Officers back up to 75 homes off Sycamore Close, Stockton, despite 136 objections and a 2014 refusal. Councillors decide on 21 October, with five more cases.
Up to 75 homes on farmland at Stockton, near Southam, should be approved, council planning officers say. The district’s Planning Committee decides the outline application next Wednesday, 21 October.
Stockton is about 16 miles east of Stratford-upon-Avon and two miles from Southam. The site sits off Sycamore Close, on the edge of the village, with the A426 to the north.
The application, 25/00823/OUT, is from Richborough and a landowner. A plan for 77 homes on the same land was refused in December 2014. This time officers recommend approval, subject to a section 106 legal agreement.
(Officer report, application 25/00823/OUT)
Why officers now say yes
The difference is housing supply. The district council can show only 2.43 years of land for new homes, against the five years national policy expects. We reported the figure when the council published it.
The officer report says that shortfall shows “an evidenced unmet need for housing”. As a result, it gives three Core Strategy policies that limit building in the countryside “very limited weight”. It concludes the benefits of the homes are not “substantially outweighed” by the harm.
When ward councillor Andrew Crump objected in May 2025, he said the council had about 15 years of housing land supply. The council’s published figure is now 2.43 years.
The council’s planning portfolio holder, Cllr George Cowcher, said in a written answer to Full Council on 12 October that the council was in “a difficult position” because it lacks an adequate housing land supply.
(Councillor questions to Council, 12 October 2026)
The objections
The report records 136 objections, four letters of no objection and two of support. Stockton Parish Council, Long Itchington Parish Council and Cllr Crump all object. So does Cemex, which runs the neighbouring Southam Quarry.
Objectors’ main points include:
- traffic near the primary school and narrow lanes with no pavements
- a temporary construction access onto the 50mph A426
- pressure on the school, GP and sewers
- that 75 homes would add 13% to the parish’s 620 homes, by objectors’ count
- homes within 150m of the quarry
- that most of the reasons for the 2014 refusal still apply
County Highways, the drainage authority, Severn Trent and Environmental Health do not object, subject to conditions. Officers say a noise assessment shows no special protection is needed from the quarry or the road.
What the developer would pay
Officers list the planning obligations the legal agreement would secure:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Affordable housing | 35% of the homes |
| Education, early years to post-16 and special needs | £1,239,905.63 in total |
| Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board | £151,718.13 |
| South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust | £116,752.50 |
| Ecology monitoring over 30 years | £28,758.00 |
| Public rights of way | £5,672.81 |
| Road safety, £50 a home | £3,750 |
| Libraries | £1,641.56 |
The largest education sum is £512,707.50 for primary places. Public open space, children’s play space and a community orchard would be provided on the site. The nearest bus stop is about 320m away, served by the hourly 63 to Rugby and Leamington Spa.
The other five cases on 21 October
All six cases are on the agenda because a parish council, a ward councillor or both disagreed with officers.
| Site | Proposal | Officers say |
|---|---|---|
| Sycamore Close, Stockton | Up to 75 homes, outline | Grant |
| Winchcombe Farm, Upper Tysoe | Two holiday lets to become two homes | Grant |
| Fosse Close, Tredington | Four detached homes, by Geraghty Group | Grant |
| LP Training Services, Bearley | Training centre and cabins on farmland, retrospective | Grant |
| Cromwell Cottage, Edgehill | Higher wall, gates and driveway, partly retrospective | Refuse |
| Tait Way, Wellesbourne | Loft conversion with dormer | Grant |
A few details from the reports:
- Upper Tysoe: Tysoe Parish Council and ward councillor Cllr Malcolm Littlewood object. The parish says it is already backing a 31-home scheme with affordable homes. (report)
- Tredington: seven residents object, along with the parish council and ward councillor Cllr Trevor Harvey. The site is inside the village boundary. (report)
- Bearley: Bearley Parish Council objects over noise and the nearby Bearley Bushes SSSI. Snitterfield Parish Council supports it with conditions. Six objection letters came from five households. (report)
- Edgehill: the parish council and ward councillor support this one. Officers recommend refusal because safe access for vehicles and pedestrians has not been shown. (report)
- Wellesbourne: Wellesbourne and Walton Parish Council objects. (report)
What it means for you
The meeting starts at 6pm on Wednesday 21 October in the Council Chamber at Elizabeth House, Church Street. The agenda and all six reports are on the council’s meeting page, and it is webcast.
If Stockton is approved, the layout, design and the mix of homes come later as reserved matters applications. Residents can comment on those through the council’s planning register.
This may be one of the last agendas of its kind. From 31 October, new national rules mean officers must decide householder applications such as the Wellesbourne loft conversion. Parish council objections will no longer send cases to committee. Here is what changes.
Have your say