Planned new garden village near Melton would also include elite sports centre

Developers, Gladman, have submitted an outline planning application for the Six Hills scheme to Melton Council.

The company said the details were finalised after extensive talks with council officials and a two-week public consultation during the summer.

The village would be created on a triangular parcel of land covering 370 acres, bound on three sides by the A46 to the west, A6006 (Paddy’s Lane) to the north, and B676 (Six Hills Lane) to the south.

It is currently occupied mainly by Six Hills Golf Club and agricultural fields.

The developer has teamed up with Race Hub, which operates a triathlon training centre close to the lake and which is keen to expand to provide elite facilities for athletes and leisure activities for families and residents as part of the development project.

Laurie Lane, planning director at Gladman, said: “The application we have submitted for the Six Hills Garden Village has evolved to include a new regional triathlon centre, situated on the eastern side of the lake at the current Race Hub.

“The Race Hub is already a successful training facility in the area and we are delighted to team up with them to provide not only a state-of-the-art sports facility but also a village around it to support local sporting talent.”

Race Hub, which has been based there for two years, has 150 members and an elite triathlon race squad.

Owners Johnny and Laura Nicol state, in a letter sent to the council as part of the planning application, that they are keen to expand to provide a large sports retail store and cafe and a bigger range of water activities.

Their plans also include ‘an aqua park attraction on the lake similar to that at Rutland Water’.

“We hope that this development goes ahead so that we can fulfil these ambitions and also serve what we hope to be an active and healthy community,” the letter adds.

The regional triathlon centre would be part of the first phase of development, if planning approval is granted, along with the first 500 homes, to be built on land north of Six Hills Lane near to the existing golf course clubhouse.

The opening phase would also include development infrastructure required to support the new village, including a new local centre with shops and a GP surgery, a primary school and open space.

The garden village scheme is not one of the allocated sites in the council’s draft Local Plan, which provides for 6,125 new homes to be built up to 2036.

But Jim Worley, the council’s head of regulatory services, said: “The site is referenced in the Local Plan under policy SS6 as one of the alternative approaches we would consider, alongside many others, if the Plan needs reviewing because of either increased requirements or a failure of delivery of the plan’s current proposals.

“The applicants, Gladman, made representations on the Draft Local Plan and this will allow them a ‘seat’ at the Local Plan Examination.”

He added: “Gladman’s representations to the Local Plan set out why they believe we should be making significantly greater provision for housing in the Local Plan than at present, and that the Six Hills site would be additional to all other housing allocations in Melton and surrounding villages, rather than an alternative approach to provision or a replacement of these allocations.”