Work begins on new housing estate on the edge of the Rugby borough

Work has begun to turn an old industrial site in the Rugby borough into a new housing estate.

Outline planning for up to 90 houses on the Leicester Road site in Wolvey was approved by members of Rugby Borough Council’s planning committee when they met on August 18.

The former industrial site will make way for a range of two, three and four-bedroom properties. Of these, 18 will be 'affordable' homes, 40 will be sold on the open market and a further 32 will be available for private rental.

Known as Kingmakers View, the new residential development will include an open space with children’s play area and storm water attenuation areas.

It is being built by housing developer Countryside in partnership Sigma. Phil McHugh, West Midlands managing director for Countryside, said: “We are excited to start work with Sigma, transforming this former industrial land into much needed new homes and providing the local community with a host of social and environmental benefits to improve quality of life for everyone in this attractive and well-connected part of the Midlands.”

During the planning meeting in August, when the plans were approved, Rugby Borough Council's development strategy manager Maxine Simmons told councillors that the developer had been working closely with officers and there had also been significant involvement with Wolvey Parish Council from an early stage.

And although the land is situated within the green belt, she explained that it could be used for housing because it was previously developed and that it catered for a recognised housing need in the area.

She added: “The key concept is a central green corridor which will act as open space together with green buffers around the perimeter. There are proposed to be a great number of trees reinstated to compensate for those trees in the centre of the site that need to be removed.

“Overall the harm on openness [of the green belt] is not substantial and the change from industrial to residential is beneficial.”

Councillors were told that the buildings on the site were typical of the 1950s and although the housing would cover a greater area, they would not be as tall as the existing three-storey structures which were clustered in groups. Due to the site being previously developed, 20 per cent of the new properties would be for affordable housing rather than the usual 30 per cent.

Cllr Peter Eccleson (Con, Dunsmore) said: “It’s disappointing that it is classified as a brownfield site because that reduces the number of social houses. However it seems that the biodiversity issues have been addressed pretty well and it meets the requirements of the neighbourhood plan so from that point of view I think it’s a good development.”

Cllr Bill Lewis (Lib Dem, Rokeby and Overslade) added: “It is good to see previously developed land used for new housing - it may save some of the green fields.”

There were no objections from neighbours to the proposed development which was also supported by Wolvey Parish Council.

As part of the development, £145,000 will be spent on the community in the following ways:

£2,462 towards education and libraries

£45,568 for healthcare

£22,974 for transport, including road safety, sustainable travel and public rights of way improvements

£74,365 towards public open spaces and play areas including improvements to Wolvey Rush Pasture Nature Wetland Reserve and sports provision.