Wheeldon 1867 is a trusted land promotion business operating throughout England with a deep-rooted legacy and a robust portfolio of quality development sites across England. Wheeldon 1867 prioritises core values of transparency, tenacity and trust in all their work.

Wheeldon 1867 is a sister company to Wheeldon Brothers Limited, a privately owned, award-winning housebuilder founded in 1867, operating across the East Midlands. This affiliation allows Wheeldon 1867 to draw on almost 160 years of housebuilding experience, adding value to the sites they promote and the sustainable communities they help create.

Nationally we are facing a continuing housing crisis with not enough homes being built to meet demand and as a result there is a need to boost the supply of homes.

It is considered this site can therefore be brought forward in the short term, providing much needed housing for the area and assisting Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council in meeting its housing needs.

The site, which measures 2.99 hectares (ha) occupies a single arable field on the northern edge of the Newbold Verdon. The site is bounded by Barlestone Road to the south and is bounded by arable fields in all other directions. However, the land to the west and northwest of the site is currently subject to an outline planning application (LPA ref: 24/01061/OUT) for up to 240 homes which is currently pending a decision.

There is a residential building and other agricultural buildings located in the southwest of the site which are proposed to be removed as part of the proposed scheme.

The site is well located in relation to local services and facilities within 800m of the site. All of Newbold Verdon is accessible within a 2km catchment. Bus stops are located on Main Street that provide services towards Leicester, Market Bosworth, Coalville, and Hinckley, ensuring opportunities for sustainable travel to and from the development.

The majority of the site is unaffected by flood risk and is located entirely in Flood Zone 1 (low probability of flooding from rivers). Some limited areas of surface water flooding associated with low areas of topography are present towards the Barlestone Road boundary of the site. To help manage flood risk, a new SuDS feature is proposed in the southern part of the site.

There is a Public Right of Way (PRoW) running along the eastern boundary of the site which will be retained and enhanced within a green corridor as part of the proposal. In addition, further walking routes will be created around the site for the use of existing and future residents

The proposal provides a sustainable opportunity to support growth and deliver new homes in Newbold Verdon including much needed affordable housing for young people and families.

The development proposals are for a low-density sensitively designed scheme of around 67 high-quality homes, including around 27 (40%) affordable homes, with associated parking, infrastructure works and amenity space.

Of the c. 67 new homes proposed, a mix of housing types will be delivered and this mix will be informed by local evidence of need, community consultation and ongoing dialogue with the Council.

A Development Framework plan for the proposed development has been prepared which can be seen below and shows how the development has been designed to correspond with its surroundings. There is a pending residential planning application to the west of the site and so if approved, a pedestrian link has been included to provide connectivity between the developments.

As part of the proposal, areas of public open space are located to the south and in a central area of the site. A formal play area will be located in the central area of open space. This will be complemented by a series of natural play trail features integrated along new recreational routes and the existing PRoW. These informal, incidental play elements will encourage active, car-free movement around the site, making everyday journeys more enjoyable for children. Green infrastructure equates to 32% of the total site area and will provide a high quality setting, with generous areasof  public open space within easy reach of every new home

It is proposed to enhance the existing hedgerow, which will be supplemented with new tree and hedgerow planting to create a well-defined buffer and green settlement edge to the north, and east.

A new Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SuDS) feature, in the form of an attenuation basin, has been carefully designed and sited in the lower part of the site which will serve to manage surface water through the development. The SuDS feature will also form an attractive landscape and ecological feature on the site and form new habitats for wildlife.

Vehicular access is proposed via a new priority junction with Barlestone Road as can be seen on the accompanying Development Framework plan below. The access itself comprises a 5.5m wide carriageway with a 2m footway either side.

Below is a Development Framework Plan which demonstrates how the site has been designed to incorporate the above. As the proposed planning application will be in outline, the exact location of housing, green space, infrastructure and other features will be determined at a later stage.

• A high-quality and sustainable development including comprehensive landscape planting and open space and will create an attractive setting for new homes and will ensure the development blends with the edge of settlement location;
• A variety of house types and sizes, with a large portion being affordable, to meet the varied needs of the residents of Newbold Verdon;
• Landscaped public open space area on site will create a pleasant environment for users of the existing PRoW running along the eastern boundary as well as new recreational footpaths;
• A centrally located equipped children’s outdoor play area and series of natural play trail features will be integrated along new recreational routes to benefit new and existing residents;
• Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems including a drainage pond to effectively manage surface water runoff across the development which will also provide amenity benefits and ecological benefits.