County council hits out at new housing plans

Campaigners protesting in March said housing was being planned in the wrong places

Plans for new homes around Rugby and surrounding villages have been opposed by Warwickshire County Council.

Rugby Borough Council set out the proposals in an update to its local plan, which states where new housing and businesses should go.

The county council echoed concerns raised by Conservative councillors in the borough that plans for an extra 3,500 homes were flawed.

Campaigners also protested in March over expansion planned for green belt areas, including Brinklow, Wolston, Wolvey and Long Lawford.

The county council said the strategy would lead to an increase in trips from villages to larger urban centres for day-to-day needs.

It anticipated "a significant increase" in secondary school pupils needing transport and an "increase in car trips".

Papers said: "The county council's preference is for larger standalone developments – these would deliver primary and secondary education solutions in one place."

The county council also called for further talks with the county's social care department and NHS if the borough presses ahead with proposed locations.

Concerns have come from campaigners and borough and county councillors

Information on Rugby Borough Council's website said it planned to provide homes "in a wider range of locations", as well as deliver more affordable housing.

It said: "Smaller scale sites around the borough are likely to be built more quickly than larger sites, while creating opportunities for smaller and medium-sized builders."

The borough council said reasons for not progressing larger developments included potential impact on services and roads.

It said proposals sought "to locate new housing in areas where existing infrastructure can be supported or improved", with a new secondary school planned north of Rugby.

The scale of planned housing in villages had been limited to the projected future capacity of the primary school in each area, with potential to expand them also considered, it said.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.