South Warwickshire Local Plan (SWLP)
What stage are we at?
What is in the SWLP?
Are the allocations in North Leamington sound?
What is the Parish Council doing about it?
What can I do about it?
What is the history of the SWLP?
How does the SWLP relate to leaflets we have received from developers?
What stage are we at?
The South Warwickshire Local Plan (SWLP) is a long-term strategy that will shape where housing and employment development takes place across Warwick and Stratford districts for decades to come.
We are now at “Regulation 19” stage. This is the fourth stage in the process and the final opportunity for formal engagement with the public before the Plan is submitted to the government for independent examination. This latest version includes the final growth strategy, locations for housing, employment and other sites, and a list of policies.
The consultation runs from Tuesday 21st July to Tuesday 8th September. It is called a ‘consultation’ but the only permissible responses are ones which specifically address whether the Plan is legally compliant and sound. A Local Plan is sound if it is ‘positively prepared’, ‘justified’, ‘effective’ and ‘consistent with national policy’ – all terms which are defined paragraph 36 of the National Planning Policy Framework which is extracted here. People can make a representation if they believe the Plan, or aspects of the Plan, fail in any of these areas.
If representations are not made at this stage, it will not be possible to raise them with the Planning Inspector later. The Parish Council is currently preparing its responses. Our initial advice on how to respond is set out here.
What is in the SWLP?
The site previously known as SG06 has been subdivided in the Regulation 19 Consultation into two sites: LEA1 and LEA 2. The plan proposes the development of more than 2000 homes at LEA1 and LEA2. You will also see on the interactive map an additional allocation (in blue) between LEA1 and LEA2 for a park and ride.
Are the allocations in North Leamington sound?
This land is not just any land:
- it is protected Green Belt
- it is highest quality agricultural land
- it has important heritage and biodiversity value.
We have commissioned an independent site assessment report to check whether the site allocations are sound. It looks at the planning rationale, policy context, evidence base, green belt considerations and site-specific assessments. It demonstrates that:
- the evidence base underpinning the proposed allocation is incomplete
- the true and full extent of any impact has not been fully assessed.
Because there are fundamental issues that have not been addressed, these site allocations are not sound or justified. The report is currently being updated to reflect figures in the Regulation 19 Consultation and will be published in early August.
What is the Parish Council doing about it?
At this point we are preparing our response to the Regulation 19 Consultation. We will provide evidence to show that the site allocations in North Leamington are unsound and should be removed from the SWLP.
We believe that this should have happened earlier in the process: we have been fully engaged over the last five years but conscientious consideration has not been given to the arguments that we have put forward.
What can I do about it?
Please read and respond to the Regulation 19 Consultation. The number of responses makes a difference.
When you respond, you should ensure that you specifically address whether the Plan is legally compliant and sound. A Local Plan is sound if it is ‘positively prepared’, ‘justified’, ‘effective’ and ‘consistent with national policy’. Our Respond page sets out our key arguments about why the SG06 allocations are not sound. We will update this as our response is finalised.
What is the history of the South Warwickshire Local Plan?
In 2017, these same sites were removed from the Local Plan by a Government inspector. We had hoped that this would protect the sites for the foreseeable future. However, in 2021 the process restarted, and these sites are once again under threat. The current local plan is being prepared jointly with Stratford District Council and will cover the period from 2025 to 2050.
Despite our consistent engagement, our key concerns have not been addressed or engaged with. We believe this raises serious questions about the fairness and transparency of the process.
Our track record of engagement is as follows:
July 2021 – Scoping and Call for Sites Consultation
Worked with a planning consultancy and submitted a letter setting out why Green Belt development should be avoided.
September 2022 – Publication of Submitted Sites
Provided further analysis and a follow-up letter.
March 2023 – Issues and Options Consultation
Submitted a detailed response, including local feedback and expert planning advice.
March 2025 – Preferred Options Consultation
Submitted a detailed response, a summary of key arguments and further technical planning advice.
June 2026 – Draft Regulation 19 Plan
Shared findings from an independent Green Belt Review that we commissioned.
How does the Local Plan relate to leaflets we have received from developers?
Both LEA1 and LEA2 are subject to speculative and premature consultations by property developers seeking to submit outline planning applications before the local plan is published. The arguments above can be applied to these potential submissions and we will respond along these lines to any official planning application. It appears that the developers seek to take advantage of the sites being included in a draft local plan as evidence that they will be in the final plan. We believe that this is circumventing due process.
Updated: July 24th 2026