60 Homes Planned on Green Belt Field Beside Wootton Wawen’s Village School

Deeley Homes has applied to build up to 60 homes on a Green Belt field off Alcester Road in Wootton Wawen, north of Stratford-upon-Avon, next to the village primary school. Half would be affordable. The application (26/02538/OUT) became valid on 3 November, and residents have already formed an action group against it.

What’s planned

The site is 3.34 hectares of grassland on the southern edge of the village, beside the development boundary, with a new road entrance from Alcester Road closer to the village than the present field gate. This is an outline application, so only the access would be fixed now.

Deeley also offers land for the school to expand, a rear walking route into the school to ease drop-off traffic, a play area that would be handed to the parish, and speed-reduction measures on Alcester Road. The school has told the developer it would prefer the extra land as a staff car park, according to the planning statement.

The Green Belt argument

The developer’s case rests on national rules that allow some weaker Green Belt land to be treated as “grey belt”. Its planning statement argues that this site qualifies, meets the government’s “golden rules” with 50% affordable housing, and that the district’s shortage of housing land adds substantial weight. It also says the railway station, school, shop and village hall are close by.

The site is not allocated for housing in the draft South Warwickshire Local Plan, as the county council’s reply on minerals notes. Deeley says it has made representations about that. Whether the field really is grey belt is for the district council’s officers to judge.

What villagers have said so far

Deeley first showed the parish council a 29-home scheme in 2023, its statement says. In a letter to the company dated 20 May, filed with the application, the Wootton Wawen Action Group says the scheme had grown from 29 homes to about 60 without enough notice, and that it doesn’t fit the capacity of local roads, drainage and infrastructure. It also questions a spur shown on an earlier plan, fearing later expansion.

Deeley held an exhibition at the village hall on 4 August. Its statement says that, besides its online feedback, it received 80 emails objecting, using a standard text shared by the action group.

Replies on the council’s file are at an early stage. The county’s minerals planners don’t object, and one public comment had been logged when we checked. The parish council’s formal view isn’t on the file yet.

How to comment

Neighbours and consultees have until 24 November to respond, and the council’s last publicity period runs until 3 December. Comments go through the application page. The council’s target date for a decision is 2 February 2027. Just to the north, a separate plan for up to 265 homes south of Henley-in-Arden is also with the council.

Details checked on 11 November 2026 using the application documents on Stratford-on-Avon District Council’s planning register. The photo shows Alcester Road in Wootton Wawen in 2017, and isn’t of the site itself.

Alex Harrington

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