Kenilworth's MP has said he does "not have confidence" in the new South Warwickshire Local Plan (SWLP) and says the councils behind it have left it too close to the deadline before it is submitted.

Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon District Councils must send the draft of the major planning document to the secretary of state by the end of the year, or risk having to start from scratch again as new planning rules are brought in.

Locals have already been given a glimpse at the plan, which will govern 25 years of development across the two districts.

A final public consultation is due to be launched later this year, but with SWLP needing to be submitted by December 31, MP for Kenilworth and Southam Sir Jeremy Wright has criticised the detail and the timeline.

"The proposed local plan relies heavily for its viability on new road and rail provision, which has neither been fully identified nor properly assessed, let alone funded," he said in a statement.

"Shortfalls here and in other requirements of the plan (schools, hospitals, GP surgeries, etc.) could see it rejected by a planning inspector and return us to square one, with all the problems that brings[...].

"As it stands, I do not have confidence that this local plan is sufficiently robust to guide South Warwickshire's future development and I do not think its authors have left themselves enough time to bring it up to the required standard to serve our area's needs without ruining it in the process."

He said any chance the plan is rejected would have major consequences to the region.

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"Having to essentially restart the lengthy local plan development process would extend such a period of vulnerability in South Warwickshire considerably," he said.

"It is understandable then why the councils in question here are keen to get their current local plan submitted by the 31 December this year, but that urgency has consequences.

"One example is the houses expected to be built on the site of the former secondary school in Kenilworth.

"The school moved sites three years ago but we have only just seen initial planning permission granted, with the sites of the old school becoming an increasing eyesore with mounting security costs.

"This is largely because the Green-led Warwick District Council administration has been chasing - and continued at planning committee to chase - an unrealistic pipe-dream about the type of homes developers are actually able to build."

Sir Jeremy also criticised the decision to build a plan lasting 25 years - the current plan for Warwick district runs from 2017 to 2029.

"More generally, the decision to prepare a plan for 25 years is itself questionable," the Conservative MP wrote.

"Although the aim is to provide long-term certainty, we have already seen how quickly government policy can change and alter planning requirements.

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"Over the next five years, let alone the next 25, there will inevitably be further changes in policy, population etc, that cannot reasonably be foreseen today.

"There is therefore a real risk that the housing provision set out in this local plan will prove to be significantly out of step with local needs well before 2050.

"A shorter plan period would have allowed for easier readjustment if necessary."

Sir Jeremy also criticised the Labour government for planning law changes which have made the local plan process more difficult in South Warwickshire.

Firstly he pointed to the fact rural areas are being asked to find more houses than urban councils which he described as "radical change".

"Especially as all councils have to demonstrate that they have land set aside for development to meet five years' worth of expected need at any one time," his statement continued.

"The amount of land in South Warwickshire needed to be allocated to housing will now have to increase significantly."

Sir Jeremy also pointed to the end of 2026 deadline and the new 'grey belt' land classifications which he said weaken the "protection against development in inappropriate locations".

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On the current draft version of the local plan published a few weeks ago, a council report said: "It is the view of officers that the SWLP represents a sustainable solution to the development challenges facing South Warwickshire.

"Recognising the unsustainability of such locations, it seeks to limit development across smaller rural communities.

"This is particularly important in the current context of neither district being able to demonstrate a five-year supply of housing where all locations are at potential risk of speculative applications."