Aye up my ducks!

Wow, since I created the petition last July, we have reached over 1600 signatures and that number continues to grow, and we thank every single of one you for your support! 

While I know it has been a little quiet on the Leafy Lane fron, and I am not talking about the Leafy Lane Woodland noises that our beautiful Song Birds, Owls, and Foxes make! I am talking about the Local Plan. 

Well, finally, I have some news about the Local Plan!

On the 1st March 2023, Planning Officers with present a pre-submission Local Plan report at the Full Council Meeting.

At the meeting, Councillors will vote on whether to proceed with several options, including the policies proposed for inclusion in the Pre-Submission Local Plan and a refreshed programme and timetable. 

What's this mean for Leafy Lane? 

After looking at the report we have a glimmer of hope for Leafy Lane!

The Planning department covering report for the Council meeting details the following: 

"• The impact on Wildlife

6.17 Particular concerns have been raised regarding the impact of proposed housing development at Aldreds Lane and Leafy Lane, Heanor. In response to these concerns, the potential of these sites to accommodate housing growth, whilst protecting their importance for biodiversity, has been reconsidered and in both cases, the extent of Land that is now being proposed for development has been reduced to protect existing Woodland habitats within those sites (see paragraphs 6.41 and 6.42 in the report). It is acknowledged however that some habitats would be lost through the development of the sites and that these habitats will need to be compensated for in one or more suitable alternative locations."

"Leafy Lane, Heanor

support for this site focused on the access to employment opportunities and transport links, on part of the site being previously-developed or brownfield land and the existing infrastructure within the town to support development
objections to this site focused on the impact of development on Wildlife within the site, particularly the large area of broad-leaved Woodland designated as a priority habitat, together with concerns regarding the impact of increased traffic levels."

"6.42 Any proposals for the development of this site will need to make provision for or provide contributions towards any necessary improvements to the transport network. Given the impact of development on existing habitats within the site, it is now proposed to exclude the existing Woodland in the south-eastern part of the site, which is a designated priority habitat and the other parts of the site consisting of existing trees and hedgerows. As there is an on-going operational requirement for the Borough Council's depot, site, it is also now proposed to exclude this part of the site. The site would therefore be reduced to a significantly smaller area, comprising the frontage with Hands Road. Given the reduced site area (see Appendix 1), the number of dwellings on this site is proposed to be amended from 50 to 15. Subject to the proposed amendments, it is proposed to include this site in the Presubmission Local Plan and to include a site-specific policy, setting out the key requirements that any development proposals will need to meet."

The Presubmission Local Plan now reports:

"Leafy Lane, Heanor

Land is identified at Leafy Lane, Heanor as a Housing Growth Site. The site is estimated to have potential for 15 dwellings. In addition to the requirements set out in the Housing Growth Sites policy, any development proposals will need provide compensation for the loss of any habitat within the site, through the enhancement or creation of suitable habitat at one or more suitable alternative locations, as well as securing an appropriate net gain in biodiversity."

There is a new map for Leafy Lane too!

The new location plan for the site has also been amended. Initially, the Local Plan, which made us all shudder and panic, showed a red outline around a large parcel of Land which included the Council Depot, Leafy Lane Woodland and the scrappy Land fronting Hands Road in between the substation and the Leisure Centre. 

The new location map now shows a red outline around a parcel of Land fronting Hands Road to show where 15 houses are proposed to be built; the Woodland and Depot have been removed from the map.

I am not able to link to the documents but the proposals with the map are all their on the ABVC meetings page linked to at the bottom of the page.

Has ABVC Listened?

I am pleased to see this reconsideration by ABVC planning department for Leafy Lane in the Pre-Submission report along with a new location map for the proposals. It clearly shows that Officers have listened and have considered the strong objections raised by residents concerning Leafy Lane, especially with the report clarifying that Leafy Lane Woodland is a broad-leaved priority wildlife habitat with biodiversity value.

Going in the right direction? 

While the proposed Local Plan looks to be going in the right direction for Leafy Lane, the Full Council still needs to agree on it and be inspected and adopted; this starts with the vote on 1st March by our elected ABVC Councillors at the Full Council meeting. 

We must now wait to see how our elected ABVC Councillors have voted. And if the Pre-submission is agreed upon, we then have to wait for several stages to be completed before the Local Plan is adopted in 2024! 

If you are an ABVC Councillor reading this and voting on the Pre-Submission Plan, please consider this.. 

Over the last decade or so, residents living next to Leafy Lane Woodland have felt that their opinions have been ignored; it has been disheartening to see the number of houses being proposed on and around the Woodland, with proposals starting at 12, then 76! 50 last year, followed by 12 now! 

Many residents living near this site have lost sleep every time a new local plan for Leafy Lane is introduced, worrying that the nature they love could be lost to a bulldozer!

For a small town, Heanor has lost so much Wildlife, Trees and Greenery, over the years from new housing estates and there are no more large Woodlands left like Leafy Lane in Heanor East for Wildlife to go to. There are Bats, Owls, Song Birds, Birds of Prey and other protected animals living in Leafy Lane Woodland, and they are appreciated by every local residents living near the Woodland, as well as by visitors who have walked through it to get to the Memorial Park via a path used for decades.

We need you to prevent houses on the land so that future generations in this area can enjoy nature on their doorstep.  Pease approve these amendments.

On a side note, we realise that the Local Plan includes other proposed sites, and our hearts go out to those residents affected by those other areas, especially our friends at Aldreds Lane. We are pleased to see the Wooded areas for Aldreds saved for Wildlife; we wish you all the best in your battle and hope that fewer homes are built than proposed, with even more greenery saved and enhanced. 

But for the sake of our Trees and Wildlife living in our Leafy Lane Woodland, we hope the new amendments for Leafy Lane are voted for and a new local plan adopted within the new proposed timescale! 

Again, this Local Plan is not written in stone, so don't run out to celebrate this update just yet! We await the Council vote and the next stage, and I hope to come back to you all with some even better news! 

Rach x

All the latest pre submision local Plan documents are displayed at https://www.ambervalley.gov.uk/council/committees-and-meetings/ dated 1st March.