Pre-Planning Application – 100 Houses, Land Rear of Cedar Close, School Road

Meeting: Pre-Planning Application – 100 Houses, Land Rear of Cedar Close, School Road
Date: Monday 9th February 2026, Memorial Hall, Salford Priors
Recorded by: Rivaland to allow responses to specific technical questions to be responded to following the meeting.

Attendees:
Cllrs K James (Chair), R Green (Vice-Chair), J McClean, M Howarth, A Richardson, J Meakins; Mrs D Bowles (Clerk), District Cllr A Jones, Andy Wilkins (Rivaland Director), Jack Casey (Rivaland Land Director), 34 residents

Caveat Statement

These notes do not constitute official Parish Council minutes, nor do they represent any formal decision, resolution, or position of the Parish Council. They are provided for information purposes only and are intended to offer a high-level summary of the matters discussed at the meeting.

The inclusion of any comments, questions, or views within these notes should not be taken as an indication of predetermination, endorsement, or commitment by the Council or its officers in relation to the proposed development. All matters remain subject to the appropriate statutory processes, consultation, and formal consideration by the relevant decision-making bodies.

Opening:

Cllr James welcomed all residents and opened the meeting with the following statement.

“This meeting is being facilitated by Salford Priors Parish Council for information gathering purposes only. No view will be formed by the Parish Council at this stage. Any formal observation will be considered at a later public council meeting once a planning application has been submitted to the Local Planning Authority”.

Planning Background (Andy Wilkins):

Andy advised that the current Government has set a national target to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the life of the current parliament, recognising that the current planning system has not been delivering sufficient housing to meet national needs. As a result, reforms to the planning system are being introduced to address these shortcomings.

It was explained that the Government has amended the methodology (algorithm) used to calculate local housing need. This has resulted in increased housing requirements for the majority of local planning authorities across the UK, including Stratford-on-Avon District Council.

As a result of these changes, Stratford-on-Avon District Council’s assessed housing requirement has increased from approximately 553 dwellings per annum to 1,126 dwellings per annum. This represents a significant increase in the level of housing the Council is required to plan for.

Stratford on Avon District Council updated its 2024 housing land supply position in June 2025 to take account of the updated National Planning Policy Framework which incorporates the revised housing need figures. They calculated that it could demonstrate the equivalent of 5.06 years’ worth of land supply.

Andy advised that the approach to calculating the Council’s five-year housing land supply was recently challenged at a planning appeal relating to land at Bordon Hill, south west of Stratford-upon-Avon.

This was described as a critical decision for Stratford-on-Avon District Council, as it represented the first appeal in which an applicant had challenged the Council’s position that it could demonstrate a 5.06-year housing land supply. The appellant did not accept that the Council’s housing land supply calculation was robust or accurate.

The Planning Inspector, in determining the appeal, did not accept the Council’s housing land supply position.

The Inspector concluded:

“Based on my conclusions regarding the housing requirement, the supply would be 2.74 years and the shortfall would be around 2,285 dwellings. In summary, the Council cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.”

The Inspector’s findings indicate that, when applying the Inspector’s interpretation of the housing requirement, Stratford-on-Avon District Council is unable to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply and is instead able to demonstrate only approximately 2.74 years’ supply.

The impact of this is both significant and immediate. The absence of a five-year housing land supply means that, in accordance with paragraph 11 of the NPPF, planning permission should be granted unless the site is within a protected area (such as being vulnerable to flood risk or designated as an important habitat), or unless the adverse impacts would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the development. In practice, this is likely to result in the Council receiving a substantial number of speculative planning applications.

Andy advised that since June, significant work has been undertaken by planning developers to prepare and submit applications to Stratford-on-Avon District Council in order to address the shortfall in housing numbers. He noted that individual towns cannot make up the shortfall alone and that development needs to be distributed proportionately across the district.

During this period, the introduction of the “grey belt” designation—which covers approximately one-third of Stratford-on-Avon’s greenbelt—was intended to address the lack of growth in certain areas. Some locations had not seen any development, and the grey belt designation was introduced to allow for more flexibility. Not all greenbelt land is considered sacrosanct, which explains the renaming.

It is expected that a significant number of planning applications will be submitted for Stratford-on-Avon over the next 6, 12, and 18 months. Early indications suggest that Officers and Members understand the current situation and are likely to adopt a different approach compared with the previous review.

Proposed Planning Application

An image of the proposed application site was displayed via projector, and paper copies were distributed to attendees.

Andy provided an overview of Salford Priors’ housing delivery to date, noting 142 homes have been completed: 68 on Priors Crescent, 60 on Bomford Way, and 14 on Evesham Road. In addition, planning approval has been granted for 16 custom-build homes on Evesham Road.

The current proposals are at an early stage and indicate potential for approximately 100 dwellings. The development would include a block of land behind the Cookery School and another in the centre of the estate. This land could be allocated for community use if required. An online forum will be available to allow the public to review the plans in greater detail and provide feedback.

The proposals include 40% affordable housing and a mix of property sizes, ranging from 2 to possibly 5 bedrooms, primarily family-sized homes suitable for households at different stages. Land buffers are included to preserve space around heritage assets. The cedar tree and the black pine at the proposed entrance on School Road are planned to be retained.

It was acknowledged that this is an emotive subject for many local residents.

Questions

What are the views on traffic management, given that adding 100 houses would increase vehicle flow along School Rd, which is already considered hazardous?

As the application moves through the approval process, Rivaland will prepare an assessment of the proposals’ impact on highways. Various mitigation measures may be implemented, though this assessment has not yet been completed. Feedback on these measures can be provided during the consultation.

The proposed access for the new houses would be via the road leading to Orchard Farm. This raises a concern, as the road is already used by HGV traffic and experiences higher volumes during the summer months.

Detailed proposals will be prepared outlining the access arrangements. There is a possibility of allowing HGV access from Evesham Rd. While Warwickshire County Council previously supported this option, both the Parish Council and Stratford District Council opposed it, as it would direct HGVs through the narrowest section of the road.

Concerns were raised about the size of the proposed development, particularly regarding surface water runoff and flooding, given existing issues with pooling on the CALA site.

Ongoing investigations are assessing whether water can be managed on-site or diverted via drainage away from the village. No additional issues are currently anticipated, but this will be fully investigated. Larger attenuation measures will be constructed to retain water within a designated area.

Concerns have been raised regarding the rear gardens of the existing properties on Cedar Close.

The current proposal includes buffer areas behind the new properties adjacent to Cedar Close. While these buffers are part of the plan, Stratford-on-Avon District Council does not always approve such arrangements, so it is possible that the back gardens of the new development could directly adjoin those at Cedar Close.

Timescales were requested.

Residents will be formally consulted, with all households receiving details of the proposals. Pre-application discussions with Stratford District Council are expected in February/March. The timing of the planning submission will depend on feedback but is anticipated in the second quarter of the year.

Why is Salford Priors being asked for additional houses and not surrounding villages?

This is a district-wide issue. Over the next 12 months, every settlement in categories 1 and 2 will be expected to accommodate new housing. For example, 230 houses have already been submitted in Harbury, 70 in Kineton, and applications are in preparation for Wellesbourne and Welford.

Have any other sites been identified in the village?

Several sites have been put forward through the SWLP “Call for Sites,” mostly on Warwickshire County Council land. This particular site was submitted by a landowner for consideration. It is the first of four major applications the village may receive and is likely to be the smallest of the proposed sites. Each application will be considered individually on its own merits.

Observations Raised:

• Concerns that the number of houses could increase as the site develops.
• In addition to HGV traffic, a bus route runs through the village, including double-decker buses.
• Concerns about the width of the footway given the anticipated increase in traffic.

Closing Remarks:         
The developers noted that the site provides substantial green space for 100 houses. They are already in discussions with landowner and Angus Soft Fruits regarding HGV traffic and highlighted that there will be future opportunities for community engagement.

The purpose of the meeting was to gather comments from attendees.

Cllr James clarified that the current Priors Crescent flooding issues are not related to the planning consultants but is a result of the CALA Homes’ development.

HGVs have the right of passage through the village, as Evesham/Station Road it is a designated diversion route for the A46(T) National Highways.

A resident thanked Rivaland for the opportunity to review the proposed application.

Andy thanked everyone for their feedback and noted that an official online consultation will follow once all queries have been investigated.

Meeting closed at 8pm.