Henley-in-Arden

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the South Warwickshire Local Plan, prepared jointly by Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick District Councils to guide where and how new homes, jobs and infrastructure are built up to 2050. It describes an area of 488 square miles, mostly open countryside, containing towns such as Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick and Royal Leamington Spa. Nearly a third of the area lies in the West Midlands Green Belt and 8% falls within the Cotswolds National Landscape. The area is a gateway to the West Midlands, with its strongest links to Coventry.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section describes South Warwickshire today. The area covers 488 square miles of mainly open countryside across the two districts, including towns such as Alcester, Kenilworth, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick. It has good motorway and rail links between London and Birmingham, and 8% of it lies within the Cotswolds National Landscape. Nearly a third sits in the West Midlands Green Belt, which is designed to prevent urban sprawl. The area's strongest ties are with Coventry, as part of the Coventry and Warwickshire sub-region.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets the spatial strategy for development to 2050. It prioritises previously developed urban land, concentrates greenfield growth into larger strategic areas so infrastructure can be delivered, favours locations near existing facilities based on 20-minute neighbourhood principles, requires efficient densities and promotes walking, cycling and public transport. It names two new communities, at Hatton and Long Marston Airfield, plus Strategic Growth Locations including Bidford-on-Avon, Bishop's Tachbrook, Henley-in-Arden, Kenilworth, three sites around Leamington Spa and land south of Coventry.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the full policy and justification for meeting development needs to 2050. Provision is made for a minimum of 54,925 homes between 2025 and 2050, with a total identified supply of 57,610, a headroom of about 4.9%. It also provides 129 Gypsy and Traveller pitches, 20 Travelling Showpeople plots and 35 boat dweller moorings. Each district will maintain its own five-year housing land supply, based on 1,112 homes a year in Stratford-on-Avon and 1,085 in Warwick, with detailed year-by-year delivery trajectories for every allocated site.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy allocates new local employment sites. It provides 11 hectares at Bidford-on-Avon East and North for industrial, storage and office uses, 3.3 hectares at Henley Golf Club in Henley-in-Arden for a research and innovation campus, and 3 hectares at Paradise, Lighthorne Heath for the specific expansion needs of Aston Martin Lagonda. Each site must integrate with the wider masterplan for its area, and the Lighthorne Heath site can only come forward after an earlier 4.5 hectare allocation is developed.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section repeats the table of new employment allocations under Policy DS.5. It covers 11 hectares at Bidford-on-Avon East and North for industrial, storage and office uses, 3.3 hectares at Henley Golf Club, Henley-in-Arden for a research and innovation campus, and 3 hectares at Paradise, Lighthorne Heath reserved for the expansion of Aston Martin Lagonda. Each site must fit with the wider masterplan for its settlement and follow the requirements of the related site proposals.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets out where the Green Belt boundary will change to make room for the plan's proposals. Six villages, including Bubbenhall, Claverdon and Snitterfield, are taken out of the Green Belt. Land is also removed for new settlements and major growth sites at places such as Hatton, Kenilworth South, Leamington Spa North, South of Coventry and Coventry Airport, plus smaller sites at Alcester, Hampton Magna, Kenilworth, Studley and Stoneleigh. A boundary error at Leek Wootton is also corrected.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the Green Belt changes in full. It allows neighbourhood plans to release small Green Belt sites for local needs where strict conditions are met. National policy applies to proposals both in and out of the Green Belt, and the Golden Rules on affordable housing do not apply to land released under the older 2016 and 2017 local plans. A Green Belt Review found exceptional circumstances justify the changes, because many of the most sustainable growth locations sit within the Green Belt.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section lists the full set of protected transport schemes and explains the approach. Alongside rail, park and ride and strategic road junction schemes, it safeguards major link roads tied to specific development sites, including routes at Stratford-upon-Avon, Wellesbourne, Henley-in-Arden, Kenilworth, Warwick, Stoneleigh and Bidford, and a new consolidated M40 junction to replace Junctions 13 and 14. Development in these areas is only permitted where it would not hinder a scheme's design, delivery or operation, or is temporary or reversible. The aim is to prevent prejudicial development without needlessly sterilising land.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section describes proposal HEN.1 at Henley-in-Arden, a 125-hectare masterplanned development of at least 2,084 homes, largely on the golf club land, delivered from 2029/30 to 2044/45. It includes 3.3 hectares of employment land, a two-form entry primary school, expansion of the secondary school with a new sixth form, 9 Gypsy and Traveller pitches, and a new country park at Beaudesert Mount. A link road from the A3400 to the A4189, including a new rail bridge, will let through traffic bypass the town centre. The site will be released from the Green Belt.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section lists the parishes designated as rural areas under the Housing (Right to Buy) (Designated Rural Areas and Designated Regions) (England) (No 2) Order 2004, as referenced in Policy HO.3. All the listed parishes, from Admington to Wootton Wawen, are in Stratford-on-Avon District. No parishes in Warwick District have this designation. The designation affects how certain affordable housing rules apply in these places.