Plans for dozens of homes and commercial units on Green Belt land in Henley-in-Arden will ‘devastate’ the area and create an ‘urban sprawl,’ say objectors.

Proposals to build 82 houses, six commercial units and car parking for 178 vehicles at Bear Lane on land which has been the subject of a string of failed applications since 1980 has triggered a furious protest from hundreds of local residents.

Objectors say schools would be unable to cope with an influx of new pupils, the local medical centre would be overstretched and local roads gridlocked.

A recent protest meeting in the village was attended by more than 100 people, and villagers are planning to lobby a Stratford District Council meeting in May, when the application will be discussed.

One of the leading protesters, Henley resident and solicitor David Jackson said: “There are no grounds whatsoever in Henley-in-Arden for this housing estate. We have exceeded our quota of new housing until 2031.

“We had so many people from the town objecting that they couldn’t all get into the hall. Henley is furious about this and has come together – it’s the old bulldog spirit and the town is very much united in opposing it.

“We do not want to see a massive housing estate bolted onto Henley. We do not want to become a big, faceless town like any other.

“Henley is a characterful town and this housing estate would cripple the local infrastructure and put a massive strain on the medical centre. It is a nonsense.”

Fellow protester Bill Leech said: “There has been a lot of other big planning applications in the area going in for so-called Green Belt sites but in fact they were for greenfield sites. There is a big difference between the two.”

In a letter to Stratford Council’s planning department, Mr Jackson said: “The land has been the subject of numerous failed planning attempts by the current owner dating back to 1980. The failed planning history includes applications for an ice cream factory, care home, demolition of commercial units for replacement dwelling etc.

“There is no support for a more intensive and urbanising development on this site given it breaches the Town boundary. The construction of residential dwellings on the land would be contrary to housing policies within the district and set a very dangerous precedent for further urbanised development into the Green Belt area beyond the town perimeter.”

He said the development would cause the enforced departure of two local businesses, a timber yard and a local garage. Mr Jackson added in his letter: “Henley-in-Arden comprises around 850 households and 2,800 residents. The schools are currently oversubscribed and would not be able to cope with an influx of new pupils. This would likely result in residents of Henley having to send their children to schools outside the town which is wholly unacceptable and detrimental to the environment.

“The senior partner of Henley Medical Centre has gone on record stating that it could not cope with the influx of new patients as a result of the proposed development.”

He said part of the land was home to protected species, including barn owls, grass snakes, deer, woodpeckers and others,” he said. “Destroying fields and orchards to make way for unnecessary housing stock beyond the town boundary would be abhorrent and should strongly influence the council’s decision to reject this application.

“The proposed development is currently a tranquil setting in the Green Belt. Any attempts to urbanise it would have a significant adverse impact on the area and the neighbouring properties.”

A statement from Knights solicitors on behalf of developers Mayfield Properties said: “In spite of what some people think, the requirement for all local authorities (not just Stratford-on-Avon District Council) to allocate and bring forward sites for new housing development is not simply a political whim but a necessary response to an urgent need to plan for and deliver not only new affordable homes but also a wide range of open market homes for single people, families, and older residents alike.

“The applicants acknowledge that the Bear Lane site is a Green Belt site, however planning policy is explicit in determining that permission will only be granted on Green Belt sites if very special circumstances can be demonstrated. Housing need in combination with other considerations could amount to very special circumstances.

“In conclusion the proposal would comprise sustainable development that would deliver significant benefits to the local area.”