New homes on land west of Station Road

Land west of Station Road is located on the north-west edge of Bishops Itchington, across two connected fields between Station Road and Plough Lane

Above: land west of Station Road (outlined in red)

The land is 19.46 hectares (48.1 acres) in size, with Plough Lane running along the southern boundary and Station Road on the eastern boundary. Bishops Itchington cemetery is located adjacent to the northern boundary and to the west of the land are fields. There is a long and narrow stretch of land leading out from the west of the site, which is included in the application boundary to allow for a Sustainable Drainage System.

There are no designated heritage assets on the land, nor are there any ecological statutory designations.

The land is mostly flat, and bordered by trees and hedgerows. These will be protected and enhanced, with the potential to plant new trees, flowers and shrubbery both on the boundary of the land and within the proposed development, making the area aesthetically pleasing as well as helping to increase biodiversity. There are two Public Rights of Way (footpaths 130/ SM84/1 and 130/SM84a/1). These will be retained.

A geophysical survey has produced results which have tentatively been interpreted as a possible Iron Age to Roman settlement in the northern area. Consequently, we are limiting the proposed new homes to the southern area, so that the section where the archaeological activity was recorded will remain undisturbed.

The land is currently used for growing crops, but has recently been submitted to Stratford-on-Avon District Council as a potential location for new housing, as part of the Council’s joint South Warwickshire Local Plan.

In recent years there has been a growing national recognition of the scale of the housing crisis in the UK, which has driven a national house-building mission spear-headed by the Government. Stratford-on-Avon District and the Bishops Itchington area are not immune to this situation, and Stratford-on-Avon District Council has seen its housing target increased significantly in recent years.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council is currently producing a joint ‘South Warwickshire Local Plan’ (SWLP) alongside Warwick District Council. This will shape development across the two areas for the next 15 years. Mac Mic have submitted the land west of Station Road for consideration as part of the SWLP, and will continue to engage with the plan-making process to promote it as a viable and sustainable option.

However, it is noted that the SWLP is not expected to be adopted until at least 2028. In the meantime, there is an urgent need for new homes in the area, with Stratford-on-Avon District Council currently unable to demonstrate an adequate housing land supply. Consequently, as well as actively engaging with the SWLP, we will also be submitting an outline planning application in due course. This will help to address the immediate lack of housing in a sustainable and logical location, as well as demonstrating the viability and deliverability of our proposal.

As part of gaining planning consent, any housebuilder that develops the site will pay a sum of money known as a ‘Community Infrastructure Levy’ (CIL) to Stratford-on-Avon Council, as well as entering into a ‘Section 106’ agreement. Both of these will ensure that funds raised from the new development are reinvested into infrastructure and community facilities in the area around Bishops Itchington.