The new local plan which could see up to 30,000 new houses built in South Warwickshire has been pushed back until at least 2027.

The new South Warwickshire Local Plan (SWLP) - which is being drawn up by Warwick and Stratford District Councils - was due to be brought in by 2025.

Work on the major planning document began in 2021, and local residents have now twice been asked to suggest where more houses should be built in the region - with some 555 sites suggested in early 2022.

But the SWLP has been hit by major delays, and both councils must now meet to discuss how to move forward with the project, which still involves yet more public consultations.

"Following a meeting of the SWLP member advisory group on 19 October 2023, a revised timetable is being recommended for approval to the joint committee of both councils at a meeting to take place at the first available opportunity, and certainly before the end of 2023," a statement to locals said. 

"This proposed timetable envisages a preferred options consultation in autumn 2024 followed by further stages of consultation and a public examination, with final adoption of the plan by 2027." 

The combined set of suggested development sites around Kenilworth from the two call for sites (image via SWLP)

The councils could also scrap what has been done on the SWLP so far and wait for the Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill to pass into law, and begin a 'new-style' plan next autumn.

However this "is not considered desirable and will not be recommended to the joint committee".

Delays to the SWLP have been blamed on delays to publishing the 2021 Census data, changes to the councils' political makeups following the local elections and "uncertainty of potential changes to national planning policy".

And while the councils have promised to publish the new timetable as soon as possible, they also said it may be subject to further change.

"It is important to note that the proposed revised timetable is subject to a continuation of the existing national plan-making system," the statement added.

"The government has recently consulted on reforms which may impact on the process and timescale for the production of the SWLP.

"Depending on whether and when these changes are implemented by the government, this may result in the need for further revision to the timetable in due course."

The original proposed timeline for the new South Warwickshire Local Plan (image via SWLP website)

Earlier this year the councils also published feedback from the also-delayed issues and options consultation, which asked locals for their views on priorities for the region going forward.

And now a full consultation statement - which is nearly 300 pages long - has been published on the SWLP website.

Councillors have said the new local plan could see as many as 35,000 new houses built across the region, and could feature a brand new settlement.

Local councillors from across the political spectrum in Kenilworth have called on the district councils not to build any more houses in green belt land around the town.

Kenilworth Town Council also wrote a letter to its district colleagues, reiterating the same message.

All the sites across Warwick and Stratford districts can be seen in an interactive map on the SWLP website.