Proposals for 4,500-home development are outlined

A public meeting to outline plans to build a major new housing development on the outskirts of Leicester will take place tomorrow.

Blaby District Council has proposed building 4,500 homes on farmland which borders Leicester Forest East, Enderby and Braunstone Town.

The site is west of the M1, north of the M69 and south of the A47 Hinckley Road.

The public meeting, called by the district council and Leicester Forest East Parish Council, will take place on Thursday at the Parish Hall, in Kings Drive, from 7pm.

Councillors from both authorities will attend as well as members of Leicestershire County Council and district council planning officials.

Under the proposals agreed by the district council at a meeting held on July 14, four schools, health care facilities and about 3,000 sq metres for retail developments would also be built.

The council has to find space for 7,600 homes by 2026 to meet Government targets and chose the site over alternatives near Glenfield and Kirby Muxloe.

The plans have already met with anger from a number of residents living in the area who believe the proposal will have a negative impact on the road system and wildlife.

Paul Fox, 52, from Leicester Forest East, said: "I am not a nimby at the end of the day, but I am concerned about the size of the development."

He said 4,500 homes was a lot of homes to build when there was a road network that already struggled with the current levels of traffic.

Blaby District Council has, however, described the plans as a "fantastic opportunity" and promised to negotiate with the developer to ensure that 30 per cent of homes are affordable.