The district council is set to write to central government asking for the number of houses required in the new local plan to be reduced, after the secretary of state undermined national targets for new homes in a recent interview.

Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon District Councils are in the final throws of the new South Warwickshire Local Plan which would currently see 55,000 new homes built in the region by 2050.

The housing target comes from the government and is different for each local council area.

But after secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, Angela Rayner recently admitted in a BBC interview that Labour's plans to build 1.5 million homes nationally have a 'slim chance' of being met, councillors in Warwick district want more achievable numbers locally.

Proposing a motion to write to the government, local Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Alan Boad said: "I think everyone round here recognises the need for additional housing, the question really is appropriate housing and in the right places and being able to build it.

"It is interesting the government's housing target of building 1.5 million homes by the end of the parliament, Angela Raynor says it is a stretch target and won't get there on public TV.

"What we are asking for is, if the council believes that the house projections are not going to be met, then we should remove the calculation of the number of houses we need."

Cllr Andrew Milton seconded the motion, adding: "This is part two of motions of national government causing all sorts of problems for local government.

"We have obviously given numbers to meet in the plan and after years of work we have worked really hard to meet those - and I know that has been a difficult and rocky road.

"But we have actually met them and now the government has turned round and said they don't actually think those numbers were achievable in the first place.

"I am sure members appreciate that is a bit of a nonsense."

The debate at last week's council meeting went on for nearly an hour, with Lib Dem and Green councillors going back and forth over the exact wording of the motion.

Eventually it was agreed the council recognised the method used to decide how many homes to build in South Warwickshire was "deeply flawed and misconceived".

Members were also in general agreement on the fact the targets put "unacceptable stress on the green belt and other greenfield sites".

The motion was backed with almost unanimous support.

During the debate, Conservative group leader, Cllr Andrew Day said: "One thing we can take away from this is Westminster is doing its darndest to put a nail in the coffin of our green belt.

"That is why we are getting this fudge of grey and green, that is why we are getting the unrealistic housing numbers."

He added: "We are being given an almost impossible task to bring forward a local plan that will meet all the objectives that this community needs.

"It is being driven by really poor planning direction from Westminster, with the new NPPF. It is politically charged where we have got the rough end of the stick."