Fears over traffic and flooding have been raised
14:32, 17 Oct 2025Updated 15:15, 17 Oct 2025
A 72-bed care home is proposed for the site(Image: Google)
A divisive plan to build a 72-bed care home on a city golf course has again been put forward. A first attempt to secure permission for the scheme on land owned by Leicestershire Golf Club was withdrawn by the applicant in June.
Those initial plans had split the local community, with around 80 comments, a mix of for and against, lodged with Leicester City Council’s planning team. Those objecting raised concerns about the loss of a green space, worsening traffic in the area and the potential for flooding.
Others felt there were more suitable places within the city for a new care home if one was needed. This included suggestions to use the former College Court Hotel and Conference Centre, which the University of Leicester put on the market in June.
However, some people felt care homes were “a very necessary requirement in the area”. One said the land, which is currently vacant and does not form part of the course itself, “had little purpose over the years and could be better utilised to provide additional accommodation for the retired and frail”. A number of golf club members also came out in support of the proposal, arguing it would help fund the new irrigation system the club said it could not afford.
At the time of the withdrawal, LeicestershireLive had approached the club to ask why the scheme had been paused, and whether new proposals would be put forward for the site. We did not receive a response.
Now, however, those questions have been answered after a new planning application for the site was submitted to the local authority. This again would see a 72-bed care home built on the land, off Gartree Road, in Leicester’s Stoneygate ward.
Documents explain that the earlier proposal was withdrawn so the design of the scheme could be adjusted in line with feedback from planning officers. This has included changes to the layout of the building, with a series of pitched roof sections now proposed. This is intended to break up the building form and create the appearance of a series of domestic-sized homes in line with the surrounding streets, documents state.
Applicant Morrison Community Care Group has argued that the scheme will bring forward a number of benefits locally. These include helping meet the city’s need for care accommodation, freeing up family homes locally and creating jobs.
Local residents are able to have their say on the scheme until Thursday, November 6, with more information available on the Leicester City Council planning portal. A target decision date has been set for Tuesday, January 13, 2026.