Fury over 150 home development on Bedworth land council has promised to protect

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Fury over 150 home development on Bedworth land council has promised to protect

Postby dutchman » Tue Mar 21, 2023 5:22 am

Residents have been invited to a meeting about the proposal

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Fury has erupted over future plans for 150 homes on land in Bedworth that the council promised to protect. Residents who live in the Woodlands area of the town have been invited to a meeting to look at the proposals for the new development off Woodland Lane.

It is understood that Savills, on behalf of the Arbury estate, is due to apply to Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council for planning permission to build 150 homes on the land and it is hosting a public engagement meeting about the proposal next Friday (March 24).

However, what has caused controversy is that the land falls within the Woodlands area. As part of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council's review of its controversial Borough Plan, the Woodlands site (known as HSG4) was set to be removed, which would make it less easy for developments to go ahead.

But the review of the plan is ongoing and is not due to go before a government inspector until 2024, meaning the Woodlands remains part of it.

Angry residents say that this is giving developers the chance to quickly put in applications before it is officially removed from the housing document, which highlights future housing, leisure and employment land.

"We were sold a dream by the council about the Woodlands being removed from the Borough Plan," said a resident, who did not want to be named.

"The council called us to a council roadshow to see the revised local plan. So we all went down and low and behold HSG4 had been taken out of the plan. We thought 'fantastic, we did it'. and celebrated. Then low and behold, we got more communication to say that 'due to matters beyond of our control, we can't look at this until 2024'."

"I said at the time, this is the worst news possible because all of the builders will apply between now and 2024 - and that is exactly what has happened now.

"If they (Savills) get that (planning permission) that will open the floodgates for the Woodlands we think. This is the last bit of countryside in Bedworth, and that could all go."

Not only that, residents understand that there is another pending application for another development in the area - a proposed solar farm and battery energy storage at the former Newdigate Colliery in Newdigate Lane.

The public engagement meeting about the proposals for Woodlands Lane is being held on Friday, March 24 at Bedworth Heath Community Centre between 10.30am and 8pm.

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