MP for South Leicestershire Alberto Costa has, this week, written to the Planning Inspectorate to object to an appeal to overturn the decision to refuse a planning application for a new gypsy site in Blaby.
An application to construct two residential gypsy pitches, alongside room for mobile homes, touring caravans and a utility block on land off Sycamore Street in Blaby was submitted to Blaby District Council last year – the application attracted over 500 objections from local residents before it was refused; the applicants however have now appealed this decision to the Planning Inspectorate.
The site in question, located next to Bouskell Park in Blaby, was previously the subject of enforcement action following the removal of protected trees without prior permission.
Alberto said, “I am very disappointed to learn that the applicants for this site at Sycamore Street have appealed the decision by Blaby District Council to rightly refuse their application. Constituents were deeply concerned by these proposals and their impact on the local area, and I was very pleased to support them in seeing these plans refused. As such, I have this week written to the Planning Inspectorate to set out my own objections to these plans and the appeal in question, and also to reiterate the very understandable concerns of my constituents here”.
Alberto added, “The decision to refuse this application was made by the democratically elected representatives of Blaby District Council; this was taken with the views and opinions of local people in mind, and I will most displeased to see a third party, with no knowledge of the local area, overturning a decision which has reached it’s sensible conclusion. With the site’s close proximity to Bouskell Park and its placement within Blaby’s Conservation Area, it’s unsuitability for the local environment is plain to see, therefore I do hope the Planning Inspectorate make the correct decision here and uphold the application’s rightful refusal”.
Alberto is pictured above speaking outside the House of Commons.
