Environmental disaster for Loughborough, Shepshed and Hathern

12.35.42am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 19th Jun 2006

Shepshed Town councillor, John Popley and Charnwood Borough councillor, Roy Kershaw have warned about proposed green field destruction. They say that plans to construct many houses, shops and other buildings on the Garendon Estate will mean the end of the 'Green Wedge' separating Shepshed, Loughborough and Hathern, with the whole area being urbanised into greater Loughborough.

According to the Lib Dem councillors, agricultural land will be lost, as well as biodiversity and the opportunity for local residents to walk and cycle in a traffic free area. A proposed new road from the A512 in Shepshed to the A6 in Hathern will cause traffic chaos in both places and bring more congestion and pollution. They point out that Hathern will be hit particularly hard as the new Kegworth by-pass will channel yet more traffic onto the A6.