Plans to demolish the disused Masons Arms pub in Donisthorpe - and build 11 new houses on the site - have been put forward to North West Leicestershire District Council.

The application was submitted earlier this week and comes just a month after the up-for-sale building, in Church Street, was taken off the market.

KMG Partnership, based in Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire, has made the application with a report prepared for the council by Leicestershire-based company R3design Developments.

A Statement of Community Involvement report has been included with the application - and says the new houses would be designed for the first-time buyer market.

The Masons Arms has not been open in three years.

The statement, on behalf of KMG, says there has been positive feedback so far: "We have liaised with a number of local residents regarding the scheme proposal.

"The public house closed in 2018.

"The site is vacant at present and the existing building is in need of repair.

"We understand the public house will not be reopening.

"There is limited community benefit generated from this site at present.

"The type of dwellings that are envisaged for this development are intended for the first time buyers' market and should fit into the locality well.

"If larger dwellings are required, the scheme has the potential to be altered to suit.

"We have received positive feedback for the proposal."

An illustration of what the development is planned to look like can be seen HERE.

Letters from some local residents, who say they back the scheme, have been included in the report.

One said that they 'fully supported' the regeneration of the site and it would 'improve the area significantly'.

The letter added that the site is 'currently run down and unsightly' and that, when the pub was open, there were often 'many disturbances in the village' - and since the pub has been closed, 'the village has been a much more peaceful place to live'.

It added that a new development would 'bring a new lease of life into the village'.

Another letter said the plans 'looked great' and would 'tidy up the area'.

A planning statement presented to the council says: "Given the length of time that the public house has been closed, it is not considered that the existing public house has been meeting the community's day to day needs."

The site had been up for sale at £395,000 but was taken off the market due to a 'lack of interest'.