The year the M1 nearly came through Groby

This article is based on information available on - http://leicesterforesteast.wordpress.com/about-the-project/

The online project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, seeks to connect people to existing archives–whether documentary or material–to encourage an appreciation of the past and how historical decisions continue to influence our own lives in the here and now. It is work in progress but makes fascinating reading.

Jul 13, 2014, Most readers will have no recollection of the days before the M1 motorway or the controversy over the route it would take through Leicestershire. This website has an extensive coverage of the discussion that surrounded the issue at the time and shines a light on how different life in Groby might have been like if it hadn't been for a campaign which drew huge support for a petition against what became known as the Charnwood Forest Route.

Photo -Markfield roundabout under construction

The alternative route

The alternative was the Soar Valley Route and this had been suggested by the County Council Planning Committee, though rejected by the full council. Moving the adoption of the Committee’s recommendation, Mr V Pochin said that the Charnwood Route would “absolutely spoil the Forest, and would, broadly speaking, go from Groby to Newtown Linford, through the Ulverscroft Valley, passing about 100 yards from Oaks Church.” The Vicar of Oaks-in-Charnwood, was pictured in the local press on the steps of his vicarage, declaring “The motorway will be 60 yards from the end of my finger.”

The Soar Valley route, on the other hand, would go via Quorn, Mountsorrel, Loughborough and Kegworth, reported the Manchester Guardian. This route was opposed by local farmers on the ground that it would take up valuable farming land. “You can eat food, but you can’t eat beauty. Forest land is less productive than the Soar Valley, so push the road through there,” said the local N.F.U. secretary as part of their campaign. The Duke of Rutland remarked that the Soar Route would “cut up a number of good farms.” Although the the Forest route was estimated to be shorter the engineering costs of dealing with rocks and hills would be £1.5 million more. In addition it was thought that if the Soar Valley route was abandoned there would still be the need to build bypasses for villages on the A6.

In November 1957 it was reported that the Forest route would cut into the forest just north of Groby Pool. It would be in sight of Bradgate Park and Newtown Linford and would pass alongside the Scout camp at John’s Lea Wood and alongside the 12th Century Ulverscroft Priory and through the Ulverscroft Valley.

Leicester Evening Mail campaign

The public concern which the Forest route would generate was voiced through the pages of the Leicester Evening Mail. “The replies of the Ministry of Transport spokesman to this paper’s queries on the proposed route of the new Leicestershire motorway are a classic example of bureaucratic shuffling,” wrote the Mail. “Don’t get upset,” says the man from the Ministry. “The exact route has not yet been published. The road may not go where people think it will.”

A route had been published by the Mail which said : “There is no doubt that it is the route which the County Council – against the advice of its own Planning Committee – approved a few short days ago. And that route runs a searing strip of car-fumed concrete straight across Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire’s much-loved beauty spot.” By the end of November a petition had been launched against the Forest route.

Angry villagers

A few days later the paper reported that villagers were up in arms over the plan: “Groby is indignant about the suggested motorway across the Charnwood Forest.” It said the scheme was designed to avoid as many villages as possible. “But, apparently, the road will score a direct hit on Groby as it bisects the main Leicester to Coalville highway at the village, about four miles outside Leicester. The new motorway approaches Groby from the Leicester Forest East side before plunging into its controversial route across the Charnwood Forest.” At a meeting of Groby Parish Council, Mr Shooter said that if the proposed route were to be followed the village of Groby would be literally cut in half.

The report added concerns at the proximity of the road to Groby Pool. “I have tried to make the pool a bird sanctuary,” said Mrs P. M. Logan of Pool House. “Most of the water birds seem to favour the tail of the pool, and that is the part which I believe the new road will come closest. I feel that apart from other objections to the road, it will have the effect of reducing the value of the pool as a conservation area for both birds and wild flowers”

Within a month the 10,000 petition signatures received were mentioned at Groby Parish Council. In January 1958 the Chairman of Groby Parish Council, Mr. Walter Ottey, criticised members who at the December meeting protested to the County Council against the proposed Charnwood Forest route. Mr Ottey said members were protesting about something they knew nothing about. Mr. Albert Tyler retorted: “Ten thousand people in Leicester and the county are objecting to the same thing.”

At a meeting in Newtown Linford to discuss the proposed motorway Mrs C. Mitchell-Lunes asked a question that went unanswered when a county councillor was explaining the route near Groby: “Good gracious, but it will go near the quarry,” she said. “Would the traffic have to stop twice a day for the blasting, as at present?”

Petition with 30,000 names

By March 1958 30,000 names were on the Charnwood petition forms, with the latest signatory Hilary M. Grey-Bell a direct descendant of Lady Jane Grey.

Ministry of Transport files

In addition to the extensive coverage of how the controversy was reported in the press the website also has extracts from the Ministry of Transport’s files. These show that in July 1956 the Minister had 'approved a submission by the Department that the line suggested by agricultural interests through the middle of Charnwood Forest should be rejected and the Ministry of Agriculture have been informed accordingly.'

However, after the Minister was approached by the Minister of Agriculture with further representations concerning the loss of high quality agricultural land which would be caused by adopting the Soar Valley route, he directed that a fresh survey for a possible route through the Charnwood Forest area should be undertaken.

In May 1958 a report presented to the Landscape Advisory Committee discussed the westerly route through Charnwood Forest via Groby crossing the A50 and the easterly route crossing the A50 to Anstey and then between Cropston and Thurcaston bearing west to Swithland following the SE boundary of the reservoir.

On balance, the Eastern route was thought preferable as being an easier route for traffic, avoiding a fairly steep climb on to high land on the western route through the Forest. In addition A6 bypasses would not be needed eliminating an unnecessary acquisition of agricultural land.

Compromise in the air

With the motorway construction edging towards Leicestershire compromise was in the air. By August 1959 the line of the M1 that we now know was finally taking shape and the Secretary to the Minister of Transport wrote that the preferred route 'leaves the Consultants’ line just east of Ratby, passes west of Groby and Markfield ... This route leaves something to be desired from the engineering and traffic points of view, but it is not faced with the extremely strong agricultural objections met on the Valley line nor with the amenity objections of the Consultants’ line. Although it goes through the Forest it avoids Groby Pool, Ulverscroft Priory and Newtown Linford which were threatened by the Consultants’ line.'

At the October 1959 meeting of the of the Landscape Advisory Committee a member said that he could not agree that this new line would have less effect on agricultural interests since land would have to be taken for constructing the by-passes on the A.6 as well. The Chairman said that it appeared that virtually two new roads would have to be constructed, the motorway and a series of by-passes on A6, instead of one through the Soar Valley serving both purposes. It's time for a cliché : the rest is history.