Local residents have been airing their views on a suggestion that thousands of new homes which could be built next to East Midlands Airport - just a few miles from Ashby.

North West Leicestershire District Council is asking residents whether they think a new town or village should be built to the south west of East Midlands Airport as part of their local plan review.

The settlement would be built on 316 acres of farmland and fields and could total up to 4,740 homes.

This could mean that the new settlement might be second only to Coalville and Ashby in the district in population terms if built, based on the Office for National Statistics average of 2.4 people to a household.

But responding to the news of the possible development, one reader questioned 'who wants to live next to an airport?'.

Other commenters added that it would only be a matter of time before residents 'start complaining about the noise'.

Concerns were also raised about the loss of a huge swathe of farmland that would result from the development, with many readers saying building on brownfield land would be better.

One said: "Concrete and brick over more farmland, eventually there will be none left to grow food.

"Around the county in fact the UK are many old unused WW11 aerodromes that could be developed as brownfield sites.

"Two massive sites that spring to mind are Langar and Wymeswold that are close by. Would seem to make more sense to redevelop those."

"What about the brown field sites in our towns and cities why are these not being used," another asked. "Leicester and the county are full of old industrial sites that could be used instead of concreting over the countryside."

Coalville – which also has 5,246 homes allocated in the plan without counting neighbouring parishes such as Whitwick (2,483 new homes) and Ravenstone (1379 new homes) – was also suggested as a more logical place to build housing, while someone else said the priority should be bringing run-down homes into a habitable state again.

"An alternative would be to properly plan and grow Coalville, Whitwick, Bardon, Thringstone and Hugglescote into a real town with all the culture, infrastructure and facilities of a real town," one comment read.

"They have already merged and it is possible to drive between all of them without noticing a single green field.

"Endless ad-hoc small developments nibbling away at the green space that is left between these villages will just deliver the worst case outcome of endless opportunistic unconnected suburban sprawl with no identity, cultural heart, community benefits, retail, quality open space and public transport options etc."

"Its about time that no new houses are allowed to be built until all the derelict ones are restored or re built," someone else insisted.

"We don't need more we need the ones we have in a condition to be used. Some sort of incentive for developers would be an idea but they must be affordable and not this new style of affordable that are actually unaffordable."

While the proposal detailed the possibility of a primary school being built alongside the development, along with shops and eateries, the precise details of what infrastructure would be included have not been set out at this stage.

One reader asked: "Are they planning to build new schools, hospitals etc, or indeed provide more doctors to serve all the extra people that will come to the area. They should make sure the infrastructure is in place before they build the houses."

A second questioned why primary school provision was indicated, but not education for older pupils.

"Why, in the name of God, do these developments only ever include a primary school when every secondary school in the vicinity is already over subscribed," she said. "How are all these extra youngsters going to be funnelled into an already overflowing service?"

Highways infrastructure was also raised as a concern: "Traffic is awful around East Midlands airport, especially on Fridays, so I would have thought this would make it more of a nightmare than ever."

Ultimately, any development would have to be approved through the planning process which would also determine the infrastructure required to support a new town or village.

People can formally have their say on the plans and other aspects of the Local Plan by visiting the North West Leicestershire District Council website.