Residents call on Rugby MP to argue for more protection for Cawston Woods in 5,000-home South West Rugby plan

A petition calling on Rugby MP Mark Pawsey to intervene on behalf of residents to re-examine a proposed buffer zone between Rugby and Dunchurch has attracted almost 1,000 signatures.

The 5,000-home South West Rugby development will comprise 390 hectares of land situated between Cawston, Bilton and Dunchurch.

It was approved as part of the borough's 12,400-home Local Plan in 2019 but it was once again in the public eye in June this year when Rugby council approved the development's Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

The SPD sets out how the developers will have to go about building the site to add infrastructure and be mindful of environmental concerns.

One of the original objections to the plan years ago was a concern over the site's proximity to Cawston Woods.

A 'buffer zone' between any work and the woods was originally proposed to be 50 metres - but the latest incarnation of the plan sees that reduced to 15 metres.

While MPs do not have authority over borough or district planning committees, residents are calling on Mr Pawsey to raise the issue.

The petition states: "The South West Rugby Masterplan has recently approved the building of thousands of homes and new industrial sites in between Cawston & Dunchurch and the South West of Rugby.

"As part of the plan a buffer zone, (which separates the building work from Cawston Woods which was proposed at 50m) has reduced to 15m and the initial environmental requirements have changed in favour of the developers not the local environment.

"We are starting a petition which we we would like your support on to send to our local MP - Mark Pawsey so the buffer zone gets increased and Cawston Woods gets protected.

"The changes will impact the amount of people that visit Cawston and will also effect the amount of Bluebells in this area.

"This plan will heavily disturb wildlife resulting with less birds and bees in Cawston because of the sound.

"We would welcome your help on this important environmental issue please.

View the petition by visiting: bit.ly/3hGqCnB