Stop The New Town
On Sunday 12 October Stop the New Town (STNT), hosted a community walk in Great Glen leading local residents across some of the countryside threatened by development. At this fun, family event, supporters of the campaign joined by Ace, miniature Shetland pony, and Lemmi, miniature donkey, convened at the village recreation ground in a show of protest at the extensive housing development proposed in the Harborough District Council local plan, and the tsunami of speculative developments currently in the planning pipeline, two proposed for the village periphery.
Following a short address by Dr Henri Winand, leader of the campaign group, residents from the local area walked a 1.5-mile route across open countryside in the Autumn air. They did so en-masse visibly and peacefully, to demonstrate the wide-spread opposition to the destruction of further Leicestershire countryside. The walk was followed by refreshments at the recreation ground.
It was a successful event raising further awareness of the campaign which has already attracted very considerable support. One participant was heard to comment, “I did not realise that such a large area is being considered for building as we don’t usually walk these fields”. And another “What a good job you are all doing, informing local people!”
STNT’s Warning
Stop The New Town warns that over 2,500 speculative homes are being proposed across Harborough District. The vast majority on greenfield sites, due to Harborough District Council’s (HDC) failure to maintain a legally required 5-year housing land supply. 600+ homes are earmarked for the edge of Great Glen, a village already stretched to breaking point.
“This is not growth, it’s unmanaged sprawl. These proposals would overwhelm roads, drainage systems, and health services, while permanently damaging the countryside,” said a spokesperson for STNT.
According to the census, Great Glen’s population has already risen from less than 3,000 to 4000 + between 2001 and 2021. If the new developments proceed, the village will officially surpass the 5,000-population threshold, yet without any accompanying improved infrastructure or amenities, reclassified as a “small town” by the Office for National Statistics.
“England has space for 1.2 million homes on previously developed land,” says CPRE, the countryside charity. There is no justification for concreting over precious green fields, a situation that is replicated across the country.
Anne Ablett (STNT Publicity)
