The campaign to create a new Country Park in Leicestershire.
Welcome to our campaign page!
We are petitioning to create a new country park on post-quarried land near Lutterworth to benefit the local community and provide a haven for wildlife.
Why?
Due to the shrinking area of green space, hedgerows, and trees, it is more important than ever to create a sanctuary for nature and a recreational space to improve the wellbeing of the community away from the surrounding busy road network.
The numbers
This corner of Leicestershire has around 100 million square feet of warehousing, logistics and industrial development. In fact, the area is known as ‘The Golden Triangle of Logistics’. In contrast, data from The Woodland Trust shows that South Leicestershire has only 4.3% of woodland, compared to the UK average of 13%.
The future
Our green vision includes ideas such as creating a network of cycling trails, wheelchair accessible paths, bird hides, or even an outdoor activity centre which would create employment and boost tourism. Similar post-industrial restoration projects prove that projects like this can bring immense benefits to the environment and society.
Where?
The 520 acre site of Shawell quarry near Lutterworth, which has been worked continuously for over 60 years, and is soon coming to an end.
Why are we campaigning?
The agreement since 1958 has been to return the land to nature when quarrying finishes. Leicestershire council’s Mineral and Waste policy means that the land owners are obliged to return the land back to a greenfield site. Unfortunately the land owners are urging the council to allow them to U-turn on this commitment and instead make a permanent industrial facility, in turn massively increasing HGV traffic and pollution in this already blighted and highly industrialised area of the county plus permanent loss of green habitat.
It's time to draw a line in the sand - we must act now in order to prevent another large area of countryside becoming a permanent industrial site. We need less tarmac, more nature!
“A very good campaign by the fantastic folks at @NatureNowOrNevr and one that I’m delighted to support.”
— Alberto Costa MP