South Warwickshire Local Plan
Local planning authorities are required by the Government to update their Local Plans every five years. The current development plan for Warwick District was adopted in September 2017 and is now significantly out of date. Warwick District Council is preparing a new Local Plan jointly with Stratford-on-Avon District Council through the emerging South Warwickshire Local Plan (SWLP) covering the period 2021-2050.
The site of the proposed development has been identified as a preferred option for the delivery of housing and associated infrastructure as part of a proposed allocation, SG06 ‘North of Leamington Group’, in the emerging SWLP.
The next stage of consultation on the SWLP (Regulation 19) to be carried out by Warwick District Council and Stratford-on-Avon District Council is scheduled for summer 2026.
Increased housing targets for Warwick District
Changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) announced by the Government in late 2024 significantly increased the number of homes needed to be delivered in Warwick District from 653 to 1,062 homes per year.
Grey belt
A new grey belt policy was also introduced in the NPPF. This allows development in some areas of Green Belt, provided certain criteria are met. Grey belt includes land that ‘does not strongly contribute’ to Green Belt purposes which are set out in the NPPF. While the land north of Leamington is located within the Green Belt, it occupies a highly sustainable location and meets the criteria for grey belt land.
The updated NPPF of December 2024 significantly increased Warwick District’s housing targets from 653 to 1,062 homes per year.
Five-year housing land supply
The NPPF also requires that local authorities are able to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply. This is the amount of land that the Council must identify to ensure there are sufficient deliverable sites for it to meet its housing target over a rolling five-year period. Warwick District Council currently cannot demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing land.
Early housing delivery in the local plan period
Considering the significantly increased housing targets for the district and the site’s identification as part of a preferred option for housing and infrastructure delivery, Taylor Wimpey is preparing outline plans for the site alongside the ongoing process of preparing the Local Plan. This will help to ensure the delivery of homes at an early stage in the plan period, contributing towards the Council's required housing land as well as delivering important community infrastructure, including a new school, active travel connections, outdoor recreation facilities and a new foodstore.
An extract from the SWLP Preferred Options Regulation 18 draft, showing the site as part of SG06 North of Leamington Group, a wider preferred option for housing and infrastructure delivery - click to enlarge
Local Plans are the key documents through which local planning authorities set out a vision and framework for the future development of the area, engaging with their communities in doing so. Local Plans address needs and opportunities in relation to housing, the local economy, community facilities and infrastructure. The Local Plan provides a degree of certainty for communities, businesses and investors, and a framework for guiding decisions on individual planning applications.
Local planning authorities, such as Warwick District Council, have a statutory responsibility to maintain an up-to-date Local Plan, and national policy indicates that Local Plans should be regularly reviewed, with the expectation this is done at least every five years.
Warwick District Council is preparing a new Local Plan jointly with Stratford-on-Avon District Council through the emerging new South Warwickshire Local Plan (SWLP).
The site of the proposed development has been identified as a preferred option for housing delivery as part of a proposed allocation, SG06 ‘North of Leamington Group’, in the emerging South Warwickshire Local Plan (SWLP).
The Council’s next stage of consultation on the SWLP (Regulation 19) is scheduled for summer 2026.