diff --git a/app/controllers/locations_controller.rb b/app/controllers/locations_controller.rb
index a2624a790..ffb68c226 100644
--- a/app/controllers/locations_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/locations_controller.rb
@@ -16,11 +16,17 @@ class LocationsController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def create
-    @location = Location.new(location_params)
-
-    if @location.save
-      location_params[:add_another_location] == "Yes" ? redirect_to(new_location_path(id: @scheme.id)) : redirect_to(scheme_check_answers_path(scheme_id: @scheme.id))
+    if date_params_missing?(location_params) || valid_date_params?(location_params)
+      @location = Location.new(location_params)
+      if @location.save
+        location_params[:add_another_location] == "Yes" ? redirect_to(new_location_path(id: @scheme.id)) : redirect_to(scheme_check_answers_path(scheme_id: @scheme.id))
+      else
+        render :new, status: :unprocessable_entity
+      end
     else
+      @location = Location.new(location_params.except("startdate(3i)", "startdate(2i)", "startdate(1i)"))
+      @location.valid?
+      @location.errors.add(:startdate)
       render :new, status: :unprocessable_entity
     end
   end
@@ -46,6 +52,19 @@ class LocationsController < ApplicationController
 
 private
 
+  def valid_date_params?(location_params)
+    is_integer?(location_params["startdate(1i)"]) && is_integer?(location_params["startdate(2i)"]) && is_integer?(location_params["startdate(3i)"]) &&
+      Date.valid_date?(location_params["startdate(1i)"].to_i, location_params["startdate(2i)"].to_i, location_params["startdate(3i)"].to_i)
+  end
+
+  def date_params_missing?(location_params)
+    location_params["startdate(1i)"].blank? || location_params["startdate(2i)"].blank? || location_params["startdate(3i)"].blank?
+  end
+
+  def is_integer?(string)
+    string.to_i.to_s == string
+  end
+
   def find_scheme
     @scheme = if %w[new create index edit_name].include?(action_name)
                 Scheme.find(params[:id])
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 032cf7d4e..895bf023e 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ en:
               invalid: "Select who provides the support services used by this scheme"
         location:
           attributes:
+            startdate:
+              invalid: "Enter a date in the correct format, for example 1 9 2022"
+
             units:
               blank: "Enter total number of units at this location"
             type_of_unit:
diff --git a/spec/requests/locations_controller_spec.rb b/spec/requests/locations_controller_spec.rb
index 2148f350d..9bcab3544 100644
--- a/spec/requests/locations_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/locations_controller_spec.rb
@@ -200,6 +200,50 @@ RSpec.describe LocationsController, type: :request do
           expect(page).to have_content(I18n.t("activerecord.errors.models.location.attributes.type_of_unit.blank"))
         end
       end
+
+      context "when invalid time is supplied" do
+        let(:params) do
+          { location: {
+            name: "Test",
+            units: "5",
+            type_of_unit: "Bungalow",
+            wheelchair_adaptation: "No",
+            add_another_location: "No",
+            postcode: "ZZ1 1ZZ",
+            "startdate(3i)" => "1",
+            "startdate(2i)" => "1",
+            "startdate(1i)" => "w",
+          } }
+        end
+
+        it "displays the new page with an error message" do
+          expect(response).to have_http_status(:unprocessable_entity)
+          expect(page).to have_content(I18n.t("validations.date.invalid_date"))
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "when no startdate is supplied" do
+        let(:params) do
+          { location: {
+            name: "Test",
+            units: "5",
+            type_of_unit: "Bungalow",
+            wheelchair_adaptation: "No",
+            add_another_location: "No",
+            postcode: "ZZ1 1ZZ",
+            "startdate(3i)" => "",
+            "startdate(2i)" => "",
+            "startdate(1i)" => "",
+          } }
+        end
+
+        it "creates a new location for scheme with valid params and redirects to correct page" do
+          expect { post "/schemes/#{scheme.id}/locations", params: }.to change(Location, :count).by(1)
+          follow_redirect!
+          expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+          expect(page).to have_content("Check your answers before creating this scheme")
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     context "when signed in as a support user" do
@@ -310,6 +354,50 @@ RSpec.describe LocationsController, type: :request do
           expect(page).to have_content(I18n.t("activerecord.errors.models.location.attributes.type_of_unit.blank"))
         end
       end
+
+      context "when invalid time is supplied" do
+        let(:params) do
+          { location: {
+            name: "Test",
+            units: "5",
+            type_of_unit: "Bungalow",
+            wheelchair_adaptation: "No",
+            add_another_location: "No",
+            postcode: "ZZ1 1ZZ",
+            "startdate(3i)" => "1",
+            "startdate(2i)" => "1",
+            "startdate(1i)" => "w",
+          } }
+        end
+
+        it "displays the new page with an error message" do
+          expect(response).to have_http_status(:unprocessable_entity)
+          expect(page).to have_content(I18n.t("validations.date.invalid_date"))
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "when no startdate is supplied" do
+        let(:params) do
+          { location: {
+            name: "Test",
+            units: "5",
+            type_of_unit: "Bungalow",
+            wheelchair_adaptation: "No",
+            add_another_location: "No",
+            postcode: "ZZ1 1ZZ",
+            "startdate(3i)" => "",
+            "startdate(2i)" => "",
+            "startdate(1i)" => "",
+          } }
+        end
+
+        it "creates a new location for scheme with valid params and redirects to correct page" do
+          expect { post "/schemes/#{scheme.id}/locations", params: }.to change(Location, :count).by(1)
+          follow_redirect!
+          expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+          expect(page).to have_content("Check your answers before creating this scheme")
+        end
+      end
     end
   end