This evening of [7th July 2025], North Warwickshire Borough Council held a Planning Meeting that included discussion of the proposed 110-home development in Warton. Although this was not a decision-making session, it provided a valuable opportunity for residents to voice their concerns, and we did so in impressive numbers.
Warton residents packed the public gallery of the council chamber, with additional seating required to accommodate everyone in attendance. During the meeting, a formal three-minute objection was delivered on behalf of residents by Lawrie Phipps, Chair of the Warton Residents Association. The full text of the speech is bottom of this update.
The Council has agreed to conduct a site visit as the next step in the planning process. Consequently, no final decision will be made, probably, until after August. We encourage residents to attend the upcoming stages of the process, where another strong turnout will further demonstrate the community’s commitment.
While much of our recent focus has understandably been on this development, we are also working on several positive community initiatives and look forward to sharing details in due course.
If you would like to support our efforts, contributions to Warton’s Fighting Fund can be made via paypal
Thank you for your continued engagement and support.
Text of Speech Delivered at Council Meeting
Chair, Members of the Committee,
On behalf of Warton Residents, we strongly oppose this proposed housing development. This proposal isn’t just inappropriate; it’s a direct breach of our established planning frameworks. It falls squarely outside the adopted North Warwickshire Local Plan and beyond the defined development boundary in the Polesworth Neighbourhood Plan.
Warton has already absorbed a disproportionate amount of growth. Since 2016, five developments added over 270 new houses.
This isn’t sustainable development; it’s cumulative overload.
The Government Planning Inspector, in a previous decision concerning Curlew Close, stated that Warton was already overdeveloped.
This proposal also erases the vital green gap between Warton and our neighbouring settlements; contradicting Objective 6 of our adopted Polesworth Neighbourhood Plan, which should hold the same legal weight as the Local Plan in guiding decisions on planning applications.
We are protecting our community and unique village identity through democratically established policies.
The developer’s so-called “community engagement,” submitted as part of their application, was flawed and unrepresentative. They used manipulative survey design and unethical ‘dark patterns’.
This compelled us to conduct our own, unbiased community survey, free from coercion. We received more than double the number of responses and found that nearly 90% of residents believe Warton is already overdeveloped and that this proposal would be profoundly detrimental to our village. These critical, robust survey results have already been submitted for your review.
Councillors, our residents are exhausted.
Our infrastructure is at breaking point.
Our roads are unsafe,
Healthcare access is severely strained,
Our schools are already under immense pressure.
There are few nursery places.
This development will deepen these problems .
Warton is not merely a blank space on a planner’s map. It is a vibrant, living community with a rich heritage, a unique identity, and a profound sense of place.
The Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan exist precisely to protect these essential qualities.
Upholding them now is a test of whether we still believe in plan-led development.
Councillors, this proposal is speculative and predatory. It seeks to capitalise on delays elsewhere in our region and to override the very policies you have democratically adopted.
On behalf of the residents of Warton, I urge you to reject this proposal.
Respect the policies you have put in place,
Respect the legal framework of the local and neighbourhood Plans,
and please, I implore you respect our community.
Thank You.