Major plans to build up to 425 homes near Burton Green recommended for approval

Major plans to build up to 425 homes near Burton Green as part of Warwick District Council's Local Plan has been recommended for approval.
The planned site for the 425 homes between Cromwell Lane, Westwood Heath Road and Bockendon Road. Copyright: Google EarthThe planned site for the 425 homes between Cromwell Lane, Westwood Heath Road and Bockendon Road. Copyright: Google Earth
The planned site for the 425 homes between Cromwell Lane, Westwood Heath Road and Bockendon Road. Copyright: Google Earth

The plan for the homes on land between Westwood Heath Road, Bockendon Road and Cromwell Lane is split into two parts - a detailed application for 129 homes (Phase 1), and an outline application for the remaining homes (Phase 2).

Despite objections from Burton Green Parish Council, Westwood Heath Residents' Association and 143 individuals, the plans have been recommended for approval.

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In their report, district council officers stated: "The proposals would ensure appropriate levels of amenity for neighbouring dwellings whilst also providing positive and suitable living conditions for future occupants.

"The proposals would have a positive impact on the character and appearance of the area."

Developers Crest Nicholson aim to build 11 two-bed, 33 three-bed and 32 four-bed houses in the Phase 1 site, with the remaining 53 being 'affordable', or below market value.

Because Phase 2 of the site is for outline permission only, the mix of the remaining houses is not yet known.

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Two new access roads to the site are proposed to be built off Westwood Heath Road, and an road for agricultural access is proposed off Bockendon Road

The development will also include a new convenience store along with formal and informal open spaces for residents, including allotments.

But Burton Green Parish Council was against the proposals for many reasons, one of which being the amount of traffic in the area.

A parish council spokesman said: "Councillors are concerned that the building of 425 houses at Westwood Heath would have a damaging effect on our roads but we are even more anxious that insufficient attention has been paid to housing developments both within our immediate and neighbouring area.

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"It is not only the 240 houses at Cromwell Lane or the 90 houses at Red Lane that are proposed but over 1100 houses on our border at Berkswell and Balsall Common.

"Many of these new residents from our neighbouring parishes will be using Cromwell Lane and Westwood Heath Road yet Coventry and County Highways (who gave no objection) haven't even included them in their modelling."

And one of the main concerns of Westwood Heath Residents' Assocation was how safe the roads would be.

A spokesman for the association said: "There has been a significant increase in accidents on and around Westwood Heath Road in recent months, corresponding to the increase in traffic.

"The hotspots are the Cromwell Lane junction and the Bockendon Road junction."

Warwick District Council's planning committee will make a decision on the plans at a meeting on Tuesday April 24.