Delay to housebuilding consultation

And Warwick District Council’s chief executive has warned that areas hoping to block new housebuilding outright may not get their way.

The council’s executive committee had been due to discuss a draft consultation document on Wednesday, but it was felt this would not be proper until a working party of councillors had seen the document and debate has been deferred until the committee’s next meeting on Wednesday March 2.

Council leader Cllr Michael Doody apologised to many in the public gallery who had attended to find out about the consultation.

He said although the start of the consultation would be delayed, it could “easily” be extended. He added: “It’s better to have it right because this can affect so many people for a long time.”

Cllr Bill Gifford (Lib Dem, Leamington Milverton) said the authority’s overview and scrutiny committee would not want to see any further delay because of the importance of the consultation.

The consultation’s results will shape future development in the area, and replace controversial ‘core strategy’ abandoned after the coalition Government abandoned regional planning guidelines last summer.

Cllr Alan Rhead (Con, Budbrooke) said the Government’s ‘localism’ bill would mean decisions would be taken closer to the people affected by decisions.

But while chief executive Chris Elliott said the new plan would not be a “rehash” of anything that had gone before, he warned neighbourhood plans should not be used as an excuse to stop development.

He said ‘neighbourhood development orders’ would enable neighbourhoods to grant planning permission not to stop it.

Mr Elliott said the district council still had a legal duty to prepare a plan that would offer legal defence against undesirable development, but added that long delays while parishes produced plans would leave the authority vulnerable to developers making such applications.