The site in question—on land west of Birmingham Road, in Bishopton—is within a stone’s throw of Stratford Park-and-Ride and the Stratford Parkway Station due to open next year.

But Stratford Town Council has already objected to the scheme, chiefly because it believes the building of 160 homes would result in a cramped and overdeveloped layout.

It thinks 120 homes—which “appears to be shown on the masterplan”—would be more realistic. Following representations from the town council and other objectors the applicants, Gallagher Estates, have changed the access to the development.

Instead of it being from Birmingham Road, as originally proposed, the access will now be from Bishopton Lane.

The alteration prompted one objector—district and town councillor Clive Thomas (Lib Dem, Stratford)—to declare: “I do feel that we would be on a hiding to nothing to oppose this application now that they have changed access from Birmingham Road to Bishopton Lane.”

In recommending the proposal for approval the council officials point out that the authority cannot—on the basis of the most up-to-date information reported to the ruling cabinet last September—demonstrate that there’s a five-year supply of deliverable sites for housing development in the district.

They say committee members should therefore attach significant weight to the government’s advice that there was a presumption in favour of sustainable development.

However, the officials are recommending approval of the scheme subject to the developer signing a legal agreement ensuring that affordable homes make up 35 per cent of the total floor space.

Other requirements include an education contribution of nearly £1.6 million, contributions to the police and a requirement for £10,000 towards the creation of public footpaths.

In addition, the developers are expected to make the best endeavours to create a pedestrian/cycle links through to the adjacent development on the site of the former egg packing station.