A housebuilder has been granted planning permission for the third phase of new homes at a major mixed-use development on the edge of Leicester.
Up to 3,000 homes are planned for the wider Ashton Green scheme near Beaumont Leys, part of an ambitious housing-led development promoted by Leicester City Council.
Picture credit: Leicestershire City Council
Developer Morris Homes is preparing to build 441 new homes on a 38-acre site within the development after recently securing planning approval for the latest phase.
Around 30 per cent of the homes will be designated as affordable housing, available either for rent or through shared ownership schemes.
The housebuilder previously delivered the first 100 homes at Ashton Green in 2020. A second phase of 307 homes is scheduled to be completed this summer, while a fourth phase of 570 homes is already under development.
Together, these projects bring the total number of homes currently in development at Ashton Green to more than 1,400.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby said the development would play a key role in addressing the city’s housing demand.
“Ashton Green is an essential part of our commitment to meeting the growing and urgent need for new homes in Leicester over the next ten to fifteen years, and it will make a huge contribution to local economic growth,” he said.
“Morris Homes helped to successfully deliver the first 100 new homes to kick-start the Ashton Green development in 2020, so I’m pleased that we’ll be continuing to work with them on the next phase of construction.”
Chay Walker, regional managing director at Morris Homes, said the company was pleased to secure approval for the project.
“We’re delighted to have received the green light for the next phase of development at Ashton Green. This is a landmark scheme for Leicester and reflects our continued commitment to delivering high-quality, energy-efficient homes,” he said.
“Building on the success of our earlier phase, we look forward to working closely with Leicester City Council to help meet the city’s growing housing needs.”
Leicester City Council is the principal landowner and promoter of the Ashton Green development, which forms a mixed-use urban extension on a 320-acre greenfield site to the north of the city.
The wider scheme aims to create a new community of up to 3,000 homes alongside community and health facilities, employment land and retail space.
Construction on the third phase of housing is expected to begin in late spring.
