Council earmarks fields near village for 500 homes

The proposed site sits between Leicester Lane and Peckleton Lane in Desford

Up to 500 homes could be built on fields on the edge of a village in Leicestershire, a council has said.

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council has earmarked a 104-acre (42.1ha) site to the south east of Desford for potential development.

The authority said the area, next to Bosworth Academy, could also have new health facilities, play areas, community orchards and a possible link road between Leicester Lane and Peckleton Lane.

The site has been identified by the council in its new draft local plan - a long term strategy to identify land for housing and employment.

A public consultation on the draft local plan is under way and runs until 28 November.

The council has urged residents to have their say on the proposals in it.

Council leader Stuart Bray said: "We need to move the plan forward to meet the deadlines set by central government [and] in the meantime, we continue to call on a wide variety of partners to engage in constructive dialogue to ensure this plan is appropriate and sustainable."