Why do we need a Warwick country park...we have the countryside!

The outline plans have once again been made on behalf of A.C. Lloyd.

The company hopes to create one of the new garden suburbs, complete with a school, shop and allotments, on land one kilometre away from Bishops Tachbrook.

If approved the development would start with an access road to the south of Harbury Lane, just across the road from Warwick Gates.

It’s understand the builders already have acquired, or have an option to acquire the land, currently known as Grove Farm.

Company spokesman Alistair Clark said: “‘A C Lloyd Homes Ltd has re-applied for outline planning permission for their site at Harbury Gardens off Harbury Lane.

“The original application was refused by the planning committee in September despite a firm recommendation for approval by Warwick District Council planning officers.

“They identified it as being within the core strategy ‘preferred options’ document.

“The company has reviewed the reasons for the refusal and has carried out some additional reports which resolve a number of reasons for refusal identified by the committee in the first application.

“It is now hopeful of the application gaining approval.”

In September district councillors overturned the recommendation of their officers and rejected the outline plans.

They were influenced by the views of Bishops Tachbrook parish councillors who feared their village would simply merge into the new development.

But Mr Clark believes that a proposed country park, that is being mooted by the district council, would provide enough of a buffer zone.

Bishops Tachbrook parish councillor and retired town planner Ray Bullen remains unconvinced.

Mr Bullen recently accompanied Chris White MP on a briefing in Westminster about the controversial number of houses the district Local Plan suggests need to be built over the next 15 yo 20 years.

On hearing of the renewed application by Lloyds, Mr Bullen said: “Why do we need a country park when we have one already - it’s called the countryside.

“It’s so important that there is a distance between settlements.

“These should not be eroded so that we become one huge mass of housing.

“The district council may be talking about spending more than £1 million on creating and maintaining a country park but we have one already which is free and maintained by our local farmers.”

Mr Bullen said efforts were already being made to open up more pathways for walkers.

He added: “Meanwhile there are urban areas of Leamington which are in need of regeneration with new housing developments.”