Blackford Mill (PENDING)
BLACKFORD MILL - 300 homes - south of Henley-in-Arden - currently in proposal stage....
The site is made up of several fields totalling almost 24 hectares (59 acres) of arable land, which stretches from Warwick Road in the north to Stratford Road to the west. The site is bounded by fields to the south and east, and is itself bisected by the River Alne. Towards the centre of the site, but outside of the ‘red line’ boundary, is the Grade II listed Blackford Mill.
Part of the site (the section west of the river) falls within the area of the Beaudesert & Henley-in-Arden Neighbourhood Plan, adopted in Summer 2024. However, this plan does not seek to allocate sites but rather outlines a vision and general policies for development in the area. Similarly, Wooton Wawen Parish Council produced a neighbourhood plan which was adopted in 2018. This plan covers the eastern section of the site, but again only outlines a vision and general policies and does not allocate sites. The site also sits within the West Midlands Green Belt, which covers most of the immediate area. Recent changes to national policy suggest that some Green Belt should be reconsidered as ‘Grey Belt’; it will be up to the Council and Planning Inspectorate to decide on this in due course.
