The Updated Assessment of Housing Need: Coventry-Warwickshire HMA (September 2015) sets out the objectively assessed future housing needs of the Housing Market Area and the six local authority areas within it. The report indicates that Warwick District's Objectively Assessed Housing Need is 600 dwellings per annum, which equates to 10,800 dwellings over the plan period. However, in recognition that Coventry City Council is unable to accommodate its housing needs in full within the City boundary, the Local Plan seeks to provide for 332 dwellings per annum (5976 over the plan period) towards Coventry's housing needs. Warwick District therefore aims to meet its housing requirement by providing for a minimum of 16,776 new homes between 2011 and 2029.

In the case of Southcrest Farm the whole area of the site is unlikely to be required for educational purposes. Any land within this site that is surplus to the educational requirement is therefore allocated for housing (see Policy DS11)

• Red House Farm, Leamington Spa (H04);
• Kenilworth Sixth Form, Rouncil Lane, Kenilworth (H12);
• Thickthorn (H06), Southcrest Farm, Crewe Gardens and Woodside Training Centre (H40), Kenilworth;
• Warwick Road, Kenilworth (H41);
• Westwood Heath (H42);
• Kings Hill (H43);
• North of Milverton, Leamington Spa (H44);
• Land in the vicinity of Coventry Airport (sub-regional employment site)
• University of Warwick;
• Oaklea Farm, Finham (H08);
• Baginton (H19);
• Burton Green (H24);
• Cubbington (H25, H26, H50);
• Hampton Magna (H27 and H51)
• Hatton Park (H28 and H53);
• Kingswood (Lapworth) (H29, H30, H31, H32, H33)
• Leek Wootton (H37 and DSNEW3).

The Plan will be reviewed (either wholly or partially) prior to the end of the Plan Period in the event of one or more of the following circumstances arising: -

1. Through the Duty to Co-operate, it is necessary to accommodate the development needs of another local authority area within the District and these development needs cannot be accommodated within the Local Plan's existing Strategy
2. Updated evidence or changes to national policy suggest that the overall development strategy should be significantly changed
3. The monitoring of the Local Plan (particularly the monitoring of housing delivery) demonstrates that the overall development strategy or the policies are not delivering the Local Plan's objectives and requirements
4. development and growth pressures arising from the specific circumstances in the area to the south of Coventry (as identified in Policy DS New 1)
5. Any other reasons that render the Plan, or part of it, significantly out of date

2.82 In the event that the Plan as a whole or a key part of it becomes out of date, it will be necessary to undertake a full or partial review of the Plan. There are a number of factors that could render the Plan out of date:

1. The Coventry and Warwickshire Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) may need to be updated to reflect changing circumstances and evidence. In the event that a new or revised Memorandum of Understanding would require substantive revisions to the Local Plan proposals, then a partial or full review is likely to be necessary. However a new or revised MOU will not necessarily require a review of the Plan where the changes can be accommodated within the Plan's Strategy.

2. National planning guidance is clear that updated evidence (such as new national household projections) will not necessarily render the Plan out of date. However where evidence signals a substantial and sustained change to the context of the Local Plan, this will trigger a review (partial or whole) of it.

3. The delivery of the Local Plan's objectives, including the overall annual housing requirement will be closely monitored. Where the Plan's proposals and policies are clearly failing to deliver the Plan's overall strategy and objectives (for instance where there is clear evidence over a sustained period that housing delivery is failing to deliver the Plan's overall housing requirement), the Plan will require a review.

2.83 Policy DS NEW1 indicates that a partial review of the Local Plan will be undertaken within five years of the adoption of the plan, to address specific circumstances in the area to the south of Coventry. This proposed partial review will be undertaken in any event.

Allocate additional land for housing in line with Policy DS11 (see Appendix B below) in the following locations:

• H44 North of Milverton (Policies Map 2)
• H45 Hazelmere and Little Acre, Whitnash (Policies Map 2)
• H46A Gallows Hill (Policies Map 2)
• H46B The Asps (Policies Map 2)
• H40 East of Kenilworth (Crewe Lane, Southcrest Farm and Woodside Training Centre) (Policies Map 5)
• H41 East of Warwick Rd, Kenilworth (Policies Map 5)
• H42 Westwood Heath (Policies Map 35)
• H43 Kings Hill Lane (Policies Map 36)
• H19 extended area Baginton - Land north of Rosswood Farm (Policies Map 8)
• H47 Barford - Land south of Wasperton Lane (Policies Map 18)
• H48 Barford - Land South of Westham Lane (Policies Map 18)
• H49 Bishops Tachbrook - Seven Acre Close (Policies Map 16)
• H50 Cubbington - Land east of Cubbington (Policies Map 13)
• H51 Hampton Magna - Land south of Lloyd Close (Policies Map 20)
• H28 extended area Hatton Park - North of Birmingham Road (Policies Map 21)
• H53 Hatton Park - Brownley Green Lane (Policies Map 21)
• DSNEW3 Leek Wootton - Former Policy HQ (policies Map 12)
• H52 Radford Semele - Land at Spring Lane (policies Map 15)

Amend the Urban Area Boundary in the following locations:

• H44 North of Milverton (Policies Map 2)
• H45 Hazelmere and Little Acre, Whitnash (Policies Map 2)
• H46A Gallows Hill (Policies Map 2)
• H46B The Asps (Policies Map 2)
• H40 East of Kenilworth (Crewe Lane, Southcrest Farm and Woodside Training Centre) (Policies Map 5)
• H41 East of Warwick Rd, Kenilworth (Policies Map 5)
• H42 Westwood Heath (Policies Map 35)
• H43 Kings Hill Lane (Policies Map 36)

Amend the Growth Village Envelopes in the following locations:

• H19 extended area Baginton - Land north of Rosswood Farm (Policies Map 8)
• H47 Barford - Land south of Wasperton Lane (Policies Map 18)
• H48 Barford - Land South of Westham Lane (Policies Map 18)
• H49 Bishops Tachbrook - Seven Acre Close (Policies Map 16)
• H50 Cubbington - Land east of Cubbington (Policies Map 13)
• H51 Hampton Magna - Land south of Lloyd Close (Policies Map 20)
• H28 extended area Hatton Park - North of Birmingham Road (Policies Map 21)
• H53 Hatton Park - Brownley Green Lane (Policies Map 21)
• DSNEW3 Leek Wootton - Former Policy HQ (policies Map 12)
• H52 Radford Semele - Land at Spring Lane (policies Map 15)

Remove allocated land for housing in line with Policy DS11 (see Appendix B below) in the following locations:

• H01 (part) Land at Myton School, Myton Road (policies Map 2)
• H15 Leamington Fire Station (policies Map 2)
• H34 Leek Wootton - The Paddock (policies Map 12)
• H35 Leek Wootton - East of Broome Close (policies Map 12)
• H36 Leek Wootton - Former Tennis Courts (policies Map 12)

Amend Policies Map to allocate additional land for Education in line with Policy DS12 in the following location

• Land at Myton School (Myton Road frontage) (policies Map 2)

Amend the Policies Map to extend the Park and Ride area of search in the following location

• Land North of Milverton, Leamington Spa (policies Map 2)

Amend Policies Map to remove additional land from the Green Belt in line with Policy DS19 in the following locations

• Southcrest Farm, Crewe Gardens and Woodside Training Centre (H40), Kenilworth; (policies Map 5)
• Warwick Road, Kenilworth (H41); (policies Map 5)
• Westwood Heath (H42); (policies Map 35)
• Kings Hill (H43); (policies Map 36)
• North of Milverton, Leamington Spa (H44); (policies Map 2)
• Baginton (H19 extended area); (policies Map 8)
• Cubbington (H50); (policies Map 13)
• Hampton Magna (H51) (policies Map 20)
• Hatton Park (H28 extended area and H53); (policies Map 21)
• Leek Wootton (DSNEW3) (policies Map 12)

Amend Policies Map to remove land from the Green Belt and safeguard it in line with Policy DS NEW2 in the following locations

• S1. Land South of Westwood Heath Road
• S2. Land North of Milverton

Amend Policies Map to identify the masterplan area for the development of the former Police HQ sites at Woodcote House, Leek Wootton in line with Policy DS NEW3 (policies Map 12)

Amend Policies Map to allocate land for outdoor sports in line with Policy DS NEW4 in the following locations

• SP1. Land at Castle Farm, Kenilworth (policies Map 5)
• SP2. Land at Warwick Road, Kenilworth (policies Map 5)

To meet both local and sub-regional housing needs, the Council has identified an area of growth focussed on strategic housing allocations to the immediate south of the City of Coventry (see policy DS11). The geographic boundaries of the area covered by this policy will be guided by: -

• the emergence of agreed allocations for large-scale development and sites identified as safeguarded land post-adoption;
• the extant and emerging infrastructure in the local area (including HS2 and existing and proposed future strategic road networks), with a view to identifying the most appropriate locations for both additional housing and strategic transport and other infrastructure;
• the future plans of the University of Warwick;
• significant strategic opportunities on both sides of the local authority boundary.

The sites in this area are expected to provide residential-led, mixed-use development of around 2225 dwellings over the plan period to 2029, with the potential for additional growth post-2029:

• Westwood Heath - 425 dwellings (capped by infrastructure constraints)
• Kings Hill - c.1,800 dwellings; the total capacity of the site is c.4,000 dwellings

To facilitate this growth, the Green Belt boundary in this area has been amended to take account of the strategic sites and to identify and safeguard land suitable for longer-term growth requirements (see Policies DS19 and DSNEW2).

The Council intends to schedule a partial Plan review within five years of the adoption date of this Plan (see policy DS20). At that time, and subject to sufficiently robust evidence, the Council will consider whether further land is required within the broad area to allow for future growth.

Development proposals must take account of all significant constraints, other development within the vicinity and future opportunities for integrated strategic growth; this will require close co-operation between WDC, Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council, the University of Warwick and major landowners and developers.

It is likely that some of this development activity will extend beyond the current plan period. To give a degree of longer-term certainty to investors and stakeholders, a series of key objectives are identified below to provide clear guidance to landowners, institutions, infrastructure providers and major developers when they are drawing up their proposals.

1. individual site proposals support the comprehensive longer-term planning of the area
2. proposals should take account of the potential for a new road linking the A46 Stoneleigh junction with Kirby Corner and subsequently to the A452 or A45, which has been identified as an important means of mitigating increased traffic flows on the local and strategic road network; increasing existing strategic highway capacity; and providing an improved future strategic highway link to UK Central;
3. development proposals must take into account the potential for future growth at the University of Warwick (see Policy MS1);
4. individual masterplans and applications should reflect and address, where necessary, any significant proposals immediately beyond the boundaries of Warwick district.
5. provision should be made for necessary improvements to the highway network including those set out in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan and those that may be required to support future development in the area;
6. the Green Belt between Coventry and Kenilworth should be protected;
7. improvements to rail infrastructure, such as a new rail stop on the Coventry to Leamington line should be considered and provided where practical and viable;
8. improvements to cycle and pedestrian networks should be provided;
9. requirements for additional educational capacity should be provided in a co-ordinated manner;
10. requirements for improved healthcare capacity should be provided in a co-ordinated manner;
11. provision of emergency services infrastructure and other issues that may be identified.

Where appropriate, contributions to infrastructure provision will be sought in accordance with policy DM1.

1.1 Part of the housing requirement set out in Policy DS6 seeks to meet Coventry's housing need. This is an important aspect of creating a sustainable and secure base for the growth of the city. The Warwick Local Plan has thus identified the need to deliver integrated, strategic development to meet current and future housing need both for its own requirements and to address the need generated by Coventry.

1.2 To do this, an area adjacent to the boundary with the city has been identified as a suitable prospect for delivering part of the housing required. This will help create opportunities for high-quality design and layout to be delivered via co-ordinated masterplans. It will allow for the generation of development that benefits from its proximity to the City's employment, education and services / facilities rovision in terms of travel times and infrastructure provision.

1.3 There will be the opportunity to generate economic benefits both through the provision of new employment opportunities and through the creation of additional residential populations that will be using extant services and facilities, so supporting their retention. There will also be the opportunity to deliver infrastructure improvements that should not only benefit the new development but, if properly designed and delivered in a timely fashion, may also help to alleviate existing problems on the local and strategic transport network. Sites can be linked to local and sub-regional centres through improvements to public transport, cycling and walking links.

1.4 The sites in this immediate area (including where necessary related sites within the boundary of the City of Coventry) will benefit from a shared set of key objectives. These are intended to set a clear framework for the delivery both of the development sites themselves and the associated large-scale infrastructure requirements, such as the link road. As described in the policy, the key objectives identify a number of broad parameters. Within these strategic parameters, developers and promoters are at liberty to provide their own detailed masterplans / design approaches that should be in accordance with the broader strategic principles.

1.5 The University of Warwick will prepare a revised masterplan within the Plan Period (see policy MS1). The potential growth of the University is an important element in the development of this area and needs to be taken into account in considering site layouts elsewhere in the vicinity and particularly in planning for wider infrastructure. This will ensure the area has capacity to address development that is not currently known about but which is likely to come forward within the Plan Period and during the years immediately afterwards.

1.6 At Westwood Heath an area of c30ha has been identified for a residential-led, mixed-use development (see Policy Map). Given infrastructure constraints, especially along the strategic and local highways network, the housing to be provided on site is capped at 425 dwellings during the current plan period. However, the creation of improved road infrastructure / additional network capacity will allow further residential development to be accommodated without undue adverse impacts on local amenity. This will take place on land that has been identified and reserved for development adjacent to the allocated site. Land required for longer-term housing provision is therefore safeguarded in line with policy DS20, and will be released subject to:

1. a Plan review that clearly indicates a need for land for further development; and
2. significant improvements to the strategic highways network, including the construction of a new link road between the A46 Stoneleigh Junction and Kirby Corner and onwards towards the A452 or A45.

1.7 An integral aspect of the allocated site is the need to provide for facilities and services at an appropriate scale, including community provision, emergency services infrastructure, play areas and local retail provision for convenience shopping. Land also needs to be provided for open space, leisure and amenity uses and will form part of a green infrastructure network linking to the wider countryside and north to the conurbation.

1.8 At Kings Hill an area of c269ha has been identified for a residential-led, mixed-use development (see Policy map). The site has an overall capacity of c. 4,000 dwellings, with c. 1,800 dwellings being deliverable by the end of the current plan period. The mixed use development will also include the potential to provide employment land. Land will need to be provided for open space, leisure and amenity uses and will form part of a green infrastructure network linking to the wider countryside and north to the conurbation. A local centre will be provided at an appropriate scale, incorporating a range of local community facilities and services including meeting space / community buildings, emergency services infrastructure, youth facilities / play areas and local retail provision for convenience shopping. A new primary school will be required to serve the development, which may need to be expanded as the site develops over time.

1.09 Development proposals for the strategic sites will be expected to address the following as a minimum: -

• Proposals for development must respond positively to natural and heritage assets; wherever possible and viable, development should enhance the settings of such assets;
• Development should respect the topography and landscape of the area and should be designed in such a way that it minimises visual impacts and protects local amenity;
• Biodiversity should be maintained and enhanced on all development sites wherever possible; where otherwise acceptable development would result in the loss of biodiversity interest and value, mitigation must be offered that offsets loss or damage onsite. If this is not possible, appropriate off-site mitigation and habitat replacement should be provided as close to the affected amenity as feasible;
  1. Kings Hill - Wainbody Wood is ancient woodland of around 15.5ha in area, which should be excluded from the development area, protected from associated adverse impacts and maintained as a habitat and biodiversity resource;
  2. Westwood Heath - Whitefield Coppice, Black Waste Wood and Broadwells Wood are all ancient woodlands within or adjacent to the site. They should be excluded from development areas, protected from associated adverse impacts and maintained as habitat and biodiversity resources.
• There are listed buildings associated with Wainbody Wood Farm and Hill Farm (farmhouses and barn) that should be protected and their settings enhanced as appropriate.
• Strategic infrastructure improvements must be accommodated where necessary, including improvements to highways junctions, road capacity improvements and public transport links.
• Local services, facilities and retail provision should be commensurate with the scale of development being proposed and in terms of the location's proximity to the conurbation and Kenilworth.

1.10 Proposals should accord with the requirements of all other relevant policies in the Local Plan.

Safeguarded land is identified on the Policies Map in order that it may be utilised, if required, to meet longer-term strategic development needs beyond the Local Plan period. The following principles apply to safeguarded land:

1. It is not allocated for development at the present time;
2. Local Plan Policies relating to development in the rural area and open countryside will apply;
3. Development that would prejudice the future comprehensive development of the safeguarded land area will not be permitted;
4. The status of safeguarded land will only change through a review of the local plan following an assessment of development need and the identification of the most appropriate locations for development.

Safeguarded land is identified on the policies map in the following locations:

• S1. Land South of Westwood Heath Road
• S2. Land North of Milverton

2.1 National policy recommends that when reviewing Green Belt boundaries through a local plan it is important to have regard to potential development needs well beyond the plan period, and consequently be satisfied that boundaries will not need to be altered at the end of the plan period. Therefore, the Council has identified areas of Safeguarded Land between the urban area and the new Green Belt boundary in order to assist in meeting potential long term development requirements.

2.2 The Council recognises that there is a limited amount of suitable land currently available outside the Green Belt to meet long-term development needs, particularly those needs arising in Coventry. Therefore identifying 'safeguarded land' in appropriate locations may assist in meeting the long-term development needs of the functional housing and economic market area.

2.3 Safeguarded land is not allocated for development and is within the rural area; therefore rural and open countryside policies will apply. Other than development in accordance with the policy, planning permission for the permanent development of safeguarded land will not be granted ahead of a review of the Local Plan where this proposes the area for development

The former Police Headquarters site will be developed for housing purposes. Built development will be limited to appropriate areas of the site that lie within the Village Growth Envelope Boundary (Policy H10) as identified on the Policies Map. There will be a requirement to agree a masterplan with the Council for the entirety of the former police headquarters landholding, including other associated land parcels outside of the Growth Village Envelope Boundary.

All planning applications for development of the site within the Growth Village Envelope must comply with the Masterplan and accord with other relevant policies of this Local Plan and any adopted Neighbourhood Development Plan, taking account of viability. In determining any planning applications on the site the local planning authority will seek to ensure that the proposals:

1. Protect and enhance the historic assets and their setting;
2. Secure the sustainable long-term future of Woodcote House as a Grade 2 Listed Building;
3. Contribute positively to the landscape character;
4. Deliver a mix of housing, including affordable housing;
5. Demonstrate a high quality of design and layout, including an appropriate means of access and circulation;
6. Make provision for all reasonable infrastructure requirements, including open space; and
7. Make provision for the future management / maintenance of the balance of the site (those areas not to be utilised for housing development);

3.1 Warwickshire Police have declared this site surplus to operational requirements. Encompassing a large area of previously developed land within the Growth Village of Leek Wootton, the site offers the potential to contribute significantly to the delivery of new housing necessary to meet the needs of the District, whilst simultaneously securing the long-term use, and therefore conservation, of the Grade II listed Woodcote House and its setting within the associated locally listed gardens/parklands.

3.2 Development of this site for housing will be supported provided that it is carefully managed to ensure that the site's heritage and landscape assets are conserved and enhanced. Development will only be permitted where it is brought forward in accordance with the vision, development principles and framework that will be provided by an agreed Masterplan. Given the specific circumstances of the site, including that significant demolition and restoration work will be required to enhance the site's historic value, it will be important to ensure that the combined effects of policy requirements do not render development, which can positively contribute to sustainable development at this location, unviable and thus undeliverable.

Land at Castle Farm (SP1), and Land at Warwick Road (SP2), Kenilworth, as shown on the Policies Map, are allocated for the provision of outdoor sport.

Appropriate facilities associated with the provision of outdoor sport will be permitted provided that they preserve the openness of the Green Belt and do not conflict with the purposes of including land within it.

4.1 The Playing Pitch Strategy recognises that the provision of outdoor sport requires quantitative and qualitative improvements in order to meet the needs of the existing and predicted population in the district. This is particularly the case in Kenilworth where there are a number of sporting clubs with limited capacity for expansion or improvement and where there may arise a future need due to displacement.

4.2 The provision of additional land at Castle Farm for outdoor sport will complement, and may assist the improvement of, existing playing facilities at the site. Land at Warwick Road will complement the proposed housing allocation H41 immediately to the north and provide an appropriate southern edge to Kenilworth. Both sites are in suitable, accessible locations and will offer better provision in terms of quantity and/or quantity than the existing provision in the area.