Coalville Lib Dem councillors have launched a petition to stop the sell off of land in Bardon for 100 new houses.

North West Leicestershire District Council announced details of the scheme in May.

A planning application has been submitted for permission to build approximately 100 houses – 20 per cent of which would be affordable homes – on the parcel of land off Waterworks Road.

 

If planning permission is granted, the council says it intends to sell the land to a developer - with the funds raised diverted straight into the Coalville Leisure Centre project Council plans to sell land for 100 homes.

But Cllrs Marie French, Angela Black and Jake Windram have joined forces to try and halt the plans.

They say the development would mean 200-plus vehicles on local roads and the 'last remaining' green area being destroyed.

The councillors also claim that plans to put money from the sale of the end towards the cost of the new leisure centre was not made clear at the budget meeting earlier in the year.

Cllr Black, for Bardon, said: "We have had enough.

"We do not need these houses. We have sufficient new houses being built without destroying this site.

"These green fields are the last remaining open spaces in the local area.

"We are completely fed up with this Tory councils arrogance, and their policy of housing at any cost.

Cllr Windram, of Greenhill Ward, added: "The problem we have is that we live here, they don't.

"So they don't care where new houses are being built.

"All they are interested in is building at any cost and to hell with the increased pollution, increased traffic and increased strain in local services."

Cllr Marie French, whose Ward also backs onto the site off Waterworks Road said: "It's absolutely awful this site is being sold off when we don't need to.

"This site should be saved for the community and made into a community woodland for everyone to enjoy.

"We will be fighting this application all the way because we cannot just sit by and allow this council to continue to concrete over every bit of green space so they can pay for their pet projects like the new leisure centre which is costing a whopping £22million, plus 99 per cent of the local population will never use."

You can sign the petition here: Oppose residential development off Waterworks Road