THE ROUTE of a controversial proposed new main road linking Cock Robin Wood and Coventry Road in Dunchurch will be inspected by a campaign group this weekend.
About Turn is planning a walk along the route of the Homestead Link Road on Sunday (October 23) – and is inviting residents to join them.
Homes England has submitted a planning application to Rugby Borough Council (RBC) for the new one-and-a-quarter mile road, to support the forthcoming 5,000-home South West Rugby Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE). The application comes with over a thousand pages of information.
How the proposed Homestead Link Road would link in to Rugby’s existing road network.
Campaign organiser Richard Allanach said: “Not everyone will find it easy to understand all this paperwork. I thought it would be a good idea to walk the route, see what it means and allow residents to share the information they have gleaned and to fully understand what is being proposed.”
The road includes junctions connecting it to existing roads and the SUE, a footpath and cycle path, and a Pegasus Crossing designed for pedestrians and horses.
Homes England says the application also includes a ‘significant’ green landscape corridor to provide a buffer between Dunchurch and Rugby, and to protect Cawston Spinney and Cock Robin Wood.
But, although About Turn has not announced a formal position on the project, Mr Allanach said: “My own view is that it fails to deliver the wildlife corridor that was promised.
“Homes England say the link gives a ‘tree cover link that provides a movement corridor for bats, badgers and other wildlife’ – but this is nowhere to be found in their plans. Instead badgers and other wildlife will have to find their way across a major road junction and a roundabout. Roadkill not conservation is the likely outcome.
“The proposal could be improved by creating a woodland strip to the north of the road. This would help wildlife and broaden the buffer.”
Sarah Taylor, Head of Planning and Enabling at Homes England said: “Protecting the nearby woodland and wildlife was always a priority for us and the community, and we are pleased to have included a substantial landscape corridor in the plans that will improve biodiversity in the area.
“The Homestead Link Road will help to accommodate the future users of the SUE whilst delivering significant benefits to the local highway network and its environment, in particular at Dunchurch Crossroads.”
Search for ‘R22/0928’ at https://tinyurl.com/5ycjnj3s to view the planning application. Public consultation on the plan ends on Saturday (October 22).
Anyone wishing to walk the route is advised to meet at Cock Robin Wood car park at 11am on Sunday (October 23).
