CALLS to ditch the timeframe for the “rushed and risky” South Warwickshire Local Plan have been rejected.
Planning chiefs said it was either this plan or no plan and that would ultimately make things worse.
Members of Warwick and Stratford district councils agreed to put the revised draft plan to build almost 55,000 new homes across the region and the surrounding areas out for a seven week public consultation in order to meet the government’s December 31 deadline.
At a joint council meeting a number of councillors and members of the public urged the deadline should be missed in a bid to put together a better plan to deliver the required number of homes.
The plan has been drawn up by the two councils following government requirements to build a significant amount of new development by 2050.
Listed sites in the plan for Warwick district include the large 4,000-home development on a 269-hectare ‘King’s Hill’ site between Kenilworth and Coventry, the 4,000 ‘new town’ near Hatton, 1,784 houses on two pockets of land in North Leamington, 1,550 on land near Europa Way, 916 houses near Lillington, 493 to the west of Warwick and 558 on the outskirts of Bishop’s Tachbrook.
In Stratford district, the sites and number of houses include 3,086 on land west of Southam, 1,331 on land north of Wellesbourne, and a new settlement of 4,500 homes at Long Marston Airfield.
The plan was discussed by WDC and SDC back in May and it was decided to delay the plan in order to make a number of amendments including removing some of the sites in Warwick district and adding the expected number of non-local plan sites to the plan.
But concerns still remain over housing numbers and lack of infrastructure.
One public speaker said: “Can we all honestly say this is a great local plan and something that will really enhance south Warwickshire for future generations?
“A better plan can be achieved and must be achieved for the younger generation. Please ditch the timeframe. It is rushed and risky.”
This was echoed by chairman of SDC’s overview and scrutiny committee Coun Trevor Harvey who said there was an “inherent level of risk in the plan”, especially the lack of funding for the proposed Stratford relief road on which the plan was critically dependent.
SDC’s planning spokesperson Coun George Cowcher responded to concerns saying it was vital they got the plan through by the December deadline otherwise they would lose all control and dictation from government would become even greater.
WDC’s planning spokesperson Coun Chris King added the public consultation was extremely important and the plan would be re-looked at afterwards.
