Revised plans approved for extra homes on housing development near Stratford

Revised plans for an extra 38 homes on the Meon Vale development near Stratford have been approved in spite of concerns around the housing mix and calls for additional green measures.

St Modwen Homes already had plans in place for the site off Campden Road, south of Stratford between Long Marston and Upper Quinton - but agent Peter Hayward told the planning committee of Stratford District Council yesterday evening, Wednesday, that the replan would deliver "higher quality design, greater efficiency and a more appropriate housing mix".

In addition to enhanced landscaping, he explained that properties would include electric vehicle charge points along with covered and secure cycle storage and that various cycle and pedestrian links would be part of the scheme.

But Cllr Tony Dixon (Con, Tanworth) raised concerns after spotting that the revised plan had replaced a number of smaller properties with four and five-bedroom houses.

He said: “I’m not happy with the housing mix. The number of two-beds are down from 34 per cent to 21 per cent. The three-beds from 41 per cent to 34 per cent but the four and five beds are going up from 21 per cent to 34 per cent.

“I find this is a situation where a developer is saying he can get more bang for his bucks if he can build bigger houses.”

And Cllr Manuela Perteghella (Lib Dem, Welford), the ward councillor, argued that the developer should be doing more to make the properties eco-friendy.

She said: “The measures do not go far enough and the last thing we want is to retrofit these houses in 20 years.

“We should build zero carbon or ultra low energy housing developments with car free areas and social communal spaces on car free streets. Solar panels should be installed and I have asked for cycle racks for visitors.

“I urge the planning committee to reject this application until a better environmentally friendly scheme is presented.”

Members of the planning committee acknowledged Cllr Perteghella’s efforts but voted six-three in favour of the scheme.

Cllr Matt Jennings (Con, Henley) said: “I applaud the great aspirations of the ward member here but they are meeting the legislation and policy requirements - in fact they are going above and beyond that. There are no statutory objects and I see no good planning reasons to go against the officers’ recommendations.”

And committee chairman Cllr Danny Danny Kendall (Con, Wellesbourne West) added: “In a perfect world I would be saying let’s go with higher standards but we don’t live in a perfect world. It would be unreasonable to expect this developer to go any further than they have gone.”