Coventry overrules ‘prejudicial’ objections on 344-home scheme

Vistry has been given to go-ahead to build more than 300 houses in Coventry as part of a 2,400-home urban extension of the city, despite objections from neighbours who fear planned levels of social housing will make the area “less safe”.

Approval for the latest phase of housing at Pickford Gate was granted this week by Coventry City Council, and will see 344 homes built on two agricultural fields on the southern edge of Eastern Green.

The homes are the fifth phase of works on the 435-acre site, located on former Greenbelt land between the A45 and Pickford Green Lane, which also includes a new local centre, a primary school, and around 37 acres of employment land.

In their report, the city council’s planning officer swatted aside concerns over 86 affordable homes on the scheme, saying objections which said the level of social housing would made the area “less safe” were prejudicial to social tenants and would not be considered.

They added that other concerns relating to traffic and noise had been dealt with as part of the outline proposals for the wider development, which were approved in 2021 – saying that the scheme would make a “positive contribution” to the area.

“The objections received to the development were about the positioning of the affordable housing and that there was too much affordable housing which would make the area less safe. These comments show prejudice towards social housing and those that live within so are not being taken as a material planning consideration,” said the officer’s report.

“The location of the affordable housing needs to be grouped in areas due to management of them, but due to the size of the phase the council do not see the location of the affordable housing as creating a development which divides the market and social housing as there is still a mix of tenures throughout.

“Whilst there maybe groups or clusters of affordable housing which includes intermediate housing, social rent and affordable rent, there are still market houses in between breaking up the clusters.”

RCA provided planning consultancy for the application, while Pegusus Group provided designs.

Plans and documents relating to the application can be found on Coventry City Council’s planning portal using application reference: PL/2025/0000719/RESM