 97% of respondents stated they supported Mr Costa applying to the UK government to ‘call-in’ the project, the review mechanism to reconsider the divisive plans. A massive 95% of household respondents are opposed to the plans for a new warehousing park at the commercial site end with a clear 75% of households stating that the proposed ‘spine road’, the road running right through the new development, should be built much closer to the M1 motorway. Most revealing of all is that a mammoth 80% of respondents are completely opposed to the development in the first place.
Alberto said, “My constituents come first. Developers must listen to the views of ordinary residents who will have to live with the negative impacts of a flawed design. My constituents are right to express their concerns. Too many developers these days think they can ride roughshod over residents by ignoring their concerns. By issuing this major survey the people of Lutterworth and the surrounding villages have been given an opportunity to have their voices heard over the future of this development. As a proud constituency based MP, I live in the area and understand the feelings that people have about overdevelopment. What my constituents experience, so do I and my family. It’s important that residents know their MP is championing their concerns.”
Alberto added, “The people of Lutterworth and the nearby villages have spoken loud and clear. I will do all I can to ensure that the Secretary of State takes their views into account when giving this application the necessary scrutiny it deserves. I am most grateful to the huge number of constituents who took the time to respond to my survey and to have their voices heard. I have always said that I would support, in principle, this project if the developer listened to my constituents. The plans have been touted as an exemplary flagship development; how can building yet another warehousing park next to Lutterworth and lots of housing next to big electrical pylons be considered exemplary? I will of course monitor the Secretary of State’s decision in this case very closely, and do everything I can to ensure that my constituent’s views are fully listened to and taken on board”.
