FAQs

We understand that proposals like this raise important questions from the community. To help explain the process, we have included answers to some of the most common queries about the planning application.  

The Site and Planning

  • An outline planning application establishes the principle of development on a site. If permission is granted, the detailed design would then be agreed with NWLDC and other stakeholders, including the community, as part of subsequent reserved matters applications. These reserved matters applications will set out the details of the development, such as building heights, design, and materials.

  • NWLDC is required to bring forward sites to meet the district’s local housing need, which is calculated based on housing demand and population statistics by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.  

    As set out in the emerging NWLDC Local Plan, there has been a significant increase in local housing needs and the annual housing target for the Council to meet has now increased to 617 dwellings. 

  • In the adopted and emerging NWLDC Local Plan, Castle Donington is identified as a Key Service Centre. This recognises the town’s important role in offering homes, jobs and shops for its residents and the wider surrounding communities of northwest Leicestershire. Being closely situated to strategic locations and key employment sites such as the East Midlands Airport, the East Midlands Gateway and the new Freeport, Castle Donington is well-positioned to support significant development and accommodate housing needs to keep pace with subsequent employment demand.  

  • Around 30% of the new homes will be provided as affordable homes, which is compliant with NWLDC’s local policies and will contribute to meeting local needs.

  • In March 2025, NWLDC identified the parcel of land to the south-west of the roundabout (Reference: CD9) as having the ability to deliver approximately 40 homes to help meet the residual housing shortfall. CD9 is not part of this planning application.

The Proposals

  • The feedback received during the first stage of the public consultation has played an important role in shaping the masterplan. The feedback has influenced the design for the Community Hub, including consideration flexible space to accommodate for local healthcare needs. The input has helped confirm the location of the key infrastructure across the site, ensuring it is appropriately placed and accessible for both new and existing residents.

  • Homes will be designed to integrate with the existing built form of Castle Donington. The exact layout, scale and appearance of the new homes will be determined by subsequent reserved matters planning applications, which will also be the subject of public consultation in due course.

  • The Community Hub has been designed with the needs of the local community in mind. It will provide a range of flexible spaces that can be adapted overtime, allowing the local community to shape how the Hub is used. This flexibility means that the Hub could accommodate local healthcare services.

    In addition, a small number of retail units are proposed to support independent business, creating opportunities for local traders to establish themselves and grow within Castle Donington.

    There will also be apartments built as part of the Community Hub, and parking provision is being considered.

  • Provision for satellite or ancillary healthcare services is being considered as part of the Community Hub design. A walk-in centre is likely to be delivered within the neighbouring Isley Woodhouse new settlement, to help meet wider local healthcare needs.

  • The Community Hub is anticipated to be delivered during the early stages of the development. This is to ensure it is benefitting existing residents as soon as possible, as well as providing long-term services for the future community.

  • The Community Hub will be located on the eastern side of the development, prominently placed next to the existing roundabout on the Castle Donington Relief Road. The location has been chosen to ensure the Hub is easy to access for both new and current residents.

  • Parking provision is being considered by the team, and an update on capacity will be circulated in due course. Safe pedestrian and cycle crossing will also be considered.

  • The primary school will be located on the western side of the development.

    This location has been selected to allow the school to come forward at the most appropriate stage of development, when school places will be required.

    This location enables the school to be integrated into the new neighbourhood whilst minimising the impacts on existing education provisions.

    The site of the primary school will be able to take advantage of the available space and its peaceful setting on the edge of the development to help support a positive learning environment with plenty of outdoor education opportunities. The size of the site also allows for extended nursery provision and future growth.

  • The primary school will be delivered at a later stage of the development, to ensure it comes forward at an appropriate time.

  • There will not be a new secondary school built on this site. However, the project team will make contributions to support the existing Castle Donington College. A new secondary school will be built at Isley Woodhouse to help provide adequate capacity.

  • In response to local care home demand in Castle Donington, consideration will be given to provide a care home on site and has been included in the Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report.

  • We recognise the desire from the community to have sports pitches located nearby. We will contribute to offsite sports provisions to ensure high-quality facilities are available local to the development, including changing rooms and parking.

  • Children’s play areas will be incorporated across the site, designed to accommodate different age groups. These spaces have been integrated with the wider network of green infrastructure to allow for safe and accessible areas for families to relax. Allotment provision is also proposed within the eastern part of the site.

Access and Travel

  • The masterplan includes a wide network of walking and cycling routes across the site, designed to provide safe and sustainable ways to travel. These active travel routes will connect homes with key infrastructures like the Community Hub and the primary school. A traffic light will be installed on the relief road near the Community Hub to ensure user safety and to prevent speeding.

  • Vehicles will be able to access the site from Park Lane, where the junction between the roundabout connecting the relief road and the main site entrance will be widened and upgraded to accommodate safe traffic movement. This will be the main point of access.

    The proximity to the Castle Donington Relief Road also provides direct connections to the A50 and M1, allowing for fast and efficient travel to and from the development.

    There will be a secondary emergency access on West Meadow Rise, and this will also serve as an active travel route out of the new neighbourhood.

  • Park Lane will be developed into an active travel route for residents, with appropriate cycle and walkways through the middle of the neighbourhood. A road loop connecting the north and south parts of the development will provide vehicular access.

    Access along the Park Lane after the proposed new primary school on the west of the site will be preserved for access for residents and visitors to Donington Hall, Hastings House and all other existing properties.

  • A bus service will be introduced during the early stages of the scheme. This will provide convenient and sustainable transport option for residents, connecting the new neighbourhood with Castle Donington and the wider northwest Leicestershire region.

  • As part of the planning application, we will submit a Transport Assessment which assesses the impact of the development on the local highway network. This exercise will use the nationally recognised TRICS database and Census data to accurately forecast and distribute traffic on key local routes.

  • Measures will be put in place to mitigate against the impact on local junctions, supporting and promoting the use of active and sustainable travel and limiting the impact of vehicle traffic. We are in ongoing discussions with officers at North West Leicestershire Council regarding required mitigations.

    A site-wide Travel Plan will also be delivered and monitored, incorporating measures such as personalised travel planning, travel information provision and incentives to encourage sustainable travel behaviour among future residents or users.

Environment and Flooding

  • An Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Request was submitted to NWLDC earlier this year. The EIA Scoping process seeks to agree which key environmental topics, including landscape and visual impact, heritage, air quality, noise and vibration, should be assessed within the Environmental Statement, which will also be submitted as part of the planning application, to ensure that the proposals are developed both responsibly and sustainably.

  • The proposals have been carefully designed to respect the setting of Donington Hall, a Grade II listed building and other nearby heritage assets. Vehicular access along Park Lane will be maintained only for residents and visitors to Donington Hall, Hastings House and other properties.

    The layout of the school has been designed so the lower density elements are located closest to Donington Hall to help preserve its setting. Additional woodland buffers are proposed to wrap round the school boundary to safeguard the views from the Hall, as well as the neighbouring deer park.

  • The surface water drainage strategy is currently being developed, and further details will be included as part of the planning application.

Delivery Timings

  • We intend to submit the planning application to NWLDC in June 2026.

  • Subject to outline planning approval, detailed elements of the development will be determined through subsequent Reserved Matters applications. The first new homes are expected to be delivered in 2027.