Queniborough Lodge, Queniborough

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Thank you for visiting this consultation website.

Bloor Homes is undertaking pre-application consultation on plans for a unique residential development at Queniborough Lodge off Melton Road. The plans include the restoration and conversion of Queniborough Lodge and the redevelopment of the former engineering works for new homes.

Please take your time to review these proposals and to fill in the feedback section.

Our Proposals

103 homes within Queniborough Meadows, 14 homes within Queniborough Paddocks and 8 homes within Queniborough Lodge and outbuildings. One-bed to four-bedroom homes, with an emphasis on two and three-bedroom properties.

Restoration of the lodge and outbuildings to 8 bespoke new homes.

Including a community orchard, allotments and children’s play area. For all the community, both new and existing residents

For the rewilding of the land and creation of a nature refuge.

A new on-site surface water drainage system which will also enhance opportunities for wildlife.

Infrastructure to support electric vehicle charging, with all new dwellings provided with an EV point.

Vehicular access via a simple priority T-junction onto Melton Road.

To off-site infrastructure which could include recreation and community facilities, healthcare, policing, public transport and libraires.

THE PROPOSAL

The site lies in a sustainable location between South Charnwood Leisure Centre and Wreake Valley Academy and Coles Nurseries. The site is within walking and cycling distance of a range of local services including schools, shops, doctors’ surgery, leisure centre and employment areas.

The redevelopment of this brownfield site will preserve Queniborough Lodge and associated outbuildings for residential use and the derelict buildings and hardstanding to the rear of the Lodge will be replaced with attractive new homes together with significant areas of public open space and wildlife habitat.

SITE LOCATION

BACKGROUND TO THE SITE

Queniborough Lodge is likely to date to the Georgian period with evidence suggesting it being established as a farmstead between 1793-1815, although the associated farm buildings may have been built as a group in 1855. In the latter half of the 20th century, the northern part of the site was developed for engineering works as part of the Shield Engineering business.

In 2015, planning permission was approved for a redevelopment scheme but lapsed without being implemented. The permissions were;

  • main outline permission for the demolition of the industrial buildings and the erection of up to 125 dwellings, Reference Number P/13/1696/2;
  • associated full permission for change of use of land from open storage and workshops to open space and ecological areas, Reference Number P/13/1655/2 and;
  • associated full permission for conversion of outbuildings to form 7 dwellings, erection of one new dwelling together with associated ancillary new buildings/extensions and access works, Reference Number P/13/1613/2.

Since then all of the industrial and domestic buildings on the site have become vacant. The extent of derelict industrial buildings and areas of hardstanding are significant and will require extensive demolition and remedial works prior to the redevelopment of this brownfield site.

CURRENT PLANNING POSITION

Queniborough Lodge is allocated for some 132 dwellings within the Queniborough Neighbourhood Plan, which following a successful referendum in June 2021, forms part of the Development Plan for Charnwood Borough Council. The site is also proposed as a residential allocation for 132 dwellings within the emerging Local Plan for Charnwood Borough which is expected to be adopted in 2022.

 

Learn More

ILLUSTRATIVE SITE LAYOUT

Please view the plan below which shows the proposed layout of the site including new homes, access point, Wreake Valley Park and Nature Sanctuary.

  • 125 new homes, (103 homes within the Queniborough Meadows area, 14 homes within the Queniborough Paddocks area and 8 homes as part of a sympathetic restoration of Queniborough Lodge and outbuildings);
  • A variety of house-types ranging from one-bed to four-bedroom family-style homes, with an emphasis on two and three-bedroom properties. There will be some single storey dwellings as part of the conversion;
  • Vehicle access from Melton Road;
  • Pedestrian and cycle links;
  • Newly created Wreake Valley Park for new and existing residents;
  • Newly created Wreake Nature Sanctuary for rewilding of land and nature refuge;
  • A community orchard;
  • New allotments;
  • A children’s play area;
  • Retention of views of Queniborough Lodge from Melton Road;
  • Sustainable Drainage Systems with opportunities for wildlife enhancement;
  • Infrastructure to support electric vehicle charging, with all new buildings provided with an EV point;
  • Financial contributions to off-site infrastructure.

NEW HOMES

The proposed housing mix has been led by the Queniborough Neighbourhood Plan and the latest evidence on housing needs in the area. The Queniborough Neighbourhood Plan identifies that local people would like to see a mix of housing types and sizes, including smaller low-cost homes for sale and homes for older households.

Bloor Homes’ proposals include a range of house types including single storey dwellings, terraced properties, semi-detached and detached properties. The scheme includes a mix of house sizes ranging from 1-bedroom to 4-bedroom with an emphasis on 2 and 3-bedroom properties in line with the latest housing needs evidence for Charnwood.

RETAINED LODGE

Queniborough Lodge and associated outbuildings will be retained and sympathetically converted to eight new homes which will be served by the existing historic drive. In addition to the conversion of the Lodge, there will be two main areas of development.

QUENIBOROUGH PADDOCKS

14 new homes are proposed within the Queniborough Paddocks area which will comprise lower density, larger homes and will be designed to retain views towards the Lodge. The existing mature trees in this area will also be retained.

QUENIBOROUGH MEADOWS

The main area of development will be Queniborough Meadows. This area will include 103 new homes utilising land currently occupied by the vacant commercial buildings. It will contain a broad mix of house types and sizes and will be accessed via a new road to the south-west of Queniborough Lodge. Queniborough Meadows will overlook the newly created Wreake Valley Park and Wreake Nature Sanctuary.

NATURE AND PUBLIC OPEN SPACES

There will be no development in the north of the site and all development will fall outside the area susceptible to flooding. Significant new public open space is proposed here including the new ‘Wreake Valley Park’ and ‘Wreake Nature Sanctuary’.

Wreake Valley Park will be accessible to new and existing residents. It will provide an attractive area for recreation, dog-walking and play. There will be a community orchard, allotments, wildflower planting and native grassland areas to encourage wildlife.

Public access to the Wreake Wildlife Sanctuary will be limited but it is likely that board walks and information boards will be provided. This area will be lightly managed with natural rewilding being encouraged.

The development proposals have been designed to protect existing species including bats and great crested newts and to enhance wildlife across the site, including through the creation of the Lodge Greenway along the western boundary. The project team has liaised closely with the County Ecologist and undertaken detailed surveys to guide the development. All existing ponds will be retained and new ones will be created, bat boxes and buildings will be provided alongside measures to accommodate nesting and migratory birds. The coniferous boundary around the site will be thinned and supplemented by deciduous trees, providing a more diverse habitat, light and views into the site.

SUSTAINABILITY

All new build dwellings will have electric vehicle charging facilities. Changes to building regulations (Part L) to deliver the Government’s ‘Future Homes Standard’ means that from mid-2022, new homes will have a 31% reduction in CO2 when compared to current standards. Further changes are due in 2025 that will mean a 75% reduction in CO2 when compared to today, along with a new focus on rating primary energy efficiency as well as CO2.

It is not possible to quantify how many of the new dwellings will be subject to the new standards as this is dependent on the date of commencement and rate of build. However, the new homes will incorporate many features that help to make them resource and energy efficient.

Bloor Homes applies a ‘fabric first’ approach in their house type design. The fabric first approach has a number of clear benefits, notably that it is built into the property for its whole life ensuring that every occupier will benefit from a reduced electricity bill and it reduces CO2 emissions.

VACANT BUILDING CREDIT

The scheme does not include social rented and shared ownership homes, although smaller properties are provided to meet the needs of first-time buyers. The reason for this is the unique nature of this site. A vacant building credit was introduced by the Government to promote development on brownfield sites such as this. It allows the floorspace of existing buildings that are to be redeveloped to be offset against affordable housing requirements. Within the site, the floorspace of the existing and vacant buildings to be demolished exceeds the floorspace of the proposed new homes. Where there is an overall reduction in floorspace through proposed development, no affordable housing is required.

Former engineering works

DRAINAGE

The site is located mainly within Flood Zone 1 (lowest risk), except for the northern part of the site, which is within Flood Zones 2 and 3. This flood risk originates from the River Wreake. It is not considered to pose a constraint, as development will be located to the centre and south of the site.

As there is no direct route to the watercourse due to the presence of the railway line between the site boundary and the River Wreake, surface water will discharge via a new surface water sewer to the public surface water sewer to the west of the site.

Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), including an attenuation basin within the public open space will be provided to restrict surface water runoff to greenfield rates. This will ensure that the drainage design for the development provides betterment in terms of surface water management. The SuDS areas will be managed to allow both surface water drainage and provide opportunities for wildlife.

There is an existing foul sewer crossing the site. It is proposed that foul flows will discharge to this sewer.

TRANSPORT

Vehicular access to the site is proposed via a simple priority T-junction onto Melton Road and connections will be provided for pedestrians and cyclists to the existing shared footpath/cycle route along Melton Road.

The proposed development will generate circa 80 vehicle trips during a typical weekday peak hour. The impact on local roads is currently being assessed at four junctions and is not expected to be severe. There are bus stops on both sides of Melton Road within 100m of the site. They are served by 30-minute frequency bus services to Leicester and Melton Mowbray. Syston rail station is one mile to the south-west of the site and provides rail services to Leicester, Nottingham and Lincoln. There is car and cycle parking at the station.

Key services within Syston and Queniborough are within walking and cycling distance of the site, including schools, shops, doctors’ surgery, leisure centre and employment areas. The shared footpath/cycle route that runs along the site frontage on Melton Road provides connections to Syston and East Goscote and forms part of the National Cycle Network (NCN) 48 route. There is a signal-controlled pedestrian crossing of Melton Road less than 200m to the south of the site and there are public rights of way close to the site providing connections to surrounding villages.

Off-street parking will be provided to the relevant Highways standards.

COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE

Bloor Homes will enter into a Section 106 Agreement with the Council to provide necessary infrastructure and community facilities to meet the Council’s policy requirements and mitigate any impacts arising from the development. The package of on-site infrastructure and off-site contributions will be refined through engagement with service providers, including Charnwood Borough Council and Leicestershire County Council once a planning application has been submitted and is likely to include recreation and community facilities, healthcare, policing, public transport and libraries.

NEXT STEPS

A full planning application is expected to be submitted by the end of Spring 2022, after comments from this consultation have been considered. Following the submission of the planning application, Charnwood Borough Council will undertake a period of statutory consultation on the application. At this stage you will have the opportunity to submit your comments to the Council before a decision is made. It is expected that the application will be determined by the Council later in 2022.

ANTICIPATED TIMESCALES

(subject to planning permission)

 

FEEDBACK

Thank you for reviewing the development proposals. Please take your time to complete this feedback form. Please send feedback by 18th March 2022.

Feedback

ABOUT BLOOR HOMES

Bloor Homes has been building quality homes for 50 years and is now largest privately-owned housebuilder in the UK. We have a proven track record in delivering successful new communities. We take great pride in delivering high quality and energy efficient homes and our designs have evolved over years of customer feedback. Bloor Homes is the highest rated national House Builder on the Trust Pilot review platform. For the third consecutive year, Bloor Homes is also proud to be named 5* Home Builder for Customer Satisfaction by the Home Builders Federation 2021.

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FURTHER INFORMATION

Engage Planning Ltd, Warwick Innovation Centre, Warwick Technology Park, Warwick,

CV34 6UW Telephone: 01926 623095

Email: info@engageplanning.co.uk

YOUR FEEDBACK