Local Plan for Stratford and Warwick Draws More Than 21,000 Comments

The South Warwickshire Local Plan, the Stratford local plan that will decide where new homes and jobs go across Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick districts, drew around 21,000 individual comments from more than 4,800 respondents in its latest consultation, the two district councils said on 11 November.

The comments were made during the Regulation 19 stage, the last formal consultation before the plan goes to an independent Planning Inspector. The councils say their job now is mainly to record every representation and pass them all to the Inspector, who will run the Examination in Public.

Will the plan change?

Only in small ways, if at all, at this stage. The councils say they can’t reply to every comment, but officers will try to address the key themes and concerns raised. They will also consider whether to suggest any “non-material” changes to the Inspector, but say this “will not be an opportunity to make major alterations” to the plan. Bigger objections will be weighed by the Inspector during the examination.

Key dates

• Thursday 10 December 2026: the South Warwickshire Local Plan Joint Committee considers a report asking for approval to submit the plan.
• Monday 14 December 2026: the report goes to full council meetings at both district councils.
• Early 2027: the plan is submitted for examination, using the Government’s extension to its original December deadline.

What the councils said

In a joint statement, Councillor George Cowcher, Stratford-on-Avon District Council’s portfolio holder for planning and economic development, and Councillor Ian Davison, leader of Warwick District Council, said: “We would like to thank everyone who took the time to engage with the consultation and submit their views. The level of response demonstrates the strong interest people have in the future of South Warwickshire. We are now focused on ensuring all representations are passed to the Planning Inspector; considering where suggestions may improve the plan; and preparing for the next stage of the examination process.”

The councils haven’t yet said what the main themes of the comments were; we’ll report them when the December committee papers are published. Until the new plan is adopted, planning decisions still rely on the current Core Strategy and the district’s housing land supply: see our reports on the housing land supply debate at cabinet and which villages keep full neighbourhood plan protection.

Alex Harrington

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