Home Page

Welcome to The Barkby and Barkby Thorpe Parishes Action Group (BABTAG)

BABTAG was established in 2008 to oppose national plans to accommodate Leicester City overflow by creating a New Town of 5,000 houses and business units next to the parishes of Barkby, Barkby Thorpe and Hamilton Grounds. This proposal is known as the Thurmaston SUE (Sustainable Urban Extension.)

Our Goals are:

1. To oppose, through reasoned argument, the proposal for the Thurmaston SUE
2. To defend the historic identity and integrity of Barkby, Barkby Thorpe and Hamilton Grounds
3. To run a public campaign targeting opinion formers and the local media

Working to save this (left) from becoming this (right)

Proposed area of development of New Town (click on map to open in larger scale)

Website overview

Our Information Page gives details of "Charnwood 2026", the response of Charnwood Borough Council (CBC) to national government directives that CBC create 19,000+ new homes between 2001-2026.
Our Publicity Page hosts our press releases and relevant media coverage, including details of our highly successful March through Barkby to publicise our opposition to the 5000 houses.
Our first Publicity of 5th December 2008 gives you the full background on why BABTAG was established.
Our Democracy Page lists BABTAG dealings with the democratic spectrum from parish council to national government. Charnwood Borough councillors all face re-election in 2011. The politicians must listen to your opinions and we ask you to contact them.
Please look at our Links Page for information on other action groups and relevant websites of interest.

Our Timeline Page lists the main events in the history of Charnwood 2026 and BABTAG's activities.
Our Maps and Gallery Pages include maps and photos, including before-and-after images of the planned development. You can also download banners, posters and flyers to show your support.
Our YourSay Page is for comments you send us for publication. They may be edited and will be anonymous unless requested otherwise.
We welcome your comments, suggestions and requests for further information, so please Contact us by email or through a member of the BABTAG Committee.

Back to the top

The 5000 houses - the threat remains!

Latest news on the 5000 houses

The new Transport Assessment is being reviewed by Charnwood Borough Council and is expected to be published in the summer. Its findings will have a major impact on the size of any new town development proposed by the Council when it publishes its housing plans in September. The crucial question is how many houses can the transport infrastructure in our area cope with. BABTAG believes it has to be a lot less than 5000!

Persimmon Gains Approval for 150 Houses

Leicester City Council has now approved the planning application for the Persimmon development of 150 houses, to be sited on fields within the City boundary to the west of the pinch on Barkby Thorpe Road.
View details of the conditions attached by visiting www.leicester.gov.uk/planning and searching for application number 20111431: BARKBYTHORPE ROAD. Babtag is currently seeking an updated timeline for the development from Persimmon.

Come and Vote for us at the Area Forum!!

The South Charnwood Area Forum has £12,500 in cash available to fund community projects in Syston, Thurmaston and Wreake Villages. Projects are submitted by and voted on by local people. BABTAG is bidding for £4,000 to go towards paying for independent traffic consultants to help argue our case against the 5000 houses. Allocation of grants takes place on 29th May, 6-9pm at Broomfields Primary School, East Goscote. Register now for a place by calling 0116 305 7034 or log on to the Forum website www.leicestershireforums.org

Core Strategy expected in September

Charnwood Borough Council's Core Strategy is now expected to be published in September 2012, to be followed by a period of consultation. BABTAG will be increasing its activities in these critical coming months, so keep visiting the website for latest news.

Local and District Councillors have shown support for Barkby Parish Council's traffic petition. At a meeting of the Highways Forum in Loughborough in January 2012, Councillors Stephen Hampson, Paul Harley, Dave Houseman and Ken Pacey all acknowledged the huge increase in traffic using Barkby and Barkby Thorpe’s narrow roads as a rat-run or short cut over the last 30 years. Read our Press release for more information.

All the countryside threatened by the 5000 houses is identified as 'most valued local green space' in a community mapping project carried out by Leicestershire County Council. Read our Press release for more information and read the full report at http://www.leics.gov.uk/greenspaces Rest assured BABTAG will use this information in our opposition to the Thurmaston SUE!

We're working hard for you but our coffers are running dry! In order to step up our publicity in the critical first few months of 2012, BABTAG would welcome any donations to our cause. If you can spare a small contribution to help pay for printing of leaflets and banners, or to help fund the services of external specialists, please contact our Treasurer via feedback@babtag.co.uk

Send in your favourite photos of Barkby, Barkby Thorpe and Hamilton Grounds to add to our website Gallery. Email them with a short comment on why they're special to you to
feedback@babtag.co.ukShowing how beautiful our village and surroundings are all helps our campaign to protect them from the Thurmaston SUE

Help fight the 320 houses application on fields off Hamilton Lane!!

BABTAG urges all its supporters to attend an upcoming planning meeting where Charnwood Borough Council will consider the planning application for this new development. BABTAG and Barkby Parish Council will have spokespeople at the meeting, and will call on Councillors to reject the application. This is likely to be held on June 21st. Watch this space for further details of time and place!