THE WHEELS are once again turning on Warwick District Council’s Local Plan.
Councillors voted in August in favour of suspending the plan – which will outline future development in the district up to 2031 – rather than having to go back to the drawing board after planning inspector Kevin Ward said it needed a significant review.
The original plans included some 12,900 homes but the inspector was concerned the total supply of houses set out in the plan was not sufficient to meet the housing requirement. Sites for a further 5,200 were being sought following the inspectors comments.
He added the council also needed to provide some ‘headroom’ above the minimum housing requirement in case some proposed sites did not work out.
Mr Ward will now review the new information the council has supplied since the plan was suspended and will hold a series of public hearings from late September through to mid December.
He will look at issues such as the district’s housing requirement for the next 15 years and hold a site by site discussion on proposed housing allocations and the Local Plan’s policies.
District council leader Andrew Mobbs said: “Whilst it is a long period for an examination, we are optimistic that our Local Plan is firmly back on track.
“We are currently providing additional information for the inspector as and when he requires it to help the process run as smoothly as possible.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken the time to contribute in the consultation process.
“We are really hopeful that, subject to the examination progressing well, we will have an adopted plan by late spring 2017.”
The district will have to help accommodate Coventry’s unmet need for housing, which is likely to include building within Warwick’s boundaries around the city’s borders.
Visit www.warwickdc.gov.uk for more information.
* MULTI-MILLION pound improvement works to the Stanks Island in Warwick have been approved.
The £6m project taking in roundabout at the junction over the A46 by pass, and along the Birmingham Road, aims to improve life for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. More details plans for the project are set to be available in the autumn.
Warwickshire County Council spokesman Coun Philip Johnson said: “The A46 Stanks Island development will greatly improve the capacity of this important road and also lead to major improvements in terms of facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.”
