Rural campaigners mount opposition to green belt homes

The organisation’s Warwickshire branch has challenged ‘preferred options’ earmarking land between Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth for development, and stated its opposition to the target of 10,800 new homes by 2026.

Warwick District Council’s proposed local plan includes up to 2,700 homes along Europa Way and almost 2,000 new homes on green belt north of Leamington.

The CPRE says the plans are based on a mistaken assumption that development will increase prosperity, and fail to recognise that the character of the area has been shaped by minimising use of greenfield and green belt land.

Spokesman Mark Sullivan said: “Controls on the outward expansion of Leamington and Kenilworth, notably the green belt, have been essential to the planning of the area for 50 years.

“The spread of development south west of Warwick has shown how damaging large-scale urban development around a historic town can be.”

Elements of the proposals that are strongly opposed by the CPRE include building on land at Red House Farm, Lillington and Loes Farm north of Warwick, as well as proposals for major villages to identify space for up to 100 homes, intended to ensure young people and key workers can live in them, and says smaller villages need only accept five to ten new homes and not the 30 to 80 proposed.

The group has also called for smaller developments south of Sydenham, between Kenilworth and the A46 and on a ‘green wedge’ in Myton.

A district council spokesman said: “We had thousands of responses to the local plan preferred options during the extensive consultation. This response will be considered along with all the others, so we won’t be commenting on individual feedback at the moment.”