The circa 7.5 hectare (ha) site is located on the south-western edge of Shipston-on-Stour, immediately south of Hanson Avenue. It is comprised of a number of field parcels which are of relatively low biodiversity value.
The field parcels are bounded by existing hedgerows and trees which represent more valuable habitats and which are to be retained as much as possible as part of the development proposals.
The site has a moderate slope that runs generally upwards from north to south away from the settlement of Shipston.
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. Our aim is to be the nation’s leading residential developer for creating value and delivering quality. We are passionate about working with local people, businesses, local authorities and our 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 south of Hanson Avenue, including:
- Approximately 110 high-quality family homes in a range of sizes and styles.
- Up to 35% of the new homes will be affordable.
- Affordable housing will include shared ownership homes for first time buyers.
- Scope to provide accessible homes for local people looking to downsize into a more manageable property.
- A significant proportion of the site retained as extensive landscaped open space, including biodiversity areas.
- A range of outdoor recreational facilities including children’s play areas and a network of new walking routes, as well as pedestrian connections to existing rights of way nearby.
- A development shaped by existing field patterns, with the retention of existing trees and the majority of hedgerows bolstered by extensive new planting to significantly increase tree cover across the site.
- Potential investment to support local infrastructure. Any potential investment will be informed by feedback from statutory consultees such as the NHS Integrated Care Board, local education providers and the highways authority.
Local planning authorities are required by the Government to update their local plans every five years. The current development plan for Stratford-on-Avon District was adopted in July 2016 and has now fallen significantly out of date. Stratford-on-Avon District Council has acknowledged its need to prepare a new local plan which it is preparing jointly with Warwick District Council through the emerging new South Warwickshire Local Plan.
The site is located outside the green belt and occupies a highly sustainable location on the edge of the settlement boundary of Shipston-on-Stour. As such, it is being promoted through the emerging South Warwickshire Local Plan.
In January 2025 the Council published its local plan ‘preferred options’ which identifies a number of potential Strategic Growth Locations (SGL). The site off Hanson Avenue forms part of a wider SGL identified within the emerging Local Plan preferred options.
Changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) announced by the 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 alongside the ongoing process of preparing the local plan. This 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, illustrative concept layout, number of homes and general extent of development.
If outline planning consent is granted, a detailed planning application called a reserved matters planning application would be prepared. This would include more detail such as architecture, materials, detailed layout and landscaping, 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 Shipston-on-Stour, will be affordable homes. This will include a mix of homes for social rent and shared ownership homes for first time buyers.
At Taylor Wimpey, our purpose is to build great homes and create thriving communities. We are embedding sustainability across our business, delivering high-quality homes and places where customers can enjoy a good quality of life and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.
It is envisaged that our new neighbourhood off Hanson Avenue, Shipston-on-Stour, 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.
The emerging design seeks to retain and buffer the existing hedgerow network and retain existing mature trees. This, alongside significant additional landscape planting and increased tree cover across the site, has the potential to deliver significant net gains in biodiversity.
The Environment Agency’s Flood Map for Planning confirms that the whole site is located within Flood Zone 1 and is therefore at the lowest risk of flooding from rivers or streams. However, there are small localised areas of surface water flooding within the site which will need to be managed.
A sustainable drainage system (SuDS) will attenuate surface water runoff from the new neighbourhood, ensuring that surface water discharge rates do not exceed existing levels and where possible 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.
Access will be taken from an extension to the existing cul-de-sac from Hanson Avenue. A give way feature will be introduced within the access arrangements to suitably manage vehicle speeds entering and exiting the site.
Pedestrians will utilise the existing footway network to access the site and cyclists will continue to use the carriageway of Hanson Avenue. There are no existing road safety issues relating to pedestrian and cycle activity in the vicinity of the site on Hanson Avenue.
The site is within walking distance of local facilities including schools, shops and bus stops.
At peak hours, the site is anticipated to generate a maximum of c70 vehicle trips. It has been assessed that this would have no material impact on the operation of the local and wider highway network.
It is proposed that a number of car parking spaces will be provided within the site during construction to accommodate any potential displaced parking due to traffic management requirements. The potential is also being explored to make this arrangement permanent.
The outline application will be supported by a transport assessment which will assess traffic impact to ensure that the development can be accommodated without significantly impacting the existing network.
There are no existing public rights of way within the site, however a public right of way does pass alongside the western boundary. This will be unaffected by the development, with the potential to provide pedestrian links from the new neighbourhood to connect with this 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 local area.
The development will generate investment into key local infrastructure such as healthcare and education. Any investments made 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. Investments will be secured via legally-binding agreement (called a Section 106 agreement) between Taylor Wimpey and the Council. A proportion of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) generated by the development will also be paid directly to Shipston-on-Stour Town Council for investment into local projects.
Following this consultation, we will review all feedback comments submitted before finalising an outline planning application.
We will then submit an outline planning application for our proposed development of new homes, and extensive green public open spaces to Stratford-on-Avon District Council. Our 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 Shipston-on-Stour 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 align as much as possible with the priorities and aspirations of the local community in Shipston-on-Stour.
We have launched a dedicated consultation website, www.twhansonavenue.co.uk, which provides an opportunity for local residents to view and help shape the proposed development and to provide feedback on local priorities and aspirations for new homes, open spaces and community investment.
As well as this online consultation, we are presenting our proposals at a consultation drop-in exhibition. This will provide an opportunity for members of the community, including those who have limited access to the internet, to learn about our plans, speak to members of the project team and provide feedback.
The details of the consultation exhibition are as follows:
Date: Friday 18th July 2025
Venue: Holden Room, Townsend Hall, Sheep Street, Shipston CV36 4AE
Time: 2pm – 6:30pm
If local residents have any queries, please contact our consultation team on 01225 667097 or hello@twhansonavenue.co.uk.