Plans to build more than 70 homes near a medieval castle a few miles away from Ashby have been submitted.

The plans, from Nightingale Land, would see 75 homes built on fields to the north of Linton Road, on the outskirts of Castle Gresley.

If approved by South Derbyshire District Council the estate would sit close to Toons Furnishers, the A444 roundabout, the railway line and the ancient motte and bailey castle mound that gives the area its name.

The plans have been submitted six years after Heyford Developments asked the council for permission to build 100 homes on the same plot.

Council officers refused those plans in 2019 due to the impact on the landscape, harm to the setting of the ancient castle and loss of high quality agricultural land, with no appeal submitted by the developers.

However, this time, no housing would be built on the field closest to the ancient scheduled monument with homes 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.

The proposeded pedestrian and ermergency services access off Linton Road

A document submitted with the planning application states: "This proposal comes forward at a time when there is an acknowledged housing crisis in England. 

"That crisis relates to all types of housing including: open market, affordable and selfbuild homes. 

"This proposal aims to make a meaningful contribution to providing a range of new housing thereby helping to address the acknowledged housing crisis in England.

"In contrast to the previous scheme, this latest proposal is a landscape-led development that locates new homes on a smaller area of land than the refused scheme and restricts the location of development in respect of local topography so as to limit views of built form to and from a nearby Scheduled Monument known locally as Castle Knob.

"In summary the proposed development represents an opportunity to deliver a high-quality residential scheme on a parcel of land which is in private ownership and which would bring about significant environmental, social and economic benefits."

Of the proposed 75 homes, 27 would be classed as affordable housing, of which 23 would be available for affordable rent (80 per cent of the local area rate) and four would be shared ownership properties.

Four of the overall homes would be bungalows.

In total there would be four one-bed homes; 25 two-bed homes; 33 three-bed homes and 13 four-bed homes.

A decision will be made by the council in the next few months.