THOUSANDS more houses could be built across the district as action is taken to address a major housing shortfall.
Members of Stratford District Council’s Cabinet agreed an action plan aimed at restoring a five-year housing land supply at a meeting on Monday (October 6).
The decision follows a recent planning appeal which concluded that SDC could only demonstrate 2.74 years of deliverable housing land, below the five-year requirement set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.
This shortfall has triggered the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’, increasing the likelihood of speculative applications and reducing SDC’s ability to refuse developments outside designated areas.
The action plan’s key measures include identification and promotion of new housing sites and the acceleration of planning processes.
SDC estimates that the proposed measures could contribute between 2,580 and 3,173 homes toward the identified shortfall of 3,500 to 4,000 homes.
The action plan is expected to restore the five-year supply by summer 2027, subject to successful implementation and resource allocation.
SDC’s planning spokesperson Coun George Cowcher said: “Fundamentally, we have had the rug pulled from under us with a change in government policy. However, we are not the only council in this position, at least 60 per cent of other councils are in a similar position to us.
“This is a proactive and necessary step to ensure we meet our housing obligations while maintaining control over how and where development takes place. The measures outlined will help us respond to immediate pressures and lay the groundwork for sustainable growth.
“Even though maintaining a five-year housing land supply is our responsibility, it’s important to recognise that we have limited control over it. Nevertheless, as the local planning authority, we remain committed to meeting our development needs. We will continue working closely with infrastructure providers to ensure a coordinated approach, and we expect sites to deliver the infrastructure they require.
“The sooner we restore our five-year supply, the sooner we can return to a plan-led approach through the South Warwickshire Local Plan and regain control over how our communities grow.”
