Stratford Housing Land Supply: Cabinet Backs Plan After Challenge

Stratford-on-Avon District Council’s Cabinet has unanimously backed its plan to rebuild the district’s housing land supply, after the councillor in charge said “I think we have turned the corner” and an opposition councillor called that “a bit of a stretch”. The supply stands at 2.43 years against the five national rules expect, and the debate on 2 November showed how little of the outcome the council controls.

Why the Stratford housing land supply was debated

Cllr George Cowcher, the Deputy Leader, told the meeting the aim is to show a planning inspector a five-year supply, or something close to it, when the South Warwickshire Local Plan reaches a public inquiry. He expects the plan to be submitted at the end of this year and the inquiry probably next summer, though it could be sooner.

He said applications will need to come forward for decisions over the next couple of months, and described the Planning Committee’s recent refusal of homes at Stockton, against officers’ advice, as a slight reverse. Asked by Cllr Trevor Harvey whether those homes still count, he said no, unless an appeal succeeds.

The challenge, on the corner and on heritage

Cllr Sarah Whalley-Hoggins, the Reform UK group leader, said the work was appreciated but disputed the “corner”, comparing it to being only part way through a three-point turn. She also asked what now protects conservation areas in “Shakespeare’s town”, because a revised council paper gives the Core Strategy’s heritage policy very limited weight.

Tom Jones, the officer leading the work, replied that the new national planning policy still gives listed buildings and conservation areas very strong protection, and offered a note on it. Cllr Cowcher agreed heritage matters, but pointed to the Bordon Hill appeal, where he said the setting of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage wasn’t treated as a significant reason to refuse.

Slow highway replies and a weak market

Cllr Cowcher said highway constraints remain the biggest risk to deciding applications. Mr Jones said he now meets county council colleagues every two weeks to chase replies on applications close to a decision.

Cllr Cowcher said the government’s targets bear no resemblance to the market: he described demand as falling and developers as not necessarily wanting permissions straight away, leaving the council “between a rock and a hard place”. The Leader, Cllr Susan Juned, cited planning press figures that 153 councils, 61%, lack a five-year supply.

What was agreed, and what’s next

All in favour, the Cabinet noted progress and the remaining risks, and endorsed a revised interim policy statement that officers will weigh when deciding planning applications. Its assessment of which Core Strategy policies still fit national policy goes on to Full Council, with some errors officers flagged at the meeting corrected first. The next full report is due in June 2027, or sooner if something material changes.

For readers, this is why the village schemes keep coming: this week’s list includes 99 homes at Salford Priors, which leans directly on the 2.43 figure. Follow new plans near you with our Planning near me tool.

Alex Harrington

Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.