Next stage of South Warwickshire local plan approved
Councillors from Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick District Councils have approved the next stage of the South Warwickshire local plan and the launch of a public consultation.
The consultation will focus on the “Preferred Options” version of the Local Plan, which outlines development proposals for the combined areas of both councils over the next 25 years.
The consultation will run from 10 January 2025 to 7 March 2025.
During this period, residents, businesses and stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback on the emerging plan.
The Councils will host both in-person and online events to promote participation and responses can be submitted online, by email or by post.
Once adopted, the Local Plan will guide the delivery of housing, employment and infrastructure up to 2050, while also protecting open spaces, the green belt and the countryside from unplanned development.
It will address key issues such as climate change, biodiversity, connectivity, and resident wellbeing.
The plan includes 36 potential growth locations, consisting of 12 new settlements and 24 strategic growth areas across South Warwickshire.
Not all of these locations will necessarily be used, and the councils will conduct further analysis to narrow down the final growth strategy.
A targeted “call for sites” will also be part of the consultation, focusing on potential sites for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation, commercial and community-led renewable energy generation and housing and employment within the 12 potential new settlement areas.
Warwick District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Place, Councillor Chris King, said: “This is a key step in the preparation of our combined Local Plan, which will determine where we should locate the homes and employment land that we need in the coming decades and ensure that this development happens in the most sustainable locations that work for residents and businesses whilst safeguarding the
environment.
“The ‘Preferred Options’ consultation will give local people the opportunity to look in detail at emerging potential locations for strategic growth and new settlements that can meet the area’s needs. The plan includes a growth strategy which has regard to the previous Issues & Options consultation results which identified the growth option that focused on the Economy and Sustainable Travel as the most popular.
“The document has been informed by a significant amount of evidence and expert opinion. This consultation is now the opportunity to seek the views of residents, businesses and the development industry.”
