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This week’s local news in one place, plus what’s on this weekend and what’s coming up next week. The main stories: officers back 202 new homes at Shipston ahead of next week’s Planning Committee, both Welcombe Hotel companies are in administration, a national-scale solar farm is planned around Salford Priors and Bidford, and the Christmas lights go on in Stratford on Saturday.
On this page
Homes and planning
- Shipston: officers recommend approving 202 homes on two sites despite more than 200 objection letters. The Planning Committee decides on Wednesday 18 November.
- Arrow Valley Solar: a national-scale solar farm is planned around Salford Priors, Broom and Bidford.
- New homes planned: 90 by the Bishopton roundabout, eight on Loxley Road, 60 on green belt at Wootton Wawen and 40 at Ettington; and slow sales at Halford’s self-build site.
- Local Plan: the South Warwickshire plan drew more than 21,000 comments, and only three villages keep full neighbourhood plan protection.
- Henley-in-Arden: a listed High Street building could become a restaurant. Every new application is in Planning this week.
Business
- Welcombe Hotel: first the property company, then the company running the hotel, went into administration.
- Chapel Street: the company behind the Daisy Chain gift shop is to be wound up.
- Shipston’s Sainsbury’s opens on 3 December. Openings and licences are in New in Stratford.
- Studley: BTCC team Power Maxed Racing is offering £25,000 for its stolen race car.
The council, police and services
- Council money: auditors can’t sign off the accounts for a fifth year, £137,000 of unpaid council tax and rates was written off, and the council is considering selling Venture House and the Avenue Club.
- Grants: seven groups get solar panels, heat pumps and drainage from the climate fund.
- Police: the chief constable hiring ended with no appointment, scam callers are spoofing an old police number, a Bidford homeowner says police didn’t investigate a shot through his window, and Warwickshire Pride has complained about the force’s handling of hate crime. September’s crime figures showed little change.
- Fires and crime in the villages: four were hurt in a Shipston flats fire, which renewed concern over the town’s lost fire crew, and thieves ripped out Fenny Compton’s cash machine.
- Health: the trust running Stratford Hospital has nearly 32,000 on its waiting list.
- Buses: stops in Alcester, Bidford, Henley, Shipston and Studley could get new shelters and live screens. In Alcester, Royal Mail removed the new post box beside the gold one.
Culture and community
- Hamnet, which began at the Swan, is going on its first UK tour in 2027, with Birmingham the nearest stop.
- RSC: Sir Ian McKellen joined the company for As You Like It’s final day, and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust won research status.
- Christmas: who’s playing at the Christmas markets, and Escape Arts’ Santa visits for families having a hard time.
- Freddie Slater had a second F1 practice cut short in São Paulo.
This weekend
It’s Christmas lights weekend. The free festive day runs from 10am to 7pm on Saturday 14 November, with the lights on at 5.30pm, and six streets are closed from 4am to 10pm. KindFest’s free events start the same day, the Contemporary Arts Fair is at the Town Hall on Saturday and Sunday, and the Waterside Upmarket is on Sunday. Saturday looks dry and cold; Sunday is likely to be wetter. Our what’s on this weekend page and switch-on guide have the times.
Next week and beyond
- Wednesday 18 November: the district council’s Planning Committee meets at 6pm, with the two Shipston housing sites on the agenda.
- Saturday 21 November: the Christmas Tractor Run comes through town in the evening, and KindFest ends.
- Waiting on: the Licensing Panel’s decision on the Greenhill Street shop’s midnight alcohol plan, heard on Thursday 12 November. We’ll report it when the decision notice is published.
- Saturday 28 November: the first Christmas market weekend. Everything else for the season is in our Christmas in Stratford guide.
Last week’s round-up is here. All our stories are on the Stratford-upon-Avon news page, and buses, trains and roads right now are on Stratford Live.
Know more about this, or got another story? Send us a story, a photo or a press release. We read everything.
Alex Harrington
Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.
