SWLP Regulation 19 – CPRE Warwickshire’s View

CPRE Warwickshire recognises that Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon District Councils are required to prepare a Local Plan and to respond to housing targets set by central government. We acknowledge that the current level of proposed development is not simply the result of choices made locally. But the South Warwickshire Local Plan proposes development on a scale that is unnecessary, damaging and disproportionate to the needs of local communities.

The Plan proposes almost 55,000 new houses between 2025 and 2050, together with employment land allocations. In our view, this level of growth would transform parts of Warwick and Stratford districts from distinctive rural areas into an increasingly continuous semi-urban landscape. Major greenfield developments and new settlements would consume substantial areas of countryside, reducing the separation between existing communities and eroding the character that makes South Warwickshire special.

Our concern is not with meeting genuine local housing needs. The evidence suggests that the proposed housing numbers are driven by nationally imposed targets rather than by the requirements of local people. The scale of development proposed is therefore out of proportion to the needs of those who already live and work in South Warwickshire.

Crucially, the total figure of 54,900 homes is itself the product of a policy choice made by the councils. The current Plan covers a 25-year period, from 2025 to 2050. National planning policy requires Local Plans to maintain a fifteen-year horizon from adoption. Assuming adoption in 2028, the Plan need only extend to around 2043. Reducing the Plan period accordingly would lower the total housing requirement by approximately 15,400 homes, reducing the overall figure to around 39,500 homes. This would allow the removal of many of the largest and most environmentally damaging allocations while remaining compliant with national policy.

The consequences of the current proposals would be felt across both districts.

In Warwick District, large greenfield housing development is proposed:

• Spread of Coventry west of Warwick University, southwest to the line of HS2
• extension of Kenilworth into farmland to the south east, towards Leek Wootton
• The 4,000-home new settlement around Hatton Country World
• Blocks of housing in Old Milverton & Blackdown Parish, the Green Belt north of Leamington, and southeast of Lillington
• More sprawl towards Bishop’s Tachbrook

This will remove part of the rural setting of these historic towns, place significant pressure on infrastructure and permanently alter the surrounding countryside. The introduction of the concept of ‘grey belt’ means that long-standing Green Belt protection has been weakened.

In Stratford District,  there are proposals for housing on rural land, often high-quality farmland:

• 2,000 houses in the heart of the Green Belt northwest of Henley-in-Arden, which has kept its small market town character through strict planning policies until now
• East and north-east of the once-small town of Southam, beyond its bypass
• North and southwest of Wellesbourne, which has already seen extensive new housing
• Further development at Long Marston
• More development around Stratford-upon-Avon, undermining its historic town status

. The cumulative effect of these developments would be to increase urbanisation, diminish the openness of the countryside and undermine the distinct identities of existing settlements.

CPRE Warwickshire believes that a more balanced approach is both possible and necessary. The Plan period should be shortened to comply with the minimum national requirement. Development should be phased, prioritising the least harmful sites first and allowing future reviews to take account of changing circumstances, including any revisions to national policy. This would enable South Warwickshire to meet its obligations while protecting its environmental assets and maintaining the character of its towns and villages.

We therefore urge Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon District Councillors to reconsider the current proposals, reduce the Plan period to fifteen years, remove the most harmful greenfield allocations and seek additional time from government to produce a Plan that better reflects both local needs and the long-term interests of South Warwickshire.

CPRE Warwickshire supports the delivery of homes that communities genuinely need. What we oppose is a level and pattern of development that risks sacrificing the countryside, the identity of local places and the quality of life of future generations, which the SWLP proposals will do.

Mark Sullivan, Technical Secretary

updated 10 July 2026