A Kenilworth councillor launched a scathing attack on the South Warwickshire Local Plan as it was waved through to the next stage by district councillors on Wednesday (July 15).

Both Warwick District Council and Stratford-on-Avon District Council have voted to send the major planning document to its last public consultation before it is sent to the government to be signed off.

But during a four-hour debate in Leamington, Cllr Richard Dickson was among the 15 councillors to vote against the plan as it snuck through with a margin of just six votes.

The Liberal Democrat councillor said residents "deserve better" and labelled SWLP a "mess".

"This plan has been described as two plans masquerading as one," he said during the debate.

"It's worse than that. In Warwick district it's a messy plan masquerading as a recipe for order.

"In Warwick district it's a depressing document masquerading as a manifesto for hope.

"In Warwick district it's a mistake for which this administration is responsible, masquerading as solely the fault of national government."

SWLP must be submitted to the government for inspection by December 31, if not work would need to start again on the plan under new national planning rules.

The upcoming six-week public consultation will then need to be held, reviewed and actioned in time for the two councils to meet the deadline.

In light of this, Cllr Dickson said: "But, even now, there are lessons we can learn.

"Lessons about not doing things at the last minute.

"About how leadership needs to be stable at all times.

"About how to give hope to the thousands of people you serve, when they're struggling with so many other things, not least the cost of living."

The Kenilworth councillor also spoke specifically about the land to the south of Kenilworth - labelled Ken 1 in the plan - which has been earmarked for development.

It is labelled as grey belt, not green belt and is described by Cllr Dickson as "just more suburban sprawl" and more "soulless 21st century concrete" as no schools or healthcare facilities have been included.

"I want to talk specifically, on behalf of my fellow ward councillors, about site Ken.1, where it's planned there'll be 766 properties," he said.

"Where Robert Dudley spent many years before 1575 – probably with help from consultants' of the day - planning, preparing and developing a brownfield site that would both meet the needs of the person he loved, and with infrastructure for Elizabeth 1 and her community to be the best they could be.

"The plan claims site Ken.1 is not now green belt, but rather grey belt.

"But there's no extra educational, health and care facilities planned at Ken.1. There's no 20 minute neighbourhood.

"There's no adequate mitigation planned for more than 1,000 extra vehicles every day on Rouncil Lane, Rounds Hill and Woodcote Lane.

"There's no proper plan for the already vulnerable sewerage.

"This Ken.1 site is just more suburban sprawl. Just more soulless 21st century concrete

"A chaos. A mess. A big problem."

The upcoming consultation is focused on whether the plan is sound and can be delivered as opposed to laying out preferences over particular sites.

In response to Cllr Dickson's comments, fellow Kenilworth councillor, and Green Party member, James Kennedy defended moving forward with the plan.

"The best way of avoiding the chaos of developers marauding over our countryside is to have a local plan that insists on developers paying for infrastructure like schools and transport," he said in a statement to Nub News.

"To not vote for it would have been a massive gamble, however much we don't like the numbers the government are forcing on us.

"I'm pleased that a majority of Lib Dems across South Warwickshire did support the plan, which attracted cross party support."