Protesters gather in Stratford to oppose plans that would see villages swamped with 6,700 new homes

AROUND 60 residents from Wilmcote and Bearley braved the elements last Saturday to stage a demonstration against the idea of building up to 6,700 homes on a swathe of land between the two villages.

The protest took place at the Maybird Centre on the outskirts of Stratford where officials were holding a drop-in consultation event about development proposals contained in the South Warwickshire Local Plan, which is being prepared jointly by Stratford and Warwick district councils.

The plan is currently out for public consultation – with a deadline of 7th March for individuals and organisations to submit their views.

Stratford and Warwick will have to provide enough land for the building of 54,400 homes between 2027 and 2050 – with the Stratford district’s share being 27,000 – and a new settlement straddling the A3400 between Bearley and Wilmcote is one of the highly emotive suggestions.

Residents of both villages have attended public meetings to find out more about the proposals. At the Wilmcote meeting – reported in last week’s Herald – villagers repeatedly asked whether any members of their parish council stood to make money by selling land for such a controversial development.

It emerged that two members of the parish council had registered a “non-pecuniary” interest in the proposed scheme. No member of Wilmcote Parish Council attended the demo on Saturday – although the chairman of Bearley Parish Council was present.

Janine Lee, chair of the newly-formed Wilmcote Action Group which has been set up to oppose the development plans, told the Herald: “It was disappointing that Wilmcote Parish Council were not represented at the demonstration to support residents in the fight against the proposed SWLP to build a new town between Wilmcote and Bearley.”

Ms Lee has also created a leaflet to promote opposition to the potential plan.