John Archer, head of planning at Warwick District Council, “entered the lions’ den” when he faced seventy leading property professionals.
Archer was the guest speaker at the Warwickshire Property Forum and discussed the council’s moratorium on house building.
He explained that the policy had been introduced because the area had a projected 49 per cent of over supply of housing up until 2011.
Exceptions are now only granted in mixed used schemes in town centres, where it supports regeneration of Leamington Old Town, in the relocation of public services and the conversion of listed buildings and for affordable housing.
Jane Senior, of law firm Wright Hassall and a director of Warwickshire Property Forum, said the policy had proved highly contentious and many of the audience were directly affected.
She said: “Any such limit on house building is going be controversial because it touches so many people and has implication on the local economy.
“It was a case of John coming into the lions’ den, but he explained the pressures on the council and the reasons behind the policy.
“The underlying problem – which is also a benefit – is that this area is seen as highly desirable and if demand greatly outstrips supply, then the prices are going to rise which has other implications for local people.”
