But the timings on all this have become increasingly critical. Mr Pickles will have to make a decision on Shottery before the council’s core strategy—which contains the  house-building target of 560 for Stratford town—becomes firm policy. It will be May 2013 before the council will have its new planning policy in place.

Asked about the predicament that Mr Pickles would now be facing, Cllr Chris Saint (Cons, Tredington), the leader of the district council, said today: “I hope the Secretary of State will endorse the council’s decision on Shottery.” He said he could not comment further because an appeal was pending.

The draft core strategy published today proposes that a total of 5,600 homes should be built throughout the Stratford district. The draft core strategy—which will be put out to public consultation between mid-February and the end of March—envisages 560 homes in Stratford, 1,680 in the main rural centres, 2,800 at local service villages and other rural areas and 560 at rural brownfield sites.

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