Detailed plans for a new two kilometre Homestead Link Road (HLR) and landscaped green space corridor in Dunchurch were approved by Rugby Borough Council’s Planning Committee on 6th March 2024. This critical piece of infrastructure will help bring forward the wider allocated South West Rugby Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE), known as Homestead View. This includes approximately 4,000 new homes, 35ha of employment land and supporting open green space, community and education uses.
The HLR will be a newly constructed single carriageway road which is 7.3 metres in width and approximately two kilometres in length. It will provide an alternative route to help reduce existing air quality and peak time traffic issues, particularly at Dunchurch Crossroads. It will include new junctions connecting it to the existing public highway and other junctions associated with Homestead View.
Along the entire length will be a segregated accessible footway and cycleway, low energy LED lighting, sustainable drainage ponds to manage flood risk and a combination of safe controlled crossing points and safety barriers.
A 16-hectare landscaped green space corridor will sit alongside the HLR and will be integrated into the existing landscape features and it will ensure there is a segregated buffer between the village of Dunchurch and Rugby.
The landscaped green space corridor will become a valuable open space asset for the local community, promoting health and wellbeing for walking and cycling and was recently awarded with a Building with Nature design award that is an independent audit that assesses proposals that help to create better places for people and wildlife [More information can be found at: www.buildingwithnature.org.uk] The landscaped green space corridor will include orchard planting to provide seasonal visual interest and allow the community to come together and will see the enhancement of biodiversity through the inclusion of new habitats, new species rich hedgerows and wildlife ponds. Safe crossing areas will be delivered for people and animals including a “Pegasus Crossing” at the location where Cycle Route 41/Bridleway crosses the HLR. A “Pegasus Crossing” is a pedestrian crossing especially designed for pedestrians and horses.
The landscaped green space corridor will help connect to the long-term habitats used by existing wildlife between Cock Robin Wood and Cawston Spinney and allow for a tree/landscape corridor along this route. The designs were awarded with a prestigious ‘Building with Nature’ award in November 2023.
Ben Frodsham, Head of Planning & Enabling at Homes England stated, “This planning approval allows Homes England and its partners to deliver key elements of new road and drainage infrastructure early whilst at the same time allowing for the planting of new and replacement trees, hedgerows and habitats that can grow before new homes are constructed. This strategy helps us provide more certainty to the local community that concerns raised at public consultation events, which we have held, can respond positively and we can now move forward with building a new place based sustainable environment for the local community and for future residents.”
Construction of the HLR is likely to start from Summer 2025 and Homes England are committed to managing and minimising the impact on local communities during the road construction period. The contractors undertaking the work will follow Construction and Environmental Management Plans, approved by the Council and will be “Considerate Contractor” scheme affiliated members.
For more information on Homestead View visit: www.homesteadview.co.uk/
