Our Proposals
Mulberry Land is preparing a planning application for up to 900 homes on land south of the Uppingham Road in Bushby.
The plans include up to 900 homes on the site, which will comprise a mixture of house types, sizes and tenures. This includes affordable homes and the potential for housing for older people, plus some self and custom build housing.
As well as providing new much-needed family housing in the community, the proposals will deliver community facilities and infrastructure, including:
A new two-form-entry primary school
Over 39 hectares of public open space including parkland, allotments, children’s play areas and sports pitches.
A new local centre to include convenience retail to provide for the day to day needs of the local community.
Upgrades and safety enhancements to the local road infrastructure.
Improved walking, cycling and public transport connections.
Financial contributions to support additional infrastructure, including healthcare and utilities, as requested by service providers.
The Site
The site is located to the south of the Uppingham Road, to the south-east of Bushby and east of Thurnby. It covers approximately 64 hectares of land and sits outside of the Green Wedge, which is located to the west and southwest of the site.
The site is privately owned and currently used for agricultural purposes, with areas of woodland, hedgerows and grassland, crossed by a Public Right of Way
Design
The development will offer a mix of housing types, sizes and tenures, including affordable homes, self/custom build opportunities, family housing, and homes suitable for older people. Housing will be delivered to reflect local needs and will provide against policy led requirements.
More than 39 hectares of open space will include parkland, allotments, community gardens, children’s play areas, and outdoor sports facilities benefitting both new and existing residents. The open space will include existing tree planting, green buffer zones, multi-functional green spaces and ecological open space to nurture biodiversity. Hedgerows and trees will be retained wherever possible.
The Mulberry brand delivers attractive, high quality house designs which reflect their location. That’s why this future design work will use precedents from nearby existing buildings to reflect the architectural style of Bushby, Thurnby and the wider Leicestershire area. Subject to discussions with officers at Harborough District Council, any future reserved matters planning application, which will be prepared in accordance with local policies, will focus on the materials, details and character. Any future reserved matters application will also be the subject of further public consultation.
Environment
We are committed to delivering a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain through habitat creation, ecological enhancements, and new planting.
The new homes will be designed to achieve the Future Homes Standard 2025, which will ensure they are all-electric, with high levels of fabric efficiency and are powered by renewables. This will reduce carbon and energy bills for the residents, whilst also having a positive environmental impact. The new homes will be powered electrically, with provision for air source heat pumps (ASHP’s) and a proportion of the energy demand from solar PV panels.
The application will be supported by a suite of ecological surveys and assessments to consider the impact of development on habitat and nearby designated sites. This has also informed the design of the site to ensure we avoid the most ecologically sensitive areas.
Transport
The development will be served by a single point of access on to the Uppingham Road, likely to be in the form of a new roundabout. This approach has been discussed through pre-application discussions with Leicestershire County Council and Leicester City Council as the highways authorities.
A detailed Transport Assessment will be submitted, using data from Leicestershire’s Strategic Transport Model. Early analysis shows the development may generate around 609 two-way trips in the morning peak and 493 in the evening peak, before any travel plan measures are applied.
The proposals offer the opportunity to extend the existing 40mph speed limit to the east of the site, subject to the outcome of discussions with the Highways Authority. This intends to slow traffic from the east, creating a safer gateway into Bushby and Thurnby. Additionally, the new roundabout junction will form an arrival gateway to Bushby when travelling from the east, assisting in reducing existing speeds of traffic and offering a placemaking opportunity to create a sense of arrival into the settlement.
A new pedestrian crossing would be provided on Uppingham Road to enable pedestrians to cross the road safely. There is also an opportunity to provide a new footway on the southern side of Uppingham Road and improvements to the footway on the northern side. The existing footpath linking the site with Bushby will be retained.
The proposal is within walking and cycling distance of local facilities in Bushby and Thurnby including schools, a health centre, shops and bus stops. The existing 747 bus route runs along Uppingham Road, connecting to Leicester city centre and nearby towns. We are exploring opportunities to divert the bus service into the site and upgrade stops to increase service frequency through discussions with the Highways Authorities and service providers.
Drainage
The site is predominantly located in Flood Zone 1, with the lowest risk of flooding. There are areas of higher risk immediately adjacent to the Bushby Brook. Built development avoids areas of higher risk and a Drainage Strategy will be submitted with the application identifying how surface water will be attenuated, treated and then released on site.
A sustainable drainage system (SuDS) will manage surface water onsite to prevent increased flood risk to the site and surrounding areas.
The SuDS will be designed to accommodate a 1 in 100-year flood event, with an additional allowance for climate change. They will attenuate, treat and then release water into the existing network at a rate which is comparable to that which it is currently.