New housing plan moves forward despite protests

Plans setting out potential housing sites with hundreds of new homes will go to consultation, despite opposition from people in villages likely to be affected.

Rugby Borough Council's plan would allow developers to build homes in Wolvey, Brinklow, Long Lawford, Stretton-on-Dunsmore, Clifton upon Dunsmore and Dunchurch.

The authority, which voted to push ahead at a meeting on Tuesday, said it was including brownfield sites in the plan and any homes in rural areas would be "focused where it makes sense, close to infrastructure".

Protesters at the meeting voiced fears about the impact on local services, infrastructure and wildlife.

The government requires all local authorities to plan for housing need and any council which is unable to produce a local plan can find it is unable to oppose proposals from housing developers.

In Rugby, the council has to plan for 636 new homes to be built per year, and said its proposals for the period to 2042, provided "a real, deliverable, and sustainable future for Rugby".

It also said the plan would prioritise "regenerating land in the town centre and built-up areas, to reduce pressure on our countryside and villages".

However, people living in villages likely to be affected have argued they do not have the capacity to cope with more homes.

Some point to the green belt protection around many of the villages, designed to stop urban sprawl from the West Midlands conurbation.

But a report to the council said its evidence base for the plan identified areas meeting the new government classification of "grey belt", where smaller settlements can expand if they do not risk joining up with each other.

Amanda Hayhurst from Brinklow said: "I moved here to live in a village and look at green fields, I didn't move here to live in a town."

She was part of the demonstration outside the council offices on Tuesday evening and said the plans for Brinklow would increase the number of homes by 80%.

She said that that seemed "bonkers" to her.

Sharon Hilliard, who also demonstrated, said she had lived in Wolvey all her life and was not opposed to "sensitive" development of small areas.

But, she said she was worried about the impact on wildlife and flooding if there was large-scale development.

She also said: "I don't believe there's the demand that the government is actually saying."

John Reid, the chair of Brinklow Parish Council, was also at the protest outside the council offices, before councillors made the decision to push ahead.

He said his council had an alternative plan "which shows that we could accommodate about 115 houses in Brinklow and over a period of time people would accept that as fair regeneration".

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