Homes & housing

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the Build to Rent policy. Build to Rent is purpose-built housing that is typically 100% rented out, usually with tenancies of three years or more and professional management. The affordable units must be Affordable Private Rent, discounted by at least 20% against local market rent including service charges, and kept under the same ownership and management as the market homes. The councils will avoid excessive concentrations of Build to Rent in one location, and the evidence supported broad backing for the tenure rather than setting a fixed target.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces self-build and custom-build housing, where individuals or groups take an active role in designing and building their own homes. Local planning authorities are required to keep a register of people and groups who wish to build their own homes, and to make sure enough self-build and custom-build plots are provided to meet that demand.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports self-build and custom-build housing through several routes. On large developments of 500 or more homes, 2% of dwellings must be provided as serviced self-build plots unless the councils' register shows lower demand, with plots offered at a range of costs, sizes and types and an average density of 25 homes per hectare. Standalone schemes are also supported within settlement boundaries, on suitable sites next to larger settlements outside the Green Belt or Cotswolds National Landscape, or adjoining settlements where a local community need is evidenced.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the detailed rules for self-build schemes. Plots should come in clusters of around 5 to 9, with Design Codes and Plot Passports setting the design rules for multi-plot sites. Plots must first be offered to people with a local connection through living, working or close family in South Warwickshire, with an exemption for current and recent armed forces members. Plots must be fully serviced and marketed at a fair, independently valued price for at least 12 months; unsold plots may then become open market homes. Guidance also covers phasing and Community Infrastructure Levy exemptions.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section presents the plan's approach to homes in multiple occupation and student accommodation. It notes these uses add housing choice but can affect local amenity, so management is needed. The policy requires safe living environments and protection of neighbours, caps HMOs at 10% of homes within a 100 metre radius, requires sites within a 400 metre walk of a bus stop with at least hourly peak services, and prevents layouts that sandwich an ordinary home between HMOs or create a frontage of three or more.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces homes in multiple occupancy and student accommodation. It explains that these forms of housing provide extra choice in the housing market but can create challenges for local standards of amenity. Management of this type of accommodation is therefore needed to reduce the problems that may arise.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets tests for student accommodation and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), homes shared by several separate residents. Proposals must offer safe living conditions and not significantly harm neighbours. HMOs must not exceed 10% of homes within a 100 metre radius, must be within a 400 metre walk of a bus stop with at least hourly peak services, and must not leave an ordinary home sandwiched between two HMOs or create a run of three or more. Screened bin storage is required. Exceptions apply on the University of Warwick and Warwickshire College campuses and some mixed-use main roads.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the embodied carbon policy. Embodied carbon covers the emissions from constructing, maintaining and demolishing a building, and makes up around 25% to 75% of a building's lifetime emissions. Materials such as cement, steel and bricks carry high embodied carbon, while timber, hemp and recycled materials are much lower. Full assessments are only required on the largest schemes because of their cost, and the targets already allow for the extra insulation and equipment net zero homes need. Reusing existing buildings is encouraged, since demolition wastes the carbon already invested in them.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out Policy NZ.4 on improving the energy performance of existing buildings. Where planning permission is needed for conversions, extensions or changes of use, applicants should show they have considered energy efficiency. Major schemes (10 or more homes or 1,000 square metres of floorspace) should report percentage improvements using the Building Regulations calculation methods SAP, SBEM or HEM. Committing to EnerPHit certification or the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard earns extra weight in decisions, and low carbon heating must be explored before replacing gas systems.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains Policy NZ.5 on designing buildings to cope with a hotter climate. Major new developments must follow the cooling hierarchy, using passive measures first and active cooling such as air conditioning only as a last resort. Detailed overheating assessments using the industry methods CIBSE TM52 (non-residential) and TM59 (residential) are encouraged, ideally tested against projected 2050 or 2080 weather. The councils argue that the basic route through national Building Regulations Part O is not enough, partly because it does not cover workplaces, schools or leisure buildings.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out when a Health Impact Assessment is required with a planning application. The thresholds are residential schemes of 10 or more homes or 0.5 hectares, non-residential schemes of 1,000 square metres or 1 hectare, hot food takeaways within 400 metres of schools and places where young people gather, and betting shops. Developments causing significant harm to health, or the loss of educational, health, leisure or community facilities or public open space, will not be supported without mitigation. Local life expectancy slightly exceeds the England average.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy manages changes to existing buildings. Converting existing buildings is encouraged as an often more sustainable approach, but the existing housing stock is safeguarded: proposals must not cause a net loss of homes through demolition, conversion or change of use without overriding justification. Extensions and alterations must be of appropriate scale and subservient to the existing building, respecting local character, the cumulative effect of previous extensions, and neighbours' amenity. Outbuildings and annexes must likewise be subservient to the main building and carefully sited.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the policy on altering existing buildings. Replacement dwellings are only appropriate where the existing home is unsuitable for retention, and must be well sited, well designed and not significantly larger than the home replaced. The existing dwelling must have lawful use as a home and not have been demolished or abandoned before the application is decided. The justification notes that managing housing stock reduces the loss of homes, and that conversions can add to housing supply as windfall sites, though intensification can affect neighbours and local infrastructure.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section describes proposal BIT.1, land at Park Farm west of Bishop's Tachbrook. The 41-hectare site will deliver at least 655 homes between 2030/31 and 2037/38, plus 2.2 hectares of land for a possible two-form entry primary school, a community hall site and a small local centre. A significant green buffer will protect the setting of the Grade I listed Warwick Castle parkland. A contaminated land assessment is needed for the former quarry and landfill in the northern part of the site.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out proposal BIT.3, 122 hectares north-west of Bishop's Tachbrook delivering at least 1,720 homes on about 46 hectares between 2028/29 and 2040/41. Around 74 hectares becomes public open space, including a 40-hectare extension to Tachbrook Country Park to keep a permanent green gap south of Leamington. The scheme includes a community hub with possible shops and a GP surgery, land for a two-form entry primary school, and funding towards secondary education. Green buffers must keep Bishop's Tachbrook visually separate from Leamington and Warwick.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section describes proposal STR.1, north of Stratford-upon-Avon. The Clopton Quarter will deliver at least 777 homes, land for a new education facility, 4 Gypsy and Traveller pitches, new community orchards and a new gateway to Welcombe Hills Country Park with a visitor centre. The allocation also redevelops the town's Park and Ride with about 139 higher-density homes at 90 per hectare and a two-storey decked car park keeping roughly 390 spaces per floor. Delivery runs from 2029/30 to 2037/38, with main access from a new A46 roundabout.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section covers proposal STR.3, land west of Stratford-upon-Avon delivered between 2028/29 and 2036/37. Site A at West Shottery provides at least 687 homes, a community hall, local shops and an extension to the community park, with land safeguarded at its western edge for the proposed Stratford-upon-Avon Bypass. Site B, north of Evesham Road, adds up to 130 homes with about 3 hectares of open space. Around 23 hectares of public open space is provided in total, and development must protect the settings of Shottery Conservation Area and Anne Hathaway's Cottage.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section opens the appendices and annexes at the end of the plan, beginning with the glossary. The glossary explains planning terms and acronyms used throughout the document, starting with entries such as accessibility, accessible neighbourhoods, active travel, affordable housing, Air Quality Management Areas, the Annual Monitoring Report and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Its purpose is to help readers understand technical language in the plan.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section provides the plan's glossary, defining the planning terms and acronyms used throughout the document, from accessibility and affordable housing to water neutrality. It explains concepts such as biodiversity net gain, brownfield land, the Community Infrastructure Levy, Green Belt and Grey Belt, flood zones, Section 106 contributions, sustainable drainage systems and the standard method for calculating housing need. It is a reference tool to help readers understand the technical language in the rest of the plan.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section lists every site allocated in the plan, organised by settlement. For each allocation it gives the local planning authority, settlement category, allocation type, related policy, site reference and name, the number of homes, hectares of employment land and any Gypsy and Traveller pitches. The list runs from Alcester through to Wellesbourne and beyond, covering both large strategic sites such as the new communities and small local sites of only a few homes.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section lists the monitoring indicators the councils will use to check whether each plan policy is working. For every policy, from the development strategy through infrastructure, economy, housing, climate and environment chapters, it names the measures to be tracked, such as homes completed, affordable housing delivered, floorspace built, flood risk permissions and biodiversity net gain units. Some policies have no specific indicators. The results feed into ongoing monitoring of the plan.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section provides detailed guidance on delivering affordable housing. It explains the Vacant Building Credit, which reduces affordable housing requirements in proportion to the floorspace of vacant buildings being redeveloped, with a worked example. It covers viability negotiations, tenure and size mix, and requires affordable homes to be visually indistinguishable from market homes and dispersed in clusters of generally no more than 8 to 10 units. It also sets out Section 106 delivery arrangements, local connection rules, phasing triggers, off-site contributions, rural exception sites and the four tests for specialised housing.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the housing policy guidance annex, which helps explain how the plan's housing policies should be applied. It covers how much affordable housing is required under policies HO.3 and HO.6, and warns that splitting a larger site into smaller parcels will not reduce the requirement, because adjacent or subdivided sites are treated as one. Councils may also refuse schemes that use unusually low density to avoid the affordable housing thresholds. It then introduces the Vacant Building Credit for reusing empty buildings.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the guidance for self-build and custom-build housing, where occupiers lead the design or construction of their own homes. The home must be the builder's main residence for at least three years to qualify for exemption from the Community Infrastructure Levy. Councils keep a register of interested people and must permit enough plots to match demand over a rolling three-year period. Plots for sale must be fully serviced, and schemes of 2 to 9 homes are supported. Plots unsold after 12 months of marketing, plus 6 months at a reduced price, may become general market housing.