By 
Housebuilder Vistry Group is preparing plans for up to 425 homes on fields to the north of Wellesbourne, west of Newbold Road. It’s the first formal step in the Wellesbourne housing plan: Vistry’s consultants have asked Stratford-on-Avon District Council whether the scheme needs a full environmental impact assessment, and the council aims to give its answer by Thursday 5 November. No planning application has been submitted yet.
What’s planned
According to the request (SCREEN/00122), prepared by Harris Lamb Property Consultancy and dated 6 October, Vistry expects to apply for outline permission, with only the access decided at first. The details:
- The site: about 27.9 hectares of farmland next to the northern edge of the village, bounded by hedges, with Newbold Road (B4087) on one side.
- Homes: about 400 on roughly 8.9 hectares, at 45 homes per hectare. The request tests a figure of “up to 425” to allow some flexibility.
- Open space: about 4.5 hectares of new public open space, with play areas, drainage ponds and tree planting, mainly towards the north and south of the site.
- Access: two new junctions on Newbold Road for cars, bikes and people on foot.
- Flooding: part of the site is in flood zones 2 and 3. The request says no homes or other buildings would go there.
The consultants argue that the scheme wouldn’t have significant effects on the environment, and that early transport work found no harm to the wider road network. Vistry has also asked the council for pre-application advice. In last year’s South Warwickshire Local Plan consultation, Vistry Strategic Land asked for the land west of Newbold Road to be allocated for housing.
What a screening opinion means
Large housing schemes (over 150 homes or 5 hectares) have to be screened. The council decides whether the scheme is likely to have significant environmental effects. If it is, the developer must carry out a full environmental impact assessment and publish an environmental statement with the planning application. The screening opinion isn’t a decision on whether the homes can be built. One public comment has been lodged on the screening request so far.
What happens next
Once the council gives its screening opinion, Vistry is expected to submit the outline planning application, with a transport assessment, a flood risk assessment and drainage strategy, and ecology surveys. That’s when the main public consultation starts. We’ll report when it arrives. To follow other plans around the village, see our Wellesbourne page and Planning near me.
Alex Harrington
Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.
