Leicestershire golf course could be concreted for up to 800 new homes

A Leicestershire golf course is being earmarked as a potential site for up to 800 homes. Enderby Golf Course and part of the adjacent Carlton Park site are the proposed location for a new community that straddles the edges of Enderby and Narborough, Blaby District Council has said.

If the plan goes ahead, the development would be called Hayes Gardens. It would also include public open space, play areas, community facilities and parks, according to the local authority. Improvements to local roads are also on the cards, with the council saying the changes could improve connectivity in the area and ease existing congestion.

The golf course is jointly owned by the council and Santander and is currently open to the public for the sport. However, a website set up to promote the scheme says it is one of five such golf courses in the borough, with others “within a short drive”, prompting the council to consider it for other uses.

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Carlton Park is solely owned by Santander, which has described the land considered under the scheme as “surplus”. Office buildings one to five on the site, which are occupied by Santander, Watches of Switzerland and Honeywell, would remain operational under the proposals, according to a spokesman. Other neighboring buildings such as the David Lloyd gym, Busy Bees nursery, data centers and ambulance depot are not included in the plan’s boundaries and would not be affected, they added.

The scheme is in the “early stages”. The Council is currently drawing up a new local plan – a planning document which sets out where future development can take place in the district – and is proposing to add the land in question to it. The authority said the development would help it meet housing needs locally as well as targets set nationally. Blaby District Council must build 687 homes a year by 2036.

Members of the public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposal in the coming weeks. Local events are scheduled for:

• Wednesday 22nd May 2-7pm at Enderby Civic Centre

• Tuesday 4th June 2-7pm at Blaby District Council Council Room

• Saturday 15 June 10am-3pm at Enderby Leisure Center

Councilor Terry Richardson, leader of Blaby District Council, said: “Working with Santander, we see Hayes Gardens as a model of a sustainable community. As well as providing much needed housing, this development will seek to provide more green space and biodiversity accessible to the public. Improved pedestrian, cycle and vehicle access routes could also help alleviate Enderby’s long-standing congestion problems, particularly around Mill Lane.

“This work is in its early stages. The suitability of the land for housing will need to be confirmed in our new Local Plan process. We are committed to extensive public engagement and to giving local people every opportunity to have their say.”

Nick Roberts, head of property at Santander UK, said: “We have been working closely with (estate agents) Colliers to consider the options for land at our Carlton Park site. As of 2021, we have consolidated our office space into one of five office buildings on campus, letting three of the buildings to tenants, with one remaining building being marketed for lease.

“We want to play our part in supporting the local plan, enabling more homes and contributing to the wider local community in which we operate.”

If the proposal is included in the local plan and that plan is approved by the Government Planning Inspectorate, a planning application for the scheme would need to be submitted and approved by the council before any work begins. The local plan is expected to be approved by the Inspectorate in late 2025 and then adopted by the council in March 2026.