Last chance for residents to have their say on first draft of Warwick district development plans

Today (Friday) is the last chance the public has to make its comments on proposals for how the district will develop until 2026.

Officials have identified land for new housing and jobs, as well as roads and services needed to support expansion.

With almost 4,000 new homes proposed for land south of Leamington and Warwick in the unpopular ‘core strategy’ proposed under the last Government, officials have tried to ‘spread the pain’.

Among new estates proposed are a ‘Myton garden suburb’ of up to 2,600 homes alongside Europa Way, and almost 2,000 new homes on green belt land in Old Milverton and Blackdown.

Protest groups from Old Milverton, streets around Northumberland Road, Blackdown and Warwick this week handed in petitions.

Jan Gillett, chairman of Central Leamington Area Residents’ Association, said the group was “profoundly dismayed” by plans which he said would destroy the balance of a town in which people could live within a short distance of the centre.

He added: “The investment in the planned new and widened roads and enlarged junctions will amount to many tens of millions of pounds, all to try and make commuting by car more attractive.

“The work would destroy the essence of the landscape across the town, not only on the green belt, as bigger roads and junctions take precious space from every other use. The proposed housing in North Leamington will add yet more traffic to this pressure, whilst ensuring the eventual obliteration of the space between Leamington and Kenilworth.”

Kenilworth would also expand, with up to 770 between Glasshouse Lane and the A46. Some 650 new homes could be built south of Campion School and 250 on Woodside Farm at Whitnash. Land near Warwick Gates could be used for 200 more homes, as could land at Red House Farm east of Lillington, with 180 on north of Woodloes in Warwick.

Villages would also be asked to find space for homes, with some earmarked for up to 100 and others between 30 and 80.