Borough plan and countryside gold rush for Developers

We are currently seeing a rush of planning applications to build on a significant part of our countryside in Nuneaton and Bedworth. The big problem is that the Local Plan should have been replaced already as it ran out in 2011. We now have developers claiming we need to build on local countryside as we are failing to build enough homes. The reason house building is subdued is not a lack of sites but a lack of buyers.

The Borough plan was held up by the council making little progress between 2008-10 while the Tory council administration opposed Regional housing targets pass down by the then Labour government. There has been more delays as the new council administration tries to push for 8,000 extra homes when the economic modelling points to around 6,000 being needed over 18 years. The borough is also has around 2,000 empty homes mostly in private ownership.

Friends of the Earth will support the building of affordable sustainable homes on suitable sites. What we will strongly oppose is building on our limited countryside when significant brown-field sites exist. There are existing applications for land of Gipsy Lane, The Long Shoot and Galley Common.

The plans for 326 homes on land off Church lane, Weddington went to a public inquiry in January 2012. Unfortunately the appeal was lost and it looks likely that the building will go ahead. We will continue to campaign to maintain the countryside in the area. The local residents are currently awaiting the results of an inquiry to see if some of the land will be declared a Village Green.