2. How much new development will there by in Warwick District?

As mentioned above, it is likely that Warwick District will need to accommodate a significant amount of new development over the period to 2026. The level of growth for the district is set for us by the West Midlands Regional Assembly and agreed by the Government. The Regional Assembly is currently consulting on the level of growth that will be needed across the West Midlands up to 2026, so the figures in this Paper may change. They do, however, provide a useful starting point for our work on the Core Strategy.

In terms of new housing, we are likely to have to find land for 10,800 new homes between 2006 and 2026. We currently already have land for 2,650 new homes (from homes built since 2006 and sites which are already committed for development). We therefore need land for a further 8,150 new homes. This equates to approximately 270 hectares (670 acres). We estimate there is capacity within our towns on brown field sites for much of this, however approximately 2,700 new homes will need to be located on green field sites. This will require approximately 90 hectares (223 acres) of land. As a guide, this is roughly equivalent to the combined totals of the two major recent housing developments at Warwick Gates and South West Warwick or, to put it another way, about the size of 115 football pitches.

In terms of land for new employment growth, we are likely to have to find about 90 hectares between 2006 and 2026. We currently have identified 55 hectares of land and therefore need a further 35 hectares (86 acres). Again, we estimate there is capacity within our towns on brown field sites for much of this, however approximately 15 hectares will need to be found on green field sites. As a guide, this is a little less than that currently identified at Tournament Fields in Warwick for new jobs or about the size of 20 football pitches.

The plan below gives us an idea of how much land may be required to meet these needs.