The Masterplan

A central feature of the development will be the delivery of a new Community Hub, providing a flexible community space to bring residents together.

Feedback from the first stage of the public consultation highlighted the aspiration for further healthcare provision in Castle Donington, and this has been a key consideration in shaping the design of the Community Hub, ensuring that the facility can accommodate potential medical uses, such as a satellite care facility, clinical rooms, or spaces for health classes. Smaller, complementary units have been identified for retail and food and beverage offerings.

The hub will be located to the east of the development, adjacent to the existing roundabout on Castle Donington Relief Road, ensuring it is easily accessible for both existing and new residents and can be delivered in the early stages of development. The Community Hub’s location has also been considered to serve the existing community to the west of Castle Donington, ensuring more services services and amenities for current residents.

Parking provision is being carefully considered as part of the design to support convenient access to the hub. Safe pedestrian and cycle crossings to the Community Hub will be considered through ongoing engagement with the Leicestershire County Highways Authority.

A new primary school will be delivered as part of the new neighbourhood, helping to provide much needed primary education facilities to support both new and existing families in Castle Donington. It will be located on the western side of the site, ensuring it is well separated from Foxbridge Primary School and brought forward at an appropriate stage of the development, potentially as part of a later phase if required.

This location also allows for future nursery provision and extended growth, should the County Council require it in the future.

Woodland planting will wrap around the school’s boundary to ensure privacy and protect the setting of nearby features, including Donington Hall and the neighbouring deer park. Lower density infrastructure for the school, such as sports pitches, has been designed to be located closest to Donington Hall. This attractive and tranquil setting creates an ideal environment for primary education, offering outdoor learning opportunities on the outskirts of the development.

An extensive network of pedestrian and cycling routes will be incorporated throughout the site, providing accessible and sustainable routes for residents to connect with the wider neighbourhood and existing facilities further afield. These routes will be set within extensive public open space, with facilities including children’s play areas and allotments.

Existing woodland, hedgerows, and trees will be retained where possible and supplemented by additional planting.

The masterplan has been designed to carefully consider the impact on existing and future travel arrangements for both existing and future residents. A new primary road will form a loop connecting the northern and southern parcels of the development. The existing middle section of Park Lane will be converted into a dedicated active travel route, creating a safe and sustainable corridor for pedestrians and cyclists to access the new primary school and the wider neighbourhood.

Access

Vehicular access along Park Lane, beyond the proposed new primary school on the western side of the site, will be maintained for residents and visitors to Donington Hall, Hastings House and other existing properties. This route will also be adapted within the development to accommodate larger vehicles where necessary.

The main access to the development will be from the roundabout linking the Castle Donington Relief Road to Park Lane, located on the eastern side of the site. This will be widened and moved northwards to meet current highways standards, providing convenient and direct connections to the A50 and M1, and enabling efficient access to and from North West Leicestershire and beyond. A traffic signal will be installed on the relief road at the new development access to ensure safe movement into and out of the site and help manage vehicle speeds along the road.

There will also be a secondary emergency access to West Meadow Rise, which will also serve as an active travel route out of the development.

Encouraging Active Travel

Public transport will be enhanced as part of the proposals, with a new bus service introduced early in the development, ensuring connectivity between the new neighbourhood, Castle Donington, and the wider area.