We don’t want new houses built here

Landowners and developers put forward extra sites for development after Warwick District Council last year identified where it would site 10,800 homes required in regional planning quotas.

But residents have rejected plans for housebuilding linking Cubbington and Lillington and on farmland between Sydenham and Whitnash.

Despite the Government abolishing the unpopular quotas, the results may be used as evidence in district council planning strategy produced under forthcoming ‘localism’ laws.

The results were welcomed by Lillington resident Wendy Mawson. Some 851 people objected to proposals by landowners the Thomas White Charity and King Henry VIII trust to build on farmland between Cubbington and Lillington.

Citing derelict buildings brown field sites, such as the former Ford foundry in Princes Drive, as more suitable, she said: “Green belt is green belt for a reason and it would open the floodgates if you start building on it.”

In Whitnash, 195 of 260 people opposed building on the Campion School site and on fields between Sydenham and Whitnash.

Campion School supported the proposal, which would have included a new school built by developer AC Lloyd. Chairman of governors Cllr Bob Crowther (Lab, Leamington Clarendon) said he would have preferred to see a more “enthusiastic” response.

Proposals to build on green belt land north of Warwick and at Burton Green and Coventry Airport met similar opposition but in Kenilworth, almost 150 people supported building on the Kenilworth Wardens sports club in Glasshouse Lane and on neighbouring land at the Woodside Training Centre.

Cllr John Hammon (Con, Cubbington), who is responsible for housing, said the authority had never considered the Cubbington land as suitable for housing or chosen the other sites.

But he stressed the need for social housing, although he said it was not yet clear how this would be paid for. Cllr Hammon added: “There will have to be some houses somewhere. If social housing is done in a pleasant way and looks good I don’t see any reason why people would object.”