Homes plan rejected for a second time

PLANS 250 homes near Warwick have been rejected for a second time.

William Davies Ltd and Hallam Land Management wants to built on a triangular parcel of land that is flanked by Gallows Hill and Banbury Road.

But they have been sent back to the drawing board again by Warwick District Council’s planning committee.

Committee members said they were still not satisfied that the houses — ten fewer than in the initial application last year — would not have a harmful effect on the historic landscape and adjacent heritage assets.

The site is within sight of Warwick Castle and its historic parkland, which celebrates its 950th anniversary this year.

One of the main objections was overdevelopment of the area, with land north of Gallows Hill already having planning permission for 425 homes, a medical centre, community hall, formal and informal green spaces, and sports and recreation provision.

Both sites are in the council’s recently-adopted local plan, but for 630 homes — fewer than the combined number.

Another developer has permission for 1,200 homes on neighbouring land. Meanwhile, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England has dropped its threat of a legal challenge to the district’s local plan.

The influential organisation said it overestimates housing requirements, that there was no adequate assessment of alternatives sites for the 5,000 homes that would be built on green belt land, and that the ‘exceptional circumstances’ to justify substantial loss of further green belt to develop an employment site. It had previously also branded the public consultation on modifications to the plan as ‘inadequate’.