Green Wedge (c(ii)) Between Whetstone, Enderby, Glen Parva, Braunstone, Blaby, Littlethorpe, Narborough and Cosby (Soar Valley South) (South) – Parcel E

• Purpose Question Assessment
• Prevent the merging of settlements Question 1A: Are there physical features to prevent the merging of settlements and does the land contribute to maintaining the open and undeveloped character of the land? Answer 1A: Yes. The Birmingham to Leicester railway line and the River Soar and its floodplain prevent the merging of the two settlements. The M1 motorway to the east prevents Narborough from expanding further in an easterly direction.
• Question 1B: Are there features to provide a visual perception of distance between settlements? Answer 1B: The linear nature of Station Road, bound by mature hedgerows, means that Littlethorpe and Narborough appear close together when viewed from the entrances to either settlement (from the railway crossing, and where Riverside Way meets Station Road). However, when viewed from the western end of Sycamore Way, there is a perception of distance due to the presence of the heavily vegetated Thorpe Meadows and the floodplain. When viewed from the eastern end of Riverside Way, the rows of trees and glimpses of the intervening land provides a visual perception of distance between the settlements.

A96