Hundreds of homes approved at sites in Leamington and Warwick

On Tuesday night, Warwick District Council’s planning committee approved developer AC Lloyd’s application for 520 houses at Grove Farm off Harbury Lane, near Bishop’s Tachbrook.

The plans, which include a country park and space for allotments, were rejected in March on grounds that the application was ‘premature’ to the emerging Local Plan for housing.

There were also concerns over the loss of agricultural land and the impact additional traffic caused by the development would have on the surrounding area.

Since then plans to build 200 and 90 homes with land safeguarded for a new primary school, shops, allotments and a car park on the site, have been granted planning permission.

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Bishops Tachbrook Parish Council and Warwick Town Council had objected to the scheme on grounds that applications such as this “should be determined on the basis of an existing Local Plan”.

The town council is also concerned about additional traffic and the need for new houses when “current levels of development and existing planning permissions clearly demonstrate that the planning authority is able to meet a five year supply”.

The district council had also received 81 letters of objection from the public, which raised concerns about loss of good quality agricultural land, reduction in air quality, added pressure and demand on facilities including schools and doctors and lack of infrastructure to support the development.

In its design and access statement, AC Lloyd has said: “We believe the proposals progress the key design objectives into a legible layout and design will allow the creation of sustainable, attractive and safe place to live while respecting the character of the surrounding area.”

Taylor Wimpey’s plans to build 85 houses, of which about 25 will be social housing, on a former car park at the Opus 40 site off Birmingham Road in Warwick were also granted planning permission by the committee.

IBM, which has its offices adjacent to the site had objected to the plans on grounds of noise for residents of the proposed dwellings, loss of a potential employment site, increased flood risk and the danger of increased traffic.

Warwick Town Council and 18 residents who also objected to the scheme also had highway safety concerns.

A condition set by the district council when granting the planning permission was that all highways works connected the project should be substantially completed before the occupation of houses.