Areas in and around Coalville and Ibstock have been proposed for new housing - to keep North West Leicestershire District Council on target to build more than 680 homes a year up to 2042.

As a result, the District Council has launched a six-week consultation to seek views on the proposals for additional housing and employment sites in the district. 

The council says it needs to ensure that at least 686 new homes are built every year up for the next 17 years. 

It adds that, currently, there is a shortfall of about 2,000 homes when compared to this requirement. 

The proposed allocations will address this need, said NWLDC in a statement today (Friday).

The consultation will run from now until Friday, May 2.

Full details of the new proposals and how you can have your say will be available at nwleics.gov.uk/local_plan_review

People are asked to give their views on proposals for 13 additional housing sites, one additional employment site and one amended employment site, as well as two potential 'reserve' housing sites.

Among the list of proposed sites is the Stephenson Green site. This has long been considered for new homes and attracted critics.

In 2011, homebuilders Jelson and William Davis submitted an outline planning application to develop the Stephenson Green site bordered by the A511 Stephenson Way, Hermitage Road, Hall Lane and Broom Leys Road as a residential site for up to 1,420 dwellings including a new village centre with businesses, retail, health centre, community hall and primary school, alongside play areas, woodlands and other infrastructure.



Land close to High Street in Ibstock has been listed. Photo: Instantstreetview.com

The Meadow Lane site remains off the list after a Labour motion to have it reinstated was defeated last week.

Also on the list are two suggested employment sites in Ellistown.

The new proposed sites are:

Additional proposed housing sites

• Land off Thornborough Road, Coalville
• Land at Torrington Avenue, Whitwick
• Land off Stephenson Way (known as Stephenson Green), Coalville
• Land south of The Green, Donington le Heath
• Land adjacent to 194 Burton Road, Ashby de la Zouch
• Land south of Park Lane, Castle Donington
• Land rear of 111a High Street, Ibstock
• Land south of Ashby Road, Kegworth
• Land off Leicester Road/Ashby Road, Measham
• Land off Abney Drive, Measham
• Land at Measham Road, Appleby Magna
• Land west of Redburrow Lane, Packington
• Land off Church Lane, Ravenstone

Additional / amended employment sites

• Land between Terrace Road and Wood Road, Ellistown (additional)
• East of Midland Road, Ellistown (reduced site)

Proposed reserve housing sites

• Land at Packington Nook, Ashby de la Zouch
• Land rear of 55 Normanton Road, Packington

The council says it will only accept consultation responses on the new proposed sites and will not consider any comments received about any other sites.

The council last consulted on its draft Local Plan in early 2024. A summary of the 639 responses received during that consultation can be found at nwleics.gov.uk/local_plan_review_progress_so_far

Details of responses to the new consultation, together with any proposed changes, will be reported to a future meeting of the Local Plan Committee.

The next version of the Local Plan that will be prepared is the Regulation 19 Plan. This is a full and final version of the plan and will include all the proposed housing and employment allocations, together with any other policies.

Before NWLDC submits the plan to the Planning Inspectorate for examination, it will be subject to another round of consultation. 

In the meantime, the council says it will finalise key pieces of ongoing technical evidence, including transport modelling, an Infrastructure Delivery Plan and a Viability Assessment, which are required to demonstrate that the Local Plan is deliverable.