Road width stand-off puts brakes in Kineton housing development

A stand-off over the width of a road has led to a decision on a housing development in Kineton to be deferred.
File photo. Photo by Jon Rigby SUS-180628-093934008File photo. Photo by Jon Rigby SUS-180628-093934008
File photo. Photo by Jon Rigby SUS-180628-093934008

Housebuilders Morris Homes already had outline planning permission for up to 78 homes on land off Warwick Road but councillors met at last week’s Planning East committee of Stratford District Council to consider reserved matters - appearance, landscaping and the layout of the scheme.

And it was the latter that proved the issue with Kineton Parish Council objecting to the width of the road running through the middle of the development.

Vice-chairman Cllr Ken Priddis explained to the meeting that they were insistent on the road being 6.1m wide so that it could form part of a link road to help ease congestion in the village centre. But Warwickshire County Council refused to allow a road wider than the usual 5.5m saying that to do so would raise concerns about traffic speeding through the houses.

The committee also heard from Kevin Pearson, design and planning director at Morris Homes, who said that they had tried to come up with a compromise - a 5.5m road with extra wide pavements that could be amended at a later date should the link road around Kineton become a reality.

Councillors were told that new plans had been drawn up just a few days prior to the meeting - the 21st version - so it was agreed to defer making a decision until they could be considered.