The circa 21.9 hectare (ha) proposed development site is located to the north of Southam, on the western side of Coventry Road.
The site is located outside of the green belt and is being promoted through the emerging new South Warwickshire Local Plan to meet future housing needs in Stratford-on-Avon District.
The site has predominantly been in arable agricultural use and is therefore of relatively low biodiversity value. There are existing hedgerows that serve as valuable habitats and these will be retained and enhanced with additional habitat creation as part of the extensive green infrastructure proposals for the development.
There is a public right of way located along the southwest and western boundaries of the site which will be retained.
Taylor Wimpey was formed by the merger of George Wimpey and Taylor Woodrow in 2007. With a history dating back to the 19th Century, Taylor Wimpey is one of the largest homebuilders in the UK and aims to be the nation’s leading residential developer for creating value and delivering quality. Taylor Wimpey is passionate about working with local people, businesses, local authorities and its customers to build aspirational homes.
Find you more about Taylor Wimpey at www.taylorwimpey.co.uk.
Taylor Wimpey is preparing an outline planning application for a sustainable new neighbourhood at the site west of Coventry Road, Southam, including:
- Up to 275 new homes in a range of styles and sizes.
- Up to 35% affordable homes including shared ownership homes for first time buyers.
- Scope to provide accessible homes for local people looking to downsize.
- The majority of the site will be retained as extensive landscaped open space including biodiversity areas.
- Existing mature trees and the majority of hedgerows will be retained, with additional planting significantly increasing tree cover across the site.
- Children’s play areas.
- The potential to provide a new playing field or other outdoor recreational facilities in response to local feedback.
- A sustainable drainage scheme (SuDS) to manage surface water and provide new wetland habitats.
- A network of walking and cycling paths connecting with existing public rights of way, as well as the potential for improved active travel connections with the town centre.
- Investment to support local infrastructure, such as healthcare and education.
The proposed development site is located outside of the green belt and occupies a highly sustainable location on the edge of the settlement boundary of Southam. As such, it is being promoted through the emerging South Warwickshire Local Plan.
Changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) announced by the new Government in late 2024 has more than doubled the number of homes Stratford-on-Avon District will need to deliver from 553 to 1,126 homes per year.
In light of the significantly increased housing targets for the District, Taylor Wimpey is preparing outline plans for the site, while continuing to promote it for inclusion in the South Warwickshire Local Plan. If Taylor Wimpey’s plans are approved, this development will help to ensure the delivery of homes at an early stage in the plan period, assisting Stratford-on-Avon District Council in maintaining housing supply to meet identified needs.
An outline planning application establishes the broad principles of development, such as access arrangements, an illustrative concept layout, number of homes and the general extent of development.
If outline planning consent is granted, a detailed planning application called a reserved matters planning application will follow.. This would include more detail such as architecture, materials, a detailed layout and a landscaping plan, and would be subject to further consultation with the local community before being submitted for determination. Both outline and reserved matters planning applications are subject to statutory consultation carried out by the Local Planning Authority (Stratford-on-Avon District Council).
Up to 35% of the new homes proposed for Coventry Road, Southam, will be affordable homes. This will include a mix of homes for social rent and shared ownership homes for first time buyers.
Taylor Wimpey is committed to building great homes and creating thriving communities. Embedding sustainability across the business, delivering high-quality homes and places where customers can enjoy adopt a more sustainable lifestyle are key priorities.
It is envisaged that our new neighbourhood at Coventry Road, Southam, will provide homes built to the Future Homes Standard. This will see all homes equipped with air source heat pumps, PV (solar) panels, EV charging infrastructure and very high standards of insulation.
Where possible, the emerging design seeks to retain and buffer the existing hedgerow network and stream corridor to ensure that ecological interests are protected. This, alongside significant additional landscape planting and increased tree cover across the site, has the potential to deliver significant net gains in biodiversity that exceed planning policy requirements and benefit local species interests.
The Environment Agency’s Flood Map for Planning confirms that the proposed development area is located within Flood Zone 1 and is therefore at the lowest risk of flooding from rivers or streams. However, there are areas of surface water flooding within the site, although these are largely located outside areas of proposed development.
A sustainable drainage system (SuDS) will attenuate surface water runoff from the proposed new neighbourhood. This will ensure that surface water discharge rates do not exceed existing levels and, where possible, will provide betterment over the existing surface water drainage on the site and in the surrounding area. The proposed attenuation area will also deliver biodiversity benefits through the provision of additional wetland habitat.
The new neighbourhood would be accessed via a new ghost island right turn lane junction from Coventry Road.
The potential to provide additional walking and cycling connections to the south is being explored, as well as public footpath improvements. In addition to seeking to enhance active travel connectivity towards Southam town centre, the neighbourhood itself will provide a network of walking and cycling routes within its extensive public open space, including linkages with the existing public right of way running along the southwestern and western boundaries of the site.
Extensive technical work is ongoing to investigate any potential impact of the proposed development on key junctions across the wider local road network. Results of these investigations will inform any necessary mitigation and improvement works required.
The outline planning application will be supported by a Transport Assessment which will assess potential traffic impact resulting from the proposed development. This assessment will use Warwickshire County Council’s (the local highways authority) model for Southam to consider traffic issues in combination with other confirmed developments, and will identify, mitigation for any traffic capacity issues where appropriate.
There is a public right of way located along the southwest and western boundaries of the site and this will be unaffected by the development. The development itself will provide a network of walking and cycling routes within its extensive public open space, including linkages with the existing public right of way.
A key consideration with a planning proposal such as this is to ensure that local services receive the investment they need to accommodate housing growth in the area. The proposed development will generate multi-million pound investment into local infrastructure such as healthcare and education. Specific details about any financial contributions will be informed by consultation carried out by Stratford-on-Avon District Council with statutory bodies such as the local NHS Integrated Care Board and the local education authority. All financial contributions will be agreed and secured via a legally-binding agreement (called a Section 106 agreement) between Taylor Wimpey and Stratford-on-Avon District Council.
A proportion of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) generated by the development will also be paid directly to Southam Town Council for investment into local projects.
Taylor Wimpey has a proud record of infrastructure delivery in Southam, including the recently completed new community centre at Flying Fields, which has just been handed over to Southam Town Council.
Following this consultation, we will review all feedback we receive before finalising and submitting an outline planning application to Stratford-on-Avon District Council.
This consultation website will be updated with information about the submitted plans and email notifications will be sent to all who have opted-in to receive them advising of the outline planning submission
Once the outline planning application has been submitted and registered by Stratford-on-Avon District Council, the council will carry out Statutory Consultation on the plans, seeking feedback from statutory bodies such as Southam Town Council, the local NHS Integrated Care Board, education providers and highways authorities, as well as members of the public.
The council will then make a decision on our outline planning application.
We want to ensure that the emerging proposals for Coventry Road align as much as possible with the priorities and aspirations of the local community in Southam.
We have launched a dedicated consultation website, www.twcoventryroad.co.uk, which provides an opportunity for local residents to view and help shape the proposed development and to provide feedback on the proposed new homes, open spaces and community facilities.
As well as this online consultation, we are also presenting the information at a consultation drop-in exhibition. This will provide an additional opportunity for members of the community, including those who have limited access to the internet, to view the proposals, speak to members of the project team and provide feedback.
The details of the consultation exhibition are as follows:
Date: Wednesday 16th July 2025
Venue: The Oak Room, The Graham Adams Centre, St James Road, Southam CV47 0LY
Time: 1pm – 6pm
If local residents have any queries, please contact our consultation team on 01225 667097 or hello@twcoventryroad.co.uk.
If you would like to be kept up to date about the new homes that will be available on this development, when planning permission has been approved, you can do so by visiting the following webpage and clicking the ‘Register Interest’ button.
If local residents have any queries, please contact our consultation team on 01225 667097 or www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/new-homes/southam/coventry-road.