Public Engagement Now Closed
How We Got Here
This page sets out information about the local planning policy context, including the emerging North West Leicestershire Local Plan which includes Isley Woodhouse as a draft allocation, together with information about the two developers; Harworth and Caesarea, and the wider project team.
Local Plan Position
North West Leicestershire District Council is preparing a new Local Plan to cover the plan period 2020-2040. The Council consulted on the Preferred Options Plan (Regulation 18) in February to March 2024. The consultation documents included the Proposed Policies for Consultation, Proposed Housing and Employment Allocations for Consultation and Proposed Limits to Development for Consultation. A draft Policies Map which shows the policies and proposals in map form was also published alongside the Regulation 18 consultation.​
Within the Regulation 18 Consultation Draft Local Plan, Policy S1 – Future Development Needs set out a housing requirement for the District of 686 dwellings per annum (13,720 dwellings over the plan period). The Council are intending to consult on a further version of the draft plan in the near future in advance of submission to the Secretary of State.
The Proposed Housing and Employment Allocations for Consultation document sets out the proposed housing allocations at Section 4. Isley Woodhouse is included as Site Reference IW1 as an allocation for approximately 4,500 dwellings. The draft policy (page 63–65) states that the site at Isley Woodhouse is allocated for a new, standalone village, comprising:
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Some 4,500 new homes, around 1,900 of which will be built by 2040;
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A mix of market and affordable homes;
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Homes for the elderly, including those who need care, such as bungalows, sheltered and extra care facilities, nursing or care homes;
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Some 23,000 sqm of employment floorspace (industry and warehousing) located along the A453 frontage to include start-up premises suitable for small businesses, with some 4,600 sqm to have been delivered by 2040;
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Primary and secondary schools;
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A main village centre plus smaller neighbourhood centres with facilities such as convenience stores, pub/restaurant/cafes, health services, community venue etc; and
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Formal and informal open space to include children’s play areas, sports pitches, recreation routes and cycling and walking links.
Harworth Group and Caesarea Development Holdings are developing these proposals for Isley Woodhouse in the context of the emerging Local Plan allocation at IW1 and supporting North West Leicestershire in the delivery of the Local Plan.
Stakeholder Engagement
Since the initial draft allocation for the site, the project team has engaged in a series of pre-application meetings with North West Leicestershire District Council alongside other stakeholders to ensure that the proposals for the site are well considered and respond to local requirements.
Alongside this, the early proposals for the site were presented to design:midlands, an impartial resource providing independent design review and support to ensure that the initial designs were delivering on the aspirations for the site, resulting in an exemplar, sustainable new community.
The Panel supports the proposals for:
active travel as a design driver for the development;
the provision of three neighbourhoods, each with a dense and compact local centre with robust connections within and between the neighbourhoods;
the utilisation and integration of the existing walking and cycling routes;
the retention and enhancement of existing ‘green’ and ‘blue’ infrastructure is welcomed;
and the provision of a sensitive approach to the existing villages of Isley Walton and Diseworth, and the re-routing of the A453.
Feedback from Design: Midlands
The work undertaken to date is commendable... ​
The approach undertaken with the landowners working in collaboration and the ambition to create an exemplary development which is accessible, affordable and beautiful is recognised and appreciated. ​
The Panel acknowledged the Design Team’s work in developing a robust set of design principles, including the ambitions for active travel, connecting people to jobs, etc.
The site is considered to have considerable potential [...] its location close to existing employment centres [...] add to its appeal as a sustainable settlement.
Project Team
About the Developers
Harworth is one of the leading land and property regeneration companies in the UK, owning and managing c.20,500 acres across 120 sites in the North of England and the Midlands. Harworth brings development into the 21st century by using our unique position as master developer.
Our developments will make a huge difference to the economies and communities in the North of England and the Midlands, with the potential to deliver:
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29,000+ potential new homes;
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24.4m sqft potential employment space;
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Up to £3.6 billion in gross value added to UK plc;
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250+ MW potential capacity to the National Grid.
Site Custodian
Harworth fully commits to the long-term management of land and public open spaces; input into key local planning matters; and timely liaison with core stakeholders in the best interests of the site over its entire development period.
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Place-Making
We drive quality and design standards on a development-wide basis across public realm and built form, continually assessing design quality to ensure it is appropriate to each individual scheme.
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Sustainable Energy
We work, through our internal renewable energy team, with global energy providers and private energy companies to deliver clean and efficient energy systems in the drive towards zero carbon.
The Harworth Approach
Schemes such as Waverley and Logistics North show the long term economic and social gain that our developments bring to local areas.
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We design and deliver our schemes in close consultation with all stakeholders, local authorities, residents, business partners and local groups.
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We pride ourselves in maintaining clear communication and professionalism through all stages of the development process.
Caesarea Development Holdings is a privately owned property company specialising in promoting major strategic sites. With our experienced team of property, planning and technical specialists, we currently have a portfolio of sites totalling over 1,000 acres.​
​As strategic land specialists, we identify sites with genuine potential and devise innovative and sustainable development solutions. Working on behalf of our landowner and development partners, we work collaboratively with planning authorities and stakeholder, with the overall aim of successfully achieving environmentally responsible development.
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Our portfolio consists of large scale logistics and residential scheme across the UK. Caesarea has a strong focus on place-making and sustainability, ensuring that we help to deliver great places to work as well as building strong sustainable communities where people love to live.
Examples of schemes that our team have successfully promoted through the planning process are shown below:
Grange Park, Northampton
350 acre site to the south of Northampton. The site was granted planning permission for 1,200 houses along with a village centre, as well as 60 acres of land for warehouse and industrial development and 25 acres of land for a hotel.
Bardon, Leicestershire
Approximately 240 acres at Bardon, near Coalville. When completed, the developments will comprise over 3.3m sqft of manufacturing and logistics buildings, creating approximately 4,000 jobs. Employers within the scheme include Amazon, VF Corporation, ASDA and Countryside.
New Stoke Village, Coventry
83 acre site near Coventry City Centre. Planning permission was granted for a total of 159,000 sqft of commercial development, alongside 1,700 new homes and a village centre.