Local Plan: housing need is shown in independent study

Warwick District Council commissioned the Strategic Housing Market Assessment along with other councils in Coventry and Warwickshire to revisit the district’s housing requirements for the Local Plan.

The study, published on the council’s website, also looks at the mix of housing needed, including affordable housing, house sizes, and accommodation for elderly people.

It has indicated that 3,800 homes need to be built each year within Coventry and Warwickshire until 2031.

Of these houses, 720 per year are required within Warwick district – a 1.2 per cent growth annually.

Cllr Les Caborn, the lead member for the Local Plan, said the Government’s planning inspector is expecting the council to demonstrate that the district is helping to meet the national shortfall in housing but that alternatives to the plan are being explored by council officers.

He said: “We’re satisfied that the consultants have undertaken a comprehensive and robust piece of work in identifying the housing requirement for the sub-region and the district.

“This will be important evidence as we move to the next stages of preparing our Local Plan.”

“We are also carefully reviewing the feedback from the consultation we undertook during the Summer to ensure this is in our minds as we move forward.”