The Kirby Muxloe village website

Back in 1990 there was no Junction 21a and to get to Glenfield was under this bridge and along what a fairly narrow lane. But after 21a was opened there was no traffic through the bridge and some travellers moved in. They were there for some time. Walking a dog through there became difficult if attempted, walking or cycling was avoided. They lit fires and were the inevitable nuisance. After they had been moved the Coucil acted to stop this happening again.

The verge was raised along with the gates and though they remain solid the verge has been flattened over time. It is a lot less imposing that it was. Overall it’s not pretty but it works. Cars cannot get through but horses, moped drivers and everyone else can. Then in the last couple of years youths would start congregating near that gate during the evening. There would be 2 or 3 cars, girls, drinking, smoking cannabis, condoms and all manner of litter down there in the mornings. Note that not all youths down there are causing problems – far from it. There are many in the village who will play football under there and congregate there without problem – after all it’s dry, they can make noise and there are no windows to break. They are also polite and not intimidating.
But the problems with these others persisted despite the local beat officer intervening. Eventually the Council realised that maybe there might be a problem and the process of “doing something” started.

And we have a gate.
Or if you look at it from another angle, a minor inconvenience.

So should the travellers come looking again they will be deterred by the kerb. The gap there is so big and the verge flattened you could get a caravan or truck through without any problem. On the path from Kirby to Glenfield there are two gates on a path – the type used to slow cyclists down. A couple of months ago they were ripped out and the support posts hammered flat. We cannot assume they will not be back.

The gap to the side of the gate needs 2 or 3 concrete bollards as a minimum. That would secure the area and keep open what is an important route.

In the recent Council election: “In Glenfield Lane and Vicarage Close David [Parsons] is committed to the scheme to stop traffic using the road beyond the Glenfield Lane / Viacarge Close junction towards the motorway bridge in order to cur down anti-social behaviour” Scheme? It’s a gate, just a gate. Maybe a scheme would have included bollards…