SOUTH WARWICKSHIRE LOCAL PLAN – RESIDENT UPDATE

Hi everyone,

Several residents have contacted me to ask whether they need to complete the Regulation 19 Representation online form, which is now open.

At this stage, there is no need to rush. The consultation remains open until September, and I will provide a further update before the deadline.

Overall, I believe it is important that the South Warwickshire Local Plan succeeds, as it will help provide Wilmcote with greater protection against inappropriate future development. For that reason, I would encourage residents to support the overall soundness and viability of the Plan. However, there is one significant issue that I do not believe is sound.

The current Plan proposes:

• removing Green Belt protection from within Wilmcote’s built-up boundary and
• designating Wilmcote as a Local Service Centre.

A Local Service Centre is intended to serve surrounding smaller villages with facilities such as a GP surgery, pharmacy, shops or a post office. In my view, this does not accurately reflect Wilmcote. For example, residents of nearby Aston Cantlow are more likely to use the wider range of services available in Henley-in-Arden or Wootton Wawen, which has two shops and a post office.

If Wilmcote remains designated as a Local Service Centre, Policies DS8 and DS13 could make the village more vulnerable to further development, including small-scale housing, Gypsy and Traveller sites, mobile home parks, or employment-use buildings.

In my role as District Councillor I am currently working to have Wilmcote removed from these policies. If I am successful, residents should then be able to support the Plan without raising this concern.

If I am not successful, I will ask residents to include a comment in the Policies section of the consultation form, explaining that these policies are unsound as they relate to Wilmcote.

I am waiting to meet with the Chief Planning Officer at Stratford-on-Avon District Council, who is currently on annual leave. Once that meeting has taken place, I will update everyone with the outcome and advise on the best way to respond before the consultation closes.

Thank you for your continued support and patience.

Cllr Lee - Stratford District Council - 22nd July 2026