Villagers voice views on housing scheme

From the archive, first published Wednesday 25th Jan 2006.

WELFORD residents have aired their opposition to a controversial plan to build new houses in their village.

At a meeting last week at Welford School hall, an overwhelming majority of villagers were against the scheme.

Their views were recorded and were due to be put before a parish council planning meeting last night.

More than 250 residents packed the school hall and many had to be turned away due to health and safety reasons. Just 10 people were in favour of the application.

The plan by South Warwickshire Housing Association is for 34 houses, including 17 for sale to local people, 17 affordable homes, six live-and-work units for businesses and a new village green on land south of Barton Road.

Joy Frey, a former parish councillor and campaigner against the housing, said: "It's totally inappropriate.

"There has been no evidence of need and it has the design, layout and density of an urban sprawl appended to a rural setting.

"It's also a loss of a greenfield site."

Residents have also formed an anti-development group - Welford Residents Action Group (WRAG) - and are now campaigning to stop any developments in the village.

Stratford District councillor for the village Peter Barnes said he would be supporting the residents as they had shown the majority did not want the housing.

He said: "I'm against the proposals for the housing and I shall not be supporting the application."

South Warwickshire Housing Association executive director Dawn Lang said: "This proposal represents an opportunity to provide affordable rented and shared-ownership housing to local people on the housing waiting list who want to stay in Welford."

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