A scheme to demolish a children's nursery in Hugglescote and replace it with a similar facility and five new apartments, is set to get the go-ahead, despite objections from Hugglescote and Donington le Heath Parish Council.

The application is for permission to demolish the existing building at Forest Road.

In its place would be a new children's nursery, with five residential apartments, together with associated parking, landscaping, bin and cycle store.

The applicant is Dr Tariq Gauhar from Thornton, and an outline of the scheme has been submitted to the district council.

Formerly a doctor's surgery, the building is now occupied by The Den.

Artist's impressions here and below from Whitebox Architecture

The scheme will be discussed at next Tuesday's North West Leicestershire District Council planning committee meeting in Coalville, where councillors will be recommended to recommend the work goes ahead.

But Hugglescote councillors have raised a series of concerns about the development as follows:

• Highway safety
• Insufficient parking
• Lack of available drop off points for the nursery
• Likely to lead to on-street parking problems / parking hazards
• Traffic will be worse at peak times
• Likely that most staff will need to drive to work, despite promotion of sustainable transport
• The database used from the TRICS Consortium Ltd is not representative for this area and local data should be used
• The car parking provision is less than that required by the Neighbourhood Plan
• Not enough space for cars to enter the site
• Lack of turning space
• Overdevelopment of the site
• Not in keeping with the street scene
• Loss of privacy to neighbouring residents
• No electric charging points.

Some neighbours have also objected due to a loss of privacy and security to their properties due to removal of various trees on site which would make the neighbour's garden more accessible to potential intruders.

But a council officer's report has addressed some of the issues raised.

It says windows overlooking properties both serve as bathrooms which have been recommended to be obscure glazed and non-opening.

Environmental Protection does not consider that there would be any harmful noise impacts beyond the existing development. 

It has been advised that a condition should be secured to ensure that adequate noise insulation is installed between the nursery and the new flats to prevent adverse noise impacts between the two uses. 

But it is has been noted that none of the flats would be provided with private outdoor residential amenity space. Neighbours therefore consider that this would not conform to national design and wellbeing standards.

But the report says that also that there are other examples of local flats without any amenity space in the wider area. 

Furthermore, the council officer says there are also some local allotments and parks within a 10 minute walk of the application site, which the residents could use if they wanted to. 

The report adds it is considered that the proposal would not result in any overshadowing or loss of light to neighbouring properties.