PROTESTORS greeted councillors as they met to approve the next stage of Rugby’s blueprint for future housing.
Rugby Borough Council voted to move ahead with the town’s Local Plan – an outline of the town’s housing allocation and infrastructure up to 2031 – and launch a public consultation.
The proposed plan targets 12,400 new homes and 110 hectares of employment land – more than half of which is already accounted for by current developments such as Houlton at the old radio mast site.
A new garden village at Lodge Farm, to the south west of the A45 opposite Onley prison, is the council’s latest addition to the plans, meaning the previously proposed new village in green belt land at Walsgrave Hill Farm will not go ahead.
But residents from Woodlands, Hillside, Rokeby and Dunchurch came together to form a group called About Turn to oppose the plans – and held a vigil outside Rugby Town Hall prior to Tuesday night’s meeting.
Organiser Richard Allanach described the Local Plan as “half-baked”.
He said: “The Council has not published the results of last winter’s consultation and yet it is rushing to rubber stamp a new plan. The Council should pause, take breath and reconsider before sending in the bulldozers.”
Chair of the Rugby Liberal Democrats local party Coun Neil Sandison added: “The Local Plan has huge implications for local housing, employment and the environment.
“We believe the public have a right to know more about what is going on and have their concerns recognised as this plan moves forward. Councillors should make informed decisions based on all the facts, not just some of them.”
But the council’s planning spokeswoman said sites already allocated in Houlton, Cawston and Coton showed the benefit of having a clear vision of Rugby’s future growth.
Coun Heather Timms said: “By allocating these sites now we will be able to create new, high quality settlements that are supported by transport improvements, education and leisure facilities, while protecting those sites that we want to keep in their current use – be that employment or open countryside.
“Councillors now have the opportunity to ask residents, parish councils and other partners if they think our plans are technically sound, and if they meet the requirements of the town and country planning regulations 2012.”
And, speaking to The Observer earlier this year, the council’s Head of Growth and Investment Rob Back said: “Government guidance states that if you don’t have a sufficient five-year land supply, you are more likely to be obliged to approve speculative applications – which are less likely to deliver the necessary infrastructure.
“But if the Plan is adopted, on each allocation we will work through the infrastructure that will be needed to make it work, how that will be provided, and whether it is even feasible.”
The Local Plan features an urban extension to south-west Rugby, additional housing at Coton Park East, and smaller developments in surrounding areas including Brinklow, Long Lawford, Stretton-on-Dunsmore and Wolston.
The next public consultation will begin on Monday September 26, running until Friday November 11.
Visit www.rugby.gov.uk/planning for more information.
