Plans to build bungalows off a busy Coalville road have taken a step forwards.

A buyer has been found for the land behind 80 Forest Road.

The site already has planning permission for 24 single-storey homes to be built on it with the home that previously formed No.80 already having been demolished. The scheme was approved by North West Leicestershire District Council's (NWLDC) planning committee in April last year, despite concerns over safety fears and the over-development of the area.

Broadmead LLP will take on the land and the building project, said Mather Jamie, a consultancy firm which brokered the sale. Broadmead said it was "committed to providing the homes people want" and that the land would allow it to "build much-needed housing in this part of Leicestershire".

Residents of the area did not share this enthusiasm when the plans were considered last year, however.

Some voiced fears for students of Newbridge School and Saint Clare's Primary School, both of which are located nearby, with one saying: "We have lived in our home the past 51 years and the amount of traffic has increased substantially.

"I am concerned for the safety of schoolchildren of the two schools. There is already insufficient parking for the residents already here as most families have more than one vehicle per household."

Hugglescote and Donington le Heath Parish Council believed the site was too small for the number of homes approved. It said: "The proposals are overdeveloped for the designated land area, leaving plots somewhat cramped, and too close. [There is] no property separational space, with little or no amenity or rear garden space."

Planning officers at NWLDC acknowledged the loss of green land, but found housing in the area "would not be considered unacceptable" after labelling the site "of poor visual quality". NWLDC added: "It is considered that the design, appearance and scale of the development would be acceptable and enable it to successfully integrate into the environment in which it is set."

Chris Milne, of Broadmead LLP, said of the purchase: "We're committed to providing the homes people want, where they're needed most. This opportunity allows us to build much-needed housing in this part of Leicestershire and look forward to the next stage of this process and seeing our plans become a reality."

Sam Tyler, development surveyor at Mather Jamie, added: "This is an exciting scheme that will bring much-needed single-storey housing to the local area."