The Portfolio Holder Decisions/Leader Decisions meeting on Wednesday 19 August 2026 approved the draft response and covering letter for submission to North Warwickshire Borough Council regarding the Local Plan Regulation 18 consultation. This decision was made to ensure the County Council's views were considered by the Borough Council before the finalisation of their Local Plan.

North Warwickshire Local Plan – Regulation 18 Response

The meeting approved the draft response and covering letter for submission to North Warwickshire Borough Council concerning the Regulation 18 consultation on their Local Plan. This response outlines Warwickshire County Council's comments and concerns regarding the proposed development and planning policies within North Warwickshire.

The approved response included specific additions to the covering letter, such as:

• We hope you will take our response and those of residents fully into consideration in the production of the Regulation 19 version of the Local Plan.
• We will expect development to mitigate its impact to reduce social impacts on existing residents and communities.
• For a development of 100 homes this could represent a cost of approximately £60,000.

The decision was made by Councillor Stephen Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, following a review of the draft response prepared by officers. The response itself, detailed in the Finalised NWBC Reg 18 Response Letter, covered a wide range of topics including employability and skills, health and wellbeing, housing, heavy rail improvements, and developer obligations.

Key concerns raised in the response included the reliance on growth along the A5 corridor, the need for more specific detail on housing needs, particularly for accessible homes, and the potential impact of new developments on home to school transport costs. The County Council also highlighted the importance of ensuring that employment growth translates into opportunities for local residents and that new developments are inclusive and well-connected.

The response also touched upon the implications of Local Government Reorganisation, questioning whether a single plan might be more appropriate for the northern boroughs. It also emphasised the need for continued collaboration between the County and Borough Councils to ensure the Local Plan supports inclusive growth and better health outcomes for Warwickshire residents.

The decision to approve the response was made under urgency due to the tight deadline for submissions to North Warwickshire Borough Council, which was 19 August 2026. The full details of the response and the rationale behind the decision can be found in the Public reports pack and the Decisions document.