I was absolutely horrified to read that there are plans to build a driverless car testing track on part of Bosworth Battlefield. According to a report in the Leicester Mercury - you can read it at https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/26m-mira-driverless-car-testing-1921045 - "Mira Technology Park wants to build the facility on 83 acres of land next to its existing vehicle testing centre at Higham-on-the-Hill near Hinckley, partially within the registered Bosworth Battlefield site". Historic England has spoken up, saying that they fear that this could cause harm to the historic battlefield which, as Tudor Society members will know, was where the forces of Henry Tudor and Richard III met on 22nd August 1485 and where Richard III was killed.
While I realise that this testing centre could create local jobs and the plans are said to only affect the "edge" of the battlefield site, I am horrified that even a part of such a historic site could be lost and I am lodging my objection to this. Here is advice from the Richard III Society on how to lodge your objection, and this is time-sensitive, so please act NOW:
"If you wish to lodge an objection please email planning@hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk quoting reference number 18/00425FUL. For the objection to be registered you must provide your full name and postal address in the email. Please remember that the planning meeting will take place on Tuesday 28th August, and that Monday is a bank holiday."
Historian Matthew Lewis, who spoke to the Tudor Society recently on the Princes in the Tower, shared on Facebook "A decision is due to be made on the application at a meeting of the planning team on Tuesday 28th August at 6:30pm. The meeting is open to the public.
The address where the meeting will be held is:
The Hinckley Hub
Rugby Road,
Hinckley
LE10 0FR"
So, if you're local then you could raise your objections in person.
For your information, here is the wording of the email I sent:
"To whom it may concern,
I would like to lodge my objection on behalf of the Tudor Society to the plans to build a driverless car track on part of Bosworth Battlefield. This site is of huge historic importance and should be preserved for future generations to visit. I realise that this project would create jobs for the local people and that it only affects "the edge" of the site, but allowing this plan to go ahead creates a dangerous precedent which could have an impact for historic sites all over the UK.
The Battle of Bosworth is a famous battle that people all over the world remember and the site is visited by tourists from all over the world, generating income for the local area. It is vital that the battlefield is preserved intact and that England's history is treasured. I object strongly to these plans and will be encouraging members of our society to object too.
Yours faithfully,
Claire Ridgway
Founder of the Tudor Society and author of Tudor history books"