New housing plan at Stratford pub site

Proposals to build two new dwellings behind Stratford’s Old Tramway Inn have been submitted to Stratford District Council, following the withdrawal of a controversial housing plan earlier this year.

The previous plan, to build eight dwellings and car parking on land behind the pub, prompted a wave of opposition from locals, who rallied against the loss of green space, which plays host to a number of popular events and festivals in the town.

It would also have led to the loss of a club house used by the Phoenix Players drama group.

That plan has now bitten the dust, but the applicant, Punch Taverns, has now come forward with a new proposal, which leaves a large section of the green recreation area to the rear of the pub intact.

However like the previous application, the clubhouse and a large adjacent shed will still have to go and objections to the proposal have already started to come in on the council’s online planning portal.

Stratford Town Council has yet to give its view on the new application, but did object to the previous plan on the grounds of flood risk and the removal of trees.

Warwickshire County Council also had reservations about the withdrawn plan, raising safety concerns about access to the site.

The new application reads: “The amenity land and clubhouse to the rear of the public house is deemed surplus to user requirements, the applicant is therefore seeking to make more efficient use of the underutilised area with a development which will be identical in terms of footprint to the existing clubhouse.”

The application also proposes to widen the existing access from Shipston Road to a 5m width.

A decision on the plan is scheduled to be made in mid-January.