Massive Town Plan Threatens Shakespeare's Farm

0:00On April 6, developers plan to drop a massive new town right next to Mary Arden's farm, where William Shakespeare's mother grew up over 400. Years ago, this spot in Wilmcoat, a quiet village, sits on Greenbelt land that's key to the area's rural charm and history. The project covers 329 hectares, about the size of 460 football pitches, and includes 6,700. Homes for around 16,000 people, stretching from Wilmcoat to nearby barely. Locals are fired up, saying it'll crush their peaceful countryside life, wipe out wildlife habitats, flood roads with traffic and overload schools, hospitals, and buses that barely run now. One resident who's lived nearby for 35 years calls it a concrete nightmare that ignores heritage sites like the Great I listed farm. The council faces tough pressure from government rules, demanding a five-year housing land supply after recent changes doubled their yearly target to. Over 1,000 homes, they're eyeing 5,600 applications district-wide to catch up.

1:05While the Shakespeare birthplace trust stays quiet, the council's pushing a local plan for submission by December 2026, but residents vow to fight with AC as developer greed turning strafford's charm into urban sprawl.