£1bn vision for three villages and new jobs

Around 5,000 new homes and 8,000 jobs will be created as part of the vision for Barton under Needwood, Alrewas and Fradley. Developer BDW Trading Ltd is behind the plans.

The new railway station would be built at the National Memorial Arboretum while the new homes would go up on land east of the A38 at Fradley, making three, or possibly even four new villages. Richard Pettitt, the director of Infrastucture Planning and Design Ltd, which drew up the plans, said the new homes would be built east of the A38 on brownfield and farming land behind the Fradley Arms up to the arboretum.

He said: "Much of it is gravel-worked land and there would be three or four villages, each with separate identities.

"All the plans are very loose at the moment but they will be discrete separate villages."

Some of the area is currently privately-owned farmland, but Mr Pettitt says the farmers have already been consulted about the plans.

The business and employment park would cover around three million square-feet and create up to 8,000 new jobs. The site would be named Twin Rivers Park and would be sited further north between the arboretum and Catholme Lane, south of the giant Argos distribution centre, hemmed in by the A38 and the rail line.

On the other side of the rail track, parallel with the commercial site, would be a new water sport and leisure complex to the east, beside the River Trent to be used for canoeing and rowing. Mr Pettitt said it is being considered to use the Trent for canoeing sessions.

Under the proposal, there are also plans to extend the Whitemoor Lakes Centre, an outward bound site, based in Barley Green Lane, to the north-eastern side of the new homes development.

Andrew Baud, a spokesman for the National Memorial Arboretum, said: "It has long been a plan of ours to have a station nearby, making it more convenient for people to visit and help to increase visitor numbers.

"We are simply acting as a venue for the briefing this week and we look forward to seeing what their plans are."

The details will laid bare for residents at a meeting tomorrow at the arboretum. BDW Trading Ltd has sent out almost 6,000 invitations to people who may be affected.

Carlene Leonard, a spokesman for BDW, said: "We'd like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves and provide residents with an early opportunity to understand our proposals for a sustainable development in the area.

"The aim is to inform local people and obtain feedback that will, where possible, be incorporated into the development proposals."