Lagan Homes Outline Planning Application for Land to the West of Ratby – Ref: 24/00914/OUT
Parish Council Update
It has now been just over two years since this planning application was submitted to Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council (HBBC). Throughout this period, Ratby Parish Council has continued to represent the views and concerns of local residents by actively scrutinising the proposals and maintaining its objection to the application.
As part of this ongoing work, Parish Council Chairman Phil Tenwick and County Councillor Ozzy O’Shea previously met with planning officers at HBBC to discuss a number of significant concerns relating to the application. More recently, they have progressed these discussions through a meeting with senior representatives and directors from Leicestershire County Council Highways.
These meetings provided an opportunity to examine a number of issues relating to the development and resulted in several important questions being raised with the developer, Lagan Homes.
A particular area of concern relates to the volume of traffic associated with existing businesses operating in the area, including the slurry pit located at the top of Burroughs Road, together with the paintball site and dog walking field. The impact of this existing activity, alongside the traffic generated by the proposed development, remains a matter of significant concern.
Following a review of the outline plans and supporting documentation currently available, a number of important questions remain unanswered:
- Have the traffic studies and assessments submitted by the developer, together with those reviewed by National Highways and Leicestershire County Council Highways, fully accounted for the seasonal impact of the 40-foot slurry tankers using Burroughs Road? During peak operating periods (October to January and March to June), these movements can amount to approximately 20–40 vehicle movements per day and night, in addition to traffic associated with the other businesses operating in the area.
- Do the traffic assessments accurately reflect current traffic conditions? Traffic volumes passing through Ratby have increased significantly during 2025 and 2026. It remains unclear whether the studies properly account for both current traffic levels and the increasing number of large vehicles using local routes.
- What is the intended purpose of the proposed internal road through the development? At approximately 5.5 metres in width, clarification is required as to whether this road is intended solely to serve the development or whether it could function as a link road between Desford Lane and Markfield Road, potentially attracting wider traffic movements through the site.
- What highway alterations are proposed at the access points onto Desford Lane and Markfield Road? It remains unclear how these junctions will accommodate increased traffic volumes and larger vehicles, particularly given that both proposed access points appear to be located on busy stretches of road and in close proximity to bends that already present highway safety concerns.
- How has the developer applied the Government’s “Place Before Movement” planning principle? The Parish Council continues to seek clarity on how the development prioritises the creation of a safe and attractive place for residents before accommodating vehicle movements, particularly given the proposed road layout and traffic implications.
- Has sufficient consideration been given to cumulative and cluster impacts? The Parish Council remains concerned that the scale of development proposed in and around Ratby, together with other applications across the wider area, has not been adequately assessed in terms of cumulative traffic, infrastructure, environmental and community impacts.
Attached to this update is a copy of the response received from Lagan Homes, together with the Parish Council’s subsequent response submitted to HBBC. We continue to await further clarification and answers to the questions raised and will provide updates as soon as additional information becomes available.
The latest information received from HBBC indicates that the application may be scheduled for consideration by the Planning Committee in late August 2026. However, this timetable remains subject to change and is likely to be influenced by ongoing discussions surrounding the funding and delivery of the proposed new school.
The Parish Council remains committed to ensuring that residents’ concerns are fully considered throughout the planning process and will continue to keep the community informed as matters progress.
