Stratford-upon-Avon News
The latest Stratford-upon-Avon news: planning decisions, council and crime updates, business and community stories, each linked back to its official source.
Top story
'Buzzy' Stratford-upon-Avon named among UK's best places to live
Stratford-upon-Avon has been named among the UK's best places to live for 2027, one of eight places in Warwickshire on the list.
More stories
Planning
South Warwickshire Local Plan Gets 21,000 Comments
More than 4,800 people sent around 21,000 comments on the plan's final draft. Councillors vote on 14 December on sending it to a Planning Inspector.
Community
Stratford District Climate Fund: Seven Groups Share £46,606
Three village halls, a social club and Alcester Town Council are among seven groups sharing £46,606 for heat pumps, solar and flood work. £68,917 is left.
Shipston-on-Stour
Shipston House Fire: Four Rescued, Two Still in Hospital
Four people were rescued from a house fire in Husbandman Close, Shipston on Stour, at the weekend. Two are in hospital with serious injuries, the MP says.
Bishopton
Bishopton Families Make Clay Lamps and Cards for Diwali
Families at Bishopton Community Centre made Diwali cards, decorations and clay lamps at an Orbit event. The organiser says it brought neighbours together.
Politics
Stratford MP Gives PM Until 31 December on Water Plan
Manuela Perteghella MP has backed a Lib Dem deadline of 31 December for a full plan to fix the water industry, and says Severn Trent has failed local customers.
Business
Welcombe Hotel Property Company Goes Into Administration
Administrators from Kroll were appointed on 2 November to CD Welcombe Propco Limited, the company behind the Welcombe Hotel on Warwick Road, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Crime
Stratford Crime September 2026: 216 Reports, Down 5%
Police logged 216 crimes and anti-social behaviour reports within a mile of central Stratford in September, down from 264 in August and 227 a year earlier.
Council
Stratford Council Abolition Back On: April 2029 Merger Plan
Ministers are minded to merge Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick districts into a South Warwickshire council of 295,000 people from April 2029. It is not yet final.
Planning
Windsor Street Car Park Demolition Cleared, No Hours Limit
Planners have cleared the Windsor Street car park and Gateway offices for demolition without conditions, so no set working hours. No start date yet.
Southam
Southam United Gets £250,000 Council Grant to Finish Clubhouse
Cabinet agreed on 2 November to give Southam United up to £250,000 to fit out the unused first floor of its clubhouse, which has no heating or toilets.
Buses
IndieGo Plus Stratford: Kept a Year as Journeys Rise 19%
The on-demand minibus stays for another 12 months: 5,504 journeys from April to October, up 19% on last year. How to book, what it costs, and where it goes.
Planning
Stockton 75 Homes Refused as Councillors Overrule Officers
Councillors unanimously refused 75 homes off Sycamore Close, Stockton, against officer advice, citing landscape harm, farmland and scale. Richborough can appeal.
House prices
Stratford House Prices: £396,711 in August, Up 1.3% a Year
The district average rose 0.5% in August to £396,711, but yearly growth is 1.3%, down from 6.1%. Sales in June were a third lower than a year earlier.
Jobs
Stratford Claimant Count Rises to 1,845 in September
1,845 people in Stratford district claimed in September, 155 more than a year ago and the most for a September since 2021. Under-25s rose to 350.
Planning
Windsor Street Car Park Demolition: 8 Weeks on Site, Cleared
Knocking down Windsor Street car park will take about eight weeks on site, the demolition plan says. Planners cleared it on 28 October with no conditions.
Schools
Stratford Girls' Grammar Pupil Wins KMAT Great Debate 2026
Eleanor, of Stratford Girls' Grammar, won the KMAT Great Debate a fortnight after her school joined, and King Edward VI's Will shared third. The full table.
Business
Stratford-on-Avon Firms: 81% Still Trading After Two Years
Of 1,050 businesses started in Stratford-on-Avon district in 2022, 855 were still trading two years on. ONS figures put that third of 357 UK council areas.
Planning
Studley Node Hill 106 Homes: Design Adviser Cannot Support It
The council's design adviser cannot support the 106-home Node Hill plan in Studley, and county highways want new traffic figures. Where the application stands.
Planning
Stratford Planning Committee Loses Most Cases From 31 Oct
Officers will decide 53 of every 64 cases the committee heard last year, and parish objections stop sending plans to committee. The vote was 34 to 2.
Planning
Stockton 75 Homes: Officers Backed Them, Councillors Refused
Officers backed up to 75 homes off Sycamore Close, Stockton, despite 136 objections. On 21 October councillors refused them unanimously. What the report said.
Planning
Harbury: 38 Homes on Mill Street Approved Despite Objections
Councillors granted outline permission on 7 October for up to 38 homes north of Mill Street, Harbury: 44 objections, up to 13 affordable homes and £657,716 for schools.
Planning
Stratford Housing Land Supply Now 2.43 Years, Up From 2.21
The district can show 2.43 years of housing land against the five required. New homes fell to 626 last year, the lowest in five years. What the new figure changes.
Council
Stratford Council This Week: State of the District on 12 Oct
Full Council meets at 4pm on Monday 12 October: the annual State of the District, a bigger scrutiny committee, and motions on reorganisation costs and sewage spills.
Crime
Stratford Crime August 2026: 264 Reports, Up 27% on Last Year
Police logged 264 crimes and anti-social behaviour reports within a mile of central Stratford in August, against 208 a year earlier. Which types rose, and where.
Council
Windsor Street Car Park Demolition Approved by Cabinet
Cabinet agreed on 5 October to demolish Windsor Street car park and three Gateway buildings. No funded scheme follows yet, and planning permission is still needed.
Flooding
River Alne Wetlands to Cut Henley and Alcester Flood Risk
Work starts this month to reconnect the River Alne with its floodplain upstream of Henley-in-Arden and Alcester, funded by Carlsberg Britvic for ten years.
Business
The Ivy Stratford Opens in Former Debenhams: 154 Seats
The Ivy is open at 33-35 High Street, empty since Debenhams left in 2020: 154 seats, 100+ jobs, 8.30am opening. Three more units there have no tenants yet.
Food hygiene
Stratford Food Hygiene: 28 Fives in September, None Lower
All 28 food hygiene ratings published for Stratford-on-Avon district in September are 5s. August's lows: a 2 for Hotel Indigo and a 1 for The Frog at Bidford.
Council
Stratford Taxi Rules: Plan to Keep Cars 12 Years, Not 6
Petrol and diesel taxis could run to 12 years old, hybrids 15 and electric cars with no limit. Card payment would be compulsory. Comments close 21 December.
Crime
Stratford Crime Figures: Violence Up 8%, Car Crime Down 31%
2,620 crimes were logged within a mile of central Stratford in the year to July. Violence rose 8% and vehicle crime fell 31%. Where, and what changed.
Planning
Stratford Council Tells Birmingham to Plan More Jobs Land
Birmingham's plan finds 64.89ha of local jobs land against 134.5ha of need, and none for the wider region. Stratford says the gap lands on neighbours.
Planning
Southam A423 Roundabout Approved, Pillerton Priors Refused
The road into Southam's 217 homes is approved. The same night, councillors refused 3 to 5 homes at Pillerton Priors, going against their officers' advice.
Council
Windsor Street Car Park to Be Demolished: What the Plan Says
Windsor Street multi-storey and three Gateway buildings face demolition. 243 spaces would become about 90. Cabinet approved it on 5 October, with £1.5m set aside.
Police
Stratford Sergeant Gets Scouts' Highest Gallantry Award
Sgt Charlie Thompson has the Scouts' Bronze Cross for stopping a man setting himself alight at a Stratford petrol station. It follows a police bravery award.
Council
Stratford Council This Week: May 2027 Vote Back On
District elections on 6 May 2027 are now expected to go ahead. Scrutiny meets on 30 September, a taxi policy consultation opens, and Cabinet papers are out.
Planning
Southam 217 Homes: A423 Roundabout Vote Tonight
Councillors backed the homes on 26 August, then deferred the only road in. It is back tonight: a three-arm roundabout, a toucan crossing and 73 objections.
Schools
Alcester Academy Ofsted: 1 Exceptional, 5 Strong
Its first report card since 2022 rates personal development exceptional and the other five areas strong. GCSE pass rate 68.5%, against 45.4% nationally.
Jobs
Stratford Claimant Count: Under-25s at Five-Year High
345 under-25s in Stratford district were claiming in August, the most in at least five years. The total rose 80 to 1,870, ending four months of falls.
House prices
Stratford District House Prices Rise £6,010 in a Month
The district average rose 1.5% in July to £396,753, the sharpest rise in Warwickshire and the first gain in four months. Flats are still losing value.
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford Arrests: CCTV Tracked Car to the Maybird
Town CCTV, BID wardens and Maybird security tracked a car across Stratford and three people were arrested. Police.uk logged 47 shop thefts in July.
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford Council Abolition Paused, 2027 Vote Back On
The plan to abolish Stratford-on-Avon District Council in April 2028 is paused. The May 2027 election is now for its 41 district seats, not a unitary.
Alcester
Alcester Plan Adds 8 Green Spaces: Comments Close 23 Oct
Alcester's revised neighbourhood plan protects eight more green spaces, 19 in all, and sets a 10% biodiversity floor. Comments close 5pm on Friday 23 October.
Sport
Wellesbourne Cricket Club Girls Get £6,000 for Net Lane
Wellesbourne Cricket Club's girls' programme, running since 2024, gets £6,000 from Persimmon Homes to add an all-weather net lane for year-round training.
Alcester
Three Tuns Alcester Withdrawn From Thursday's Auction
Bond Wolfe has pulled the burnt-out Alcester pub from its 10 September sale, days after the council was asked to buy it. No decision has been published.
Leisure
800 at Stratford Leisure Centre After £175k Gym Refit
More than 800 came to Saturday's open day marking a £175,000 gym refurbishment. Council papers show the sauna and play area came from developer money.
Alcester
Three Tuns Alcester: Council Asked to Buy Burnt-Out Pub
Cabinet meets on 7 September to decide whether to bid for the fire-damaged Three Tuns, which Bond Wolfe auctions on 10 September with a £50,000 guide price.
Planning
Stratford District Land Supply 2.21 Years: 4 Sites Backed
The district can show 2.21 years of housing land, not five. Officers back all four village sites at Wednesday's Planning Committee, over 73 objections.
Bidford-on-Avon
Bidford Petrol Station Rebuild Approved, Shop Open to 11pm
The car showroom and MOT workshop at 95 High Street go, replaced by a bigger shop with a food counter, six EV bays and two jet washes. Closing times are fixed.
Town centre
Empty Shops in Stratford, Alcester and Southam Face Auctions
Cabinet decides on Monday 7 September whether to consult on powers to auction the lease of any shop empty for a year. Kineton has the worst vacancy rate, 20%.
Stratford-upon-Avon
Barclays Stratford-upon-Avon Open Again After August Closure
Barclays at Market Cross, Stratford-upon-Avon is open again after its closure: weekday and Saturday opening times, counter services and the deposit ATM.
Business
Stratford Shop Front Grant: Up to £5,000, Independents Only
The district council has put its remaining £32,000 Evergreen fund into shop front grants worth up to £5,000, half the cost, for independent businesses only.
Cycling
Tour of Britain Times: Wellesbourne 12.32pm, Shipston 12.59
The race reaches Wellesbourne at 12.32pm and Shipston at 12.59pm on Sunday. Village-by-village times, the two climbs, and the Burton Dassett one-way system.
House prices
Stratford House Prices Fall a Third Month to £392,574
The district average fell 1% in June to £392,574, a third monthly drop and £6,652 off March's peak. Stratford was the only Warwickshire district to fall.
Planning
Stratford Scout hut rebuild approved after 52 objections
The New Broad Street Scout HQ rebuild was approved on 17 August with 10 conditions, including no audible music after 11pm and obscured first-floor windows.
Planning
Southam: 217 homes recommended for approval on 26 August
Officers back 217 homes at Home Farm despite 43 objections, because the council can show only 2.21 years of housing land against the five it needs.
Planning
Stratford Planning: 3 approved, Scout hut still undecided
Three of four schemes at Stratford's 12 August Planning Committee are approved, nine homes among them. The Scout hut still has no decision notice.
Community
Stratford climate fund: 12 groups share £84,477
Twelve village halls, clubs and parish councils share £84,477 from the council's climate fund. £115,523 is left, and the next deadline is 12 October.
Jobs
Stratford-on-Avon claimant count falls for a third month
1,845 people claimed unemployment benefits in Stratford district in June, a third monthly fall but up 210 in a year. The 2.2% rate is well below the UK's 3.9%.
Planning
Stratford Scout hut rebuild back before planners tonight
Refused in 2024, the New Broad Street Scout hut rebuild is back before Stratford planners tonight with approval recommended, despite 52 objection letters.