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Planning officers are recommending approval for 202 new homes on two neighbouring fields at the edge of Shipston-on-Stour, despite 215 letters of objection and opposition from the Town Council. Stratford-on-Avon District Council’s Planning Committee decides both applications at its meeting at 6pm on Wednesday 18 November.
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What’s planned
- Land north of Darlingscote Road (25/01521/OUT): up to 102 homes on 5.67 hectares of farmland, for Ashberry Strategic Land. The committee report counts 138 objection letters.
- Land north of Tilemans Lane (25/01810/OUT): up to 100 homes, for Bellway Homes, with its road access from Tilemans Lane. The report counts 77 objection letters.
Both are outline applications, so only the access would be approved now; layout, scale and appearance would come later. Each would make 35% of its homes affordable: up to 36 and up to 35. A third scheme for up to 90 homes, south of Darlingscote Road (25/01843/OUT), is still being considered and isn’t on this agenda.
Why officers say yes
The Darlingscote Road report accepts that the site is outside the town’s boundary, conflicts with the Core Strategy and neighbourhood plan, and would cause moderate harm to the look of the area. The Tilemans Lane report reaches the same balance.
The deciding factor is the district’s housing land supply, now 2.43 years against the five that national policy requires. That means permission should be given unless the harm substantially outweighs the benefits, and officers conclude it doesn’t. Both fields are also proposed for growth in the draft South Warwickshire Local Plan, though officers give that very limited weight at this stage.
What objectors say
The Town Council says the town has already exceeded its housing allocation, and that its infrastructure and drains are at capacity. Ward member Cllr O Hatch cites sewage spills on the Campden Road developments and pressure on health and schools. Neighbouring ward member Cllr D Passingham wrote: “Shipston’s infrastructure does not cope with the additional 700 plus houses built in the last 10 years.”
On sewage, the report says Severn Trent had concerns about the extra flow and that no investment is currently planned, but as the statutory undertaker it can’t object. Officers say that isn’t a robust reason to refuse. County highways raised no objection, subject to conditions and money for buses.
What the town would get
Across the two schemes, the developers would be asked for about £3.4m for education, about £740,000 for healthcare and £444,400 for more frequent buses between Stratford and Shipston. Most of these amounts are still to be confirmed once the mix of homes is settled.
What happens next
Councillors can follow the recommendation or refuse. To speak, register with the committee managers on 01789 260245 by 2pm on Tuesday 17 November. The meeting is at Elizabeth House, Church Street, and is shown live on the council’s YouTube channel. We’ll report the result. Shipston’s new Sainsbury’s is also planned for Tilemans Lane.
Details checked on 11 November 2026 using the Planning Committee agenda and officers’ reports for 18 November, published by Stratford-on-Avon District Council. The education, healthcare and bus totals are our own additions of the figures in the two reports. The photo shows Darlingscote Road in 2010.
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Alex Harrington
Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.
