News

Update on the New Lubbesthorpe Bus Service - March 2026

From Central Connect (the bus operator), Drummond Estate (the landowner) and GO Travel Solutions (the travel plan coordinators)

The NovusDirect bus service is now operating out of a facility on Dee Way known as the Tay Road Compound (TRC). This was land previously used by Redrow as a builders’ yard.

The existing planning approval proposes that the site will be used as a District Centre, however this development is not anticipated to take place for a number of years. The use of the site temporarily as the TRC is therefore proposed in the short term but is subject to planning approval, with an outcome expected before May 2026 (see link for the planning application). Long term the site will continue to be developed as a district centre to serve New Lubbesthorpe.

Changes to the NovusDirect bus service

Since 2019, New Lubbesthorpe bus services have relied on funding from the landowner, Drummond Estate to operate. However, this funding will soon expire, so it is vital that the bus service reaches a point of commercial viability by 2027.

If that is not achieved, major changes will be required. This could mean a cut in frequency, loss of the link to Brockington College, shorter operational hours, significantly longer journey times into Leicester or even withdrawal of the bus service. We know any of these will have a major negative impact on residents, so we must explore ways to enable the service to become more commercially viable.

The Drummond Estate are providing the land use for the TRC at no cost to Central Connect, helping to substantially reduce the overheads NovusDirect previously incurred by operating from their Loughborough depot. The recent upgrade to larger, newer buses provides an hourly seating capacity increase of 80% at peak times and improvement in passenger comfort. This will hopefully generate more revenue and help to bring the service to a point of financial viability when the funding expires.

How will it affect residents?

The site is located at the very edge of New Lubbesthorpe, helping to minimise the impact on residents. All maintenance work on vehicles will take place elsewhere meaning the TRC will be used for storage of NovusDirect buses not in service and cars belonging to drivers. The buses will leave in the mornings and return throughout the evening to be stored overnight. Some buses may also return to the facility for long layover periods, reducing the impact of waiting at the Tay Road local centre bus stop.

The site is surrounded by hoardings, which will help to minimise visual and audible impact of the vehicles using the TRC for nearby residents. Central Connect are committed to being good neighbours and will do all they can to minimise any adverse impact. If residents living nearby have concerns, they should contact Central Connect via email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and a manager will be in touch.

What other benefits are there?

By providing a dedicated area for drivers to park their own cars, this will further alleviate concerns associated with staff cars parked near to the Tay Road local centre bus stop. Driver welfare will also be improved by the provision of toilet and rest facilities in the compound.

Previously, spare vehicles were being deployed from Loughborough 18 miles away, however the Tay Road Compound will enable replacement vehicles to enter the service more rapidly in the event of breakdowns or incidents, helping to improve the responsiveness and reliability of NovusDirect.

You can stay up to date on NovusDirect news at www.central-connect.co.uk/novus-leicester. New Lubbesthorpe residents can apply for a free 7-day ticket as well as 50% off a 31-day ticket, if they have not already done so, by registering a free LocalGO account at www.localgo.co.uk/join.

Please note: this statement was amended on 19^th March 2025 to reflect that the long term plan for the District Centre on the land still remains.

You Said It, We Did It! Bigger, More Comfortable Buses for New Lubbesthorpe

Following feedback from residents, Central Connect is introducing improvements to the NovusDirect bus service in Leicestershire. From Monday 16^th March, the existing minibuses on the Drummond Estate-funded New Lubbesthorpe to Leicester to bus service will be replaced by full-size, single deck buses offering more seating and increased comfort.

The timetable was adjusted on 23^rd February to account for the additional time needed for larger vehicles, with weekday daytime journeys operating every 20 minutes, Saturday services every 30 minutes and Sunday services running hourly.

The single-deck buses will be based in New Lubbesthorpe at their new site on Dee Way and offer an 80% increase in hourly capacity at peak times. Phil Saunders of GO Travel Solutions, the Travel Plan Coordinators for New Lubbesthorpe, said:

“It’s long been the aim to increase bus use at New Lubbesthorpe to levels that would enable full-size vehicles to operate. ‘Improved vehicle size and comfort’ was requested by almost a third of residents in our 2025 Travel Survey, so we hope that by introducing greater capacity, particularly at peak times, more residents will opt to use the bus. As a result, the hope is the service will continue to grow and, ultimately, become self-sustaining."

Peter Nathanail, Managing Director at Central Connect, said “I want to thank the New Lubbesthorpe community for their ongoing support of our NovusDirect bus service - only through achieving continued growth in passenger numbers has this investment in larger buses been possible. I'm hoping that our passengers enjoy their new fleet of buses, which are comfortable, offer on-board features such as USB chargers and next stop announcements, and are also certified as Low Carbon buses.”

Martin Ward, representing the Drummond Estate, the developer of New Lubbesthorpe, explained: ‘We are committed to providing a range of sustainable transport measures to give residents more travel options for their journeys. Residents have asked for more bus capacity and we’re delighted that this significant investment will help meet that demand.”

Alongside the change to the timetable, from 16^th March, the service will move to cashless payments only. Tickets will be able to be purchased via smartphone, contactless card or on the MyTrip App, which features a range of value fares and season passes.

For transport-related questions in New Lubbesthorpe, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For NovusDirect queries and feedback, please contact Central Connect directly on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Become a Sustainable Travel Ambassador at Heyford Park – Apply now!

GO Travel Solutions, the Travel Plan Coordinators for Heyford Park, are seeking a part-time Sustainable Travel Ambassador (supporting LocalGO and SmartGO) to help promote and deliver sustainable travel initiatives within the Heyford Park community.

This role is about promoting sustainable ways to travel, engaging with the community, and encouraging residents and employees to make use of our LocalGO and SmartGO initiatives.

If you love engaging with your local community and are passionate about sustainable travel, we’d love to hear from you!

View the full job description and how to apply here.

Closing date for applications is 8th May 2026.

GO Travel Solutions is a Real Living Wage and equal opportunities employer.

Update on New Lubbesthorpe bus service from February 2026

New Lubbesthorpe residents may be aware that the current contract for the NovusDirect bus service to Leicester city centre, funded by Drummond Estate, is due to finish at the end of January 2026. Following a comprehensive review process, we can confirm that Central Connect, the current operators of NovusDirect, are to continue operating the service for a further twelve months until the end of January 2027.

There will be no changes initially to the bus service. However, from 23^rd February, the plan is that the current minibus fleet will be replaced by larger single deck buses and a revised timetable.

Currently the NovusDirect buses operate from a depot in Loughborough. Work is underway, subject to planning permission, for the NovusDirect buses to be based at a compound in New Lubbesthorpe at the junction of Tay Road and Dee Way. This change will ensure faster response times in the event of breakdowns and reduce the need for buses to wait at the Tay Road bus stop for extended periods.

The planned changes will help deliver an improved service for New Lubbesthorpe residents and enable more people to use the bus for their journeys. Further details will be announced later in January 2026.

Robin Pointon Martin Ward

GO Travel Solutions Drummond Estate

Update on the local bus service for New Lubbesthorpe residents

We want to update residents on current and future bus service plans for New Lubbesthorpe.

On behalf of the Drummond Estate, GO Travel Solutions are the Travel Plan Coordinators for New Lubbesthorpe and are responsible for the bus contract management with the operator, Central Connect. The bus service contract is due to finish at the end of January 2026.

GO Travel Solutions, and the landowner, Drummond Estate want to reassure New Lubbesthorpe residents that a bus service will remain for the foreseeable future beyond January 2026.

They have recently undertaken an exercise to review the existing service and invite proposals from a range of local bus operators, including Central Connect. Currently, the service is entirely paid for by Drummond Estate. However, this funding will not last forever and so it is a key goal of all parties involved to develop a service that is self-sustaining.

The review exercise has not yet been completed but positive discussions have taken place about future bus service provision for New Lubbesthorpe. Residents will be updated once a decision is reached.

We actively monitor service performance levels and were very concerned with the drop in service reliability earlier this autumn. This led to meetings taking place with Central Connect and actions being agreed. It is hoped punctuality will return to its previous high levels following a number of improvements behind the scenes. Central Connect released a statement in October addressing this issue, which can be found HERE.

Residents are reminded that they can take advantage of the free Novus 7-day ticket and 50% off a 31-day adult ticket offers available on the LocalGO scheme (if not already redeemed). It’s free to register and also provides discounts with the likes of Halfords and Railcard as well as £150 of driving credit on the Enterprise Car Club vehicles located by the primary school. Visit www.localgo.co.uk/newlubbesthorpe for more information.