Fresh plan for homes near medieval castle site

Plans to build 75 homes on the outskirts of a Derbyshire village near a medieval castle have been submitted.

The proposal, from developer Nightingale Land, would see the properties built on fields to the north of Linton Road, on the outskirts of Castle Gresley, near Swadlincote.

The proposed development site is close to Toons Furnishers, the A444 roundabout, and the Norman motte and bailey castle mound that gives the village its name.

South Derbyshire District Council planning officers are considering the application.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the latest plans had been submitted six years after another developer was refused permission to build 100 homes on the same plot.

Council officers refused the 2019 plans, saying they would cause harm to the setting of the castle, a scheduled monument, and see high-quality agricultural land lost.

However, the LDRS said under the latest plans, no housing would be built on the field closest to the castle site, with properties to be kept in the two fields closest to Linton Road.

The same planned main access to the site has been proposed off Hillside Road, with an access point for emergency services and pedestrians off Linton Road close to the Post Office, between existing homes.

A decision is expected to be made by the council in the next few months.

Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.