Parking concerns reignited by offices planned for soft play use units

Mountsorrel: So, there’s this building that was supposed to be a soft play area, but now it might turn into offices. James Dillow is behind the new plans, and folks are worried about parking again.

Last year, they wanted to turn the same spot behind the cafe into a pizzeria, but that idea got scrapped after a ton of complaints from locals. Now, the new proposal is to change that building and part of the retail unit into offices.

According to the plans, six to eight staff members from Claude and Co would move into the new office space. This could potentially create room for up to ten employees, which sounds good, but parking is still a big issue.

Last year, when the pizzeria was on the table, about 40 neighbors raised concerns about parking. They said people were already parking dangerously just to get to the existing businesses. That plan got pulled because of all the pushback.

Now, Dr. Lyn Williams has lodged objections again, saying the new office plans would make parking even worse. She pointed out that the 12 parking spots mentioned are already in use by the cafe and shops, so there’s really no extra space for more staff.

Dr. Williams also mentioned that the local highways authority has already flagged a parking shortfall in the area. She’s worried it’s causing safety issues, with people parking in unsafe spots nearby.

Other residents, like Mr. and Mrs. Sydall, echoed her concerns, saying the area is already a mess during busy hours. They believe adding office use will just make the traffic situation worse.

Leicestershire County Council, which looks after local highways, thinks the plans don’t fully consider the traffic impact. They’ve asked for more details to properly assess what’s being proposed.

A decision on this whole situation is expected from Charnwood Borough Council by January 30. Let’s see how it all plays out!