The local planning authority is of the opinion that the additional moorings would be detrimental to the character and appearance of the countryside because of the intensification of the visual clutter of mooring jetties, boats ad other associated paraphernalia across the open water surface in the basin and the crowding of the banks of the basin, which act as the interface between the development and the adjoining open countryside. The loss of the open areas of water would upset the balance between the level of development in the landscape and the openness of the overall landscape. The additional moorings along the banks of the basin, and the paraphernalia associated with gaining access to boats from the bank would mask the banks from view and further detract from the rural amenities of the area. As such, the development would be contrary to the intentions of saved Policies CT/1 and CT/2 of the adopted Borough of Charnwood Local Plan, which seek to ensure that only development that would not cause significant environmental impact, harm to the character and appearance of the countryside, or to local amenity interests, is permitted.

The planning authority also considers that the development would be detrimental to the interests of wildlife in the area due to the impact on wildlife habitats caused by the inhibition of bank-side emergent vegetation through disturbance from marina activity, including the movement of boats, the closeness of the access road to the wildlife pond on the site, the impact of the road and parking area on the ditch, trees and hedgerow on the south eastern boundary of the marina, and the loss of an open water habitat caused by the new moorings. As such, the proposal is contrary to the intentions of Planning Policy Statement 9: Biodiversity and Geological Considerations and advice in Circular 06/2005.

The proposed access road and parking area along the southern bank of the marina would have an urbanising effect, and in the case of the parking area, seriously compromise the landscape treatment of the boundary of the marina site, due to the space available and the inability to provide landscape mitigation. As such, the proposal is contrary to Policies CT/1 and CT/2 and also contrary to saved Policy EV/20 of the Local Plan, which seeks to ensure a high standard of appropriate landscaping in all new development.