South Warwickshire Local Plan – Have your say before 07 March 2025 on future development in Bishop’s Tachbrook

The latest phase of the South Warwickshire Local Plan (SWLP) is underway, with a Preferred Options consultation now open until 07 March 2025.

Bishop’s Tachbrook is facing a significant number of potential development sites: Strategic Growth Areas SG09, SG10, SG11, and new settlements X1 and X2. The Parish Council is preparing to object to the SWLP. It is also vital that as many residents as possible share their views.

A simple no to development is not enough. Because the SWLP is a Local Plan, it is not subject to a vote. It is assessed on a series of tests set by the government: the tests of soundness. To give any objection more weight, it must set out why the SWLP is not sound.

The tests of soundness are:

  • Positively prepared – so that as a minimum it meets future housing and employment needs and those of neighbouring areas where it is practical and consistent with sustainable development.
  • Justified – an appropriate strategy, taking into account reasonable alternatives, and based on proportionate evidence.
  • Effective – deliverable over the plan period.
  • Consistent with national policy – enabling the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

To help you object

These are some of the things to consider:

Positively Prepared

  • The SWLP’s proposed strategic growth locations and new settlements, SG09, SG10, SG11, X1, and X2, risk undermining established planning principles that protect Bishop’s Tachbrook village’s distinct identity. In addition, the Parish of Bishop’s Tachbrook is now under threat of becoming a sprawling suburb of Leamington Spa, lacking any character and cohesion. The 2017 Warwick District Local Plan, reinforced by the Bishop’s Tachbrook Neighbourhood Development Plan (2021), prioritised preventing coalescence, recognising its importance in maintaining separate communities. A planning inspector previously highlighted this issue, leading to the designation of Tachbrook Country Park as a protective buffer. The SWLP’s growth strategy contradicts these principles, directing disproportionate development to Priority Area 3, increasing the risk of urban sprawl and loss of open space. This approach is inconsistent with NPPF policies on sustainable development, settlement identity, and strategic planning, failing to justify why Bishop’s Tachbrook should bear a greater development burden than higher-priority areas.

Justified

  • SG09, SG10, SG11: The assessment lacks clarity on why these locations were selected over alternatives. Identified impacts on carbon footprint, heritage assets, and best agricultural land suggest limited justification.
  • X1, X2: X1 is ranked highest in the Sustainability Appraisal, but all sites score poorly, including X1. X2 ranks 4th but is the worst-performing site regarding natural resource impact. Both sites face environmental and heritage constraints, making their selection unjustifiable.

Effective

  • SG09, SG10, SG11: Deliverability is impossible due to infrastructure deficits, with no clear plans to mitigate traffic congestion or environmental degradation.
  • X1, X2: Considered undevelopable due to multiple ownership issues and lack of infrastructure. Only 14% of X1 and 47% of X2 have been put forward for development, making them both unviable.

Consistent with National Policy

  • SG09, SG10, SG11: Inconsistent with NPPF principles, particularly regarding environmental sustainability and preserving distinct settlement identities i.e., that of Bishop’s Tachbrook village.
  • X1, X2: Fail key NPPF tests, particularly in transport accessibility, infrastructure provision, and realistic deliverability.

Conclusion

  • SG09, SG10, and SG11 should be reconsidered due to adverse environmental, heritage, and infrastructure impacts.
  • X1 and X2 should be discounted as they fail on sustainability, deliverability, and infrastructure grounds. The Regulation 19 SWLP must provide more explicit justifications and mitigation plans to be considered sound.

How to have your say

Your input matters. You don’t need to respond to every question—Section 4 is the most relevant. If you want to comment specifically on SG09, SG10, SG11, X1, and X2, follow these steps:

  1. Visit the consultation website: https://southwarwickshire.oc2.uk/document/148
  2. Log in or register.
  3. Click on Item 4 – Meeting South Warwickshire’s Sustainable Development Requirements.
  4. Scroll to Table 5 to comment on SG09, SG10, and SG11.
  5. Scroll to Table 6 to comment on X1 and X2.

Other ways to respond

The online portal is the best way for comments to be collected and reviewed. However, you can also:

Make your voice heard—your feedback could shape the future of Bishop’s Tachbrook.

The Preferred Options Consultation and accompanying targeted Call for Sites will run until 7 March 2025.