Image: John Sutton / Shipston-on-Stour, High Street / CC BY-SA 2.0 even though school and medical facilities are already at breaking point Residents in Shipston complain that they have had enough of being a dumping ground after Stratford District Council published a local plan and a list of possible sites for new house building The sites in Shipston and villages around have raised the alarm that there could be between 1600 and 3000 new homes Shipston is already in a state of rebellion against the local hospital trust’s plan to build a new hospital without any beds more than 4,000 people signed a petition demanding that beds are included The petition was presented to Parliament and to the local Integrated Care Board (ICB) the ICB decided on 19 March to endorse the trust’s plan Residents have now launched two more campaigns: ‘Save Our Shipston‘ and one to keep open the town’s only bank which is scheduled to close in the autumn The town’s anger over the hospital has turned to fury following the district council publishing a list of locations where new house building may happen The council has to provide 27,000 new homes between 2027 and 2050 Sites in and around Shipston allow for 3,000 extra properties Opponents of the new housing proposals have held one demonstration and more are planned They have also taken to social media to express their outrage and are flooding the local council’s consultation process with letters of objection One social media post said that the council “needs to start listening to residents You have absolutely ruined our town by flooding us with more houses than we can cope with We are drowning in a sea of political incompetence and ineptitude.” the legendary guerrilla leader who played a prominent role in bringing Fidel Castro to power in Cuba during the 1950s with the slogan “The Revolution cometh said: “It’s absolutely bonkers In a lot of countries they build the infrastructure first then they put the housing in but what we get is piecemeal development.  “We know we are at the bottom of the country (geographically) but sometimes it feels we are dropping off the end of it We are fighting this ruination of our community We need houses in the right places which don’t destroy where they are put.” Green Party district councillor added: “There are many places in the district with better infrastructure on which to build than Shipston has” The Mayor of Shipston, John Dinnie, commented that the town had already seen more than 700 new homes in recent years and already does not have the infrastructure to sustain them We do not have the infrastructure to accommodate the houses we have now without any more the doctors can’t cope as it is.” A spokesman for Shipston Area Flood Action Group (SAFAG) also highlighted the existing strain on the town’s infrastructure including its ability to cope with flooding and sewage Building hundreds of additional homes on a flood plain would result in expensive flood-prevention engineering or risk the routine flooding of homes Liberal Democrat deputy leader of the district council underlined the need to phase development up to 2050 as opposed to rushing building in the early stages and running out of land stressed that following the public consultation on the possible sites for new homes council planning officers would sift through the list and remove sites where extra house building won’t happen the new SOS campaign and the likelihood of the bank closing has enraged residents They point out that the doctors’ surgery is no longer fit for purpose because it is too small to handle the rising population there is no railway station (Shipston is seven miles away from the nearest) Both the police and fire stations have closed in recent years Shipston residents pay one of the highest council tax bills in the Stratford district thanks to the town council’s precept Trevor Russel is a former senior journalist and communications director who has worked for the local including as a lobby correspondent at Westminster He writes on national/international political and social issues He chairs two community and voluntary organisations in Warwickshire We are a not-for-profit citizen journalism publication. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in Central England and beyond. Central Bylines is a trading brand of Bylines Networks Limited which is separate to, but allied with, Byline Times. Learn more about us © 2020-2024 Central Bylines. Powerful Citizen Journalism. ISSN 3049-978X © 2020-2024 Central Bylines Newent’s unbeaten Midlands Two West record survived the sternest of examinations from a big and bold Shipston side, thanks to an immense defensive effort from the men in green, writes Simon Barker. A game which was fiercely contested throughout and could have gone either way ended in dramatic fashion, with Newent’s tacklers forcing a knock-on inches from their line. The first scoring opportunity fell to the hosts, after Newent were penalised for collapsing a scrum, but the visitors held up the maul from the line-out and then won a penalty to put them into Shipston territory. A multi-phased attack, with Dylan Leney probing the fringes from scrum half and Doug Long into the line from full back, ended with Tom Webb making the key line break before feeding openside Leo Oakey for a clear charge to the line. Doug Long converted for 0-7. Newent’s prop Mason Emery had to leave the field with a hand injury picked up after a carry in open play, being replaced by Tom Woodman, before Shipston reduced the arrears as the game entered its second quarter. When Newent were penalised 25m out and in front of the posts the hosts opted to go for goal and full back Rob James kicked the three-pointer. A good chase of a Tom Webb kick, Jack Devries leading the charge, put the home defence under pressure and forced a knock-on in midfield just outside the 22. Newent’s scrum was steady on this occasion and provided the platform for the backs to go right, quick hands and a telling incision and offload from Doug Long releasing Will Hartland for a fine finish to the slickest of moves. Long added a good conversion to extend the lead to 3-14. Shipston responded strongly and pressed hard for the remainder of the half. A penalty against Newent for a high tackle – something which was strictly but consistently refereed and later in the game was to result in yellow cards for Jordan Devries and Will Hartland – gave the Rams a line-out 10m from the line. They secured their ball and blindside Tobi Faulkner peeled off the back of the maul to crash over for the try. The conversion attempt was narrowly off target, credit to Adrian Connelly for putting pressure on the kicker by sprinting off the line to attempt a charge down. The half ended with Shipston pressing hard for another score. In a key passage of play, Newent’s defence twice denied the hosts a second try – firstly by a tackle into touch inches from the line and then by holding up the ball carrier over the line from a close-range tap penalty- to leave the half-time score Shipston-on-Stour 8-14 Newent. Newent started the second half brightly, a break by Doug Long taking play into Shipston’s 22, but a succession of penalties soon put the pressure back on their line. The hosts turned down a couple of easy three pointers in favour of tap and goes, but the Newent defence held firm. Eventually Shipston’s enterprise was rewarded, when they opted for a scrum after Newent were penalised for a no-arms tackle 20m out. Outside centre Ben Harris picked a good line but when he was brought to ground scrum half Connor Hutchison found a rare gap around the fringes of the ruck and darted through to touch down under the posts. Rob James added the extras to put Shipston ahead 15-14. Their lead was short lived, just as it was when they nudged ahead in the reverse fixture at the Rec last October. A break from Tom Webb was halted by a high tackle 25m out and George Clair kicked the penalty to the right-hand corner. Newent secured their line-out and ran the ball across the backs to the left-hand corner before moving it back inside, creating a clear overlap for Adrian Connelly. When Tom Webb’s pass to him was knocked on by Hutchison the referee showed a yellow card to Shipston’s scrum half, before running between the posts to signal the penalty try which restored Newent’s lead. With more than a quarter of the game left to play at this stage, there seemed long odds on that being the end of the scoring but whilst there were no more points there was no shortage of tension and drama. Apart from one brief foray which ended with a knock on inside Shipston’s 22, the remainder of the game was played in Newent territory. The visitors spent most of this time with one man short, and briefly were reduced to 13 players, following the yellow cards to Jordan Devries then Will Hartland, but their defence refused to yield despite the penalty count against them racking up to in excess of 20. Shipston opted to tap most of their penalties and from one of these Ben Harris touched down by the left hand upright, but the referee had spotted crossing in the build-up and ruled out the score. With the game into stoppage time, Tom Webb thought he had won a priceless turnover from a crunching tackle 20m out but the referee saw another breakdown offence and Shipston scented a final opportunity to claim the winning score. Encouraged by a large and vocal home crowd, the Rams advanced towards the posts through a series of pick and goes before a final lunge for the line saw the ball dislodged by the weight of Newent’s tacklers. The referee signalled that it had gone forward and blew for full-time, to the huge relief of the visiting support. Final score: Shipston-on-Stour 15 Newent 21 Newent: D Long; W Hartland, N Brooks, T Webb, A Connelly; G Clair, D Leney; M Emery, W Tanner, E White; J K Devries, J Marshall; J Hartland, L Oakey, B Vincent (capt.). Replacements: T Woodman, K Towers, J D Devries. Comments Tel: 01594 820600[email protected]Follow us Further Links Owned or licensed to Tindle Newspapers Ltd | Independent Family-Owned Newspapers | Copyright & Trade Mark Notice & 2013 - 2025 And the result means Stratford sit eighth in the Regional 2 Midlands West table The visitors were without captain Tom Stanley through illness with Ben Cole and Dan Whitby stuck at work and unable to arrive in time for kick-off Shipston scored the game’s first try after bursting through a gap to break the deadlock before Stratford then lost Michael Dawes to a yellow card for a high tackle The home side made the most of the extra man to score their second try inside the opening 10 minutes before kicking a penalty to stretch their lead despite the best efforts of Stratford debutant Jamie Jones Stratford eventually troubled the scoreboard when Bolton jinked his way through a gap following a series of penalties close to the Shipston line as Gwilym Davis added the extras A superb tackle from Lowe kept Stratford in the game before the break as he held up a Shipston player over the line who looked certain to score And Stratford reduced the deficit to eight points early in the second period when Lowe dotted down from 10-metres out following a lineout and Whitby kicked the conversion Shipston ran in three tries to take the game out of Stratford’s reach The visitors scored the game’s final try when Fox finished in the corner after good work from Lowe as Whitby added the extras Stratford are next in action away at Edwardians on Saturday November 30 with kick-off at 2.15pm at Streetsbrook Road Check out all of the latest reader travel offers to get your hands on some free gifts Catch up on your local news by reading our e-editions on the Stratford Observer we can provide you with all the info you need Find a career you'll love with our free career finder website The Stratford Observer is one of a group of local weekly newspapers spanning Worcestershire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands published by Bullivant Media Group - each newspaper providing all the latest local news Home   News   Article Shipston has issued an SOS plea, angry that the town could face more development as services dwindle and the infrastructure is left creaking. Gill Sutherland went to meet 350 of the town’s residents who have had enough. Hundreds of Shipston people were on the march again on the weekend – this time to protest about the “bonkers” earmarking of land to potentially build 3,000 houses. The area has suffered a series of knocks and losses of services over recent years – see picture box – and the controversy over the Ellen Badger Hospital has seen residents adopt a campaigning spirit. Testing tolerances this time is the preferred options consultation currently being conducted to finalise the South Warwickshire Local Plan. It sees Stratford and Warwick district councils seeking feedback on, among other things, where houses should be built in Stratford and Warwick districts up to 2050. Shipston’s suggested intake of 3,000 more houses spurred the formation of a new campaign group, Save Our Shipston (SOS). The Herald invited SOS to meet on Saturday for a photo and to talk about the strength of feeling in the area regarding the issues over more development. On a soggy and dreary morning, an estimated 350 people turned up to vent spleen over the proposals. Resident Lindsey Walker, told the Herald: “Shipston is a great place to live, but we are at breaking point. Development has increased our population by 20 per cent in the last five years putting our infrastructure under huge strain. “We have a shortage of medical facilities and a cottage hospital with no beds, our schools are at or over capacity, we have no police or fire station and our only bank is due to close this year. Many of our roads are single track or one-way, with pedestrians taking their lives in their hands as lorries hurtle through the town. “To make matters worse, the town and surrounding villages flood seriously every year and sewage regularly runs into people’s gardens as a result of recent house building.” Founding member of SOS, Alice Free, added: “When you read what the South Warwickshire Local Plan wants to achieve, it’s obvious these sites do not meet those criteria. I don’t understand why our sites are even still included in the plan. We trust the objections being made by Shipston Town Council and the parishes, as well as by residents, will make this clear and we will be removed from the process going forward.” Members of all political parties were also present on Saturday, and were all in agreement that Shipston is the wrong place for more development. “My take is that it’s absolutely bonkers,” said county councillor Jo Barker (Shipston, Con) of the suggested sites. “Some of the sites that we’ve seen before have fallen through before and some of them are new ones. Some of them are absolutely pie in the sky.” She continued: “In a lot of countries they build the infrastructure first, then they put the housing in, but what we get is piecemeal development. If any of this goes ahead, I expect that will be the same. “I think the strength of feeling in Shipston this time is so strong. We’ve lost a lot, we’ve had huge battles over all sorts of things – this comes in the same week as our bank is going. We know we’re at the bottom of the county, but sometimes it feels like we’re dropping off the end of it.” Giving his view, district councillor Dave Passingham (Shipston South, Green Party) said: “There are many good planning reasons to object to any more building around Shipston. For a start the population increase means existing infrastructure, especially the sewers, cannot cope. “One of the objectives of the Local Plan is that development should be in sustainable travel locations, yet Shipston has no train station and there is an inadequate bus service to Stratford. Major employers have left Shipston in recent years and many people must travel long distances by car to work. “Two-thirds of land put forward in the consultation will not be required according to the planners. There are many places in the district that have better infrastructure on which to build than Shipston. If the objectives laid out in the draft Local Plan were stuck to there would be no building around Shipston except perhaps a small amount for local need.” Beyond the free car park by the Stour where the Herald meets the protesters lies a large parcel of land towards Barcheston in the east. It is one of the sites (along with two smaller plots to the north and south of the town) that has been identified as potential options for ‘strategic growth’. For the past week or two images of the flooded fields where thousands of new houses will perhaps be built have been shared on Shipston social media channels. Among those questioning the credibility of the such a plan are members of the Shipston Area Flood Action Group (SAFAG). “With every one degree of warming in the atmosphere, there is seven per cent more moisture in the air which accumulates to become rain. We are now at, and sailing past, one point five above internationally accepted safe baseline temperatures. That’s ten per cent more moisture in the atmosphere, and we can expect up to ten per cent more rain on average. All future development should be planned with that new climate reality, and the natural limitations of our environment, in mind. “SAFAG supports well planned development which integrates into existing infrastructure, or significantly improves it. Our survey of the intended sites, and the number of homes considered, leads us to strongly object to these plans as they stand.” Ellen Badger Hospital demolished and unclear what services will be at replacement building, with beds looking unlikely. Limited spaces at Shipston Primary School and Shipston High School already oversubscribed with no sixth form. Only bank, Lloyds, due to close in November 2025. Sewage treatment facility is currently at full capacity, excess being removed by lorry. Employment levels in Shipston have been in serious decline over the past 25 years. Business closures include Norgren in 2008 (employed more than 1,000), Turbine Blading and Mill Engineers. No rail link and only limited bus service. The only two bridges crossing the Stour –Shipston and Honington– are single track. The Ellen Badger Hospital has been without beds since 2022 which could be made permanent as part of plans currently under consultation explaining 'a hospital without beds is like a camel without a hump' ahead of the Warwickshire County Council Adult Health Overview & Committee meeting on Wednesday 22 January The two options under consultation are for 35 beds to be distributed across the Ellen Badger Hospital It would reduce the number of beds currently at Stratford Hospital and Leamington Spa Hospital and return up to 12 beds to the Ellen Badger site The other option is to provide all 35 beds to the Leamington Spa Hospital and Stratford Hospital leaving the Ellen Badger Hospital without any beds NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board said: "We know patients recover better and more quickly at home "We have services in place to support that and it means more people than ever are able to leave our acute hospitals and go straight back to their homes or usual place of residences there will always be people who need further rehabilitation support as an inpatient in a community hospital before they are able to go home we have 35 community rehabilitation beds available to support this cohort of people and we support about 550 patients a year through this service." "This consultation seeks to understand the potential impacts of the proposed changes to the location of our 35 rehabilitation beds in South Warwickshire and gather feedback before any decisions are made." Chairman of the Beds for Badger campaign was at the protest and said the hospital "means an awful lot to the local people" and stressed the the importance of returning the community care beds to the hospital He said the removal of the beds is "the straw that broke the camel's back" adding: "The beds are very needed.. the rural community in South Warwickshire is going to be left in the dark What we really want to do is get around the table and have a mature conversation about what's going on "Shipston is a community and we need a community hospital." Joining him at the protest was Rebecca Fosset from Joseph's Amazing Camels She says it was important to bring their camel Baxter to the protest to help the fight She explained: "We live locally to the Ellen Badger and it's very important to us that there are beds in the hospital you can't have a camel without a hump or a hospital without beds." Sharon Bygate who lives near the hospital says it was vital for her and her children when husband was being cared for before he passed away in 2014 at the age of 46 Andrew Bygate was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiform brain tumour in September 2006 Andrew and Sharon's third child was just a week old eight years after doctors gave him just two years to live Sharon says being able to have nurses care for Andrew just around the corner from their house at the Ellen Badger Hospital made it possible for their children 10 and 8 to visit him regularly during his final weeks "What Shipston allowed was for my children to pop in after school after their clubs "Andrew nearly died twice before he actually did and I just couldn't have done that if he was in Warwick "For my children to have that precious time with their dad - we will always remember it She said without the option of a bed nearby she said: "It would have been so difficult It's exhausting having someone dying anyway you are trying to deal with your children who can see their dad is dying To have it there was so important to me." The public consultation period runs until 14 February Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know The result means Stratford sit seventh in the Regional 2 Midlands West table Shipston scored the game’s first try in the corner following an attacking lineout as the visitors worked the ball to the opposite flank and converted from the touchline The home side cut the deficit after the referee penalised Shipston for holding on at a ruck as Whitby stepped up to slot the ball between the posts Stratford turned the game on its head later in the half as captain Stanley barged his way over the line after good work from Jamie Jones as Whitby added the extras And the home side stretched their lead when Powell put on the afterburners to speed outside of his marker and dot down with Whitby again converting Shipston cut the deficit to three points before the break with a well-worked move off the back of an attacking scrum Stratford lost Sam James to the sin-bin for a late tackle early in the second half as Shipston kicked a penalty to draw the two teams level The visitors then missed two penalty attempts to take the lead only to cross for a try in the closing minutes after cutting through the Stratford line Stratford piled on the pressure in the closing minutes and forced an attacking scrum at the death A huge effort from Ben Cole put the home side close to the line as Davis picked up the ball and stretched out to dot down Whitby showed nerves of steel to convert the try and earn Stratford a share of the spoils Stratford are next in action against Edwardians on Saturday March 8 with kick-off at 3pm at Pearcecroft View and download all of the public notices in the Stratford Observer Advertise with the Stratford Observer to reach your audience which operate from one branch in Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire has been renamed Sydenhams Shipston The existing team is expected to remain to run the place Established in 2003, the business becomes the 38th branch for the independent merchants The network includes 17 Timber & Builders merchants, seven Kitchen & Bathroom showrooms, eight Tool & Plant Hire branches Headlines Features People Video Past issues Supplements Features List Showcase Recruitment Events Awards About us Contact us Advertise with us Terms & conditions Privacy policy Notice is hereby given that an application has been made to the Stratford on Avon District Council for Planning Permission for development which affects the character or appearance of a Conservation Area or development which affects the setting of a Listed Building and/or Listed Building Consent/Conservation Area Consent in respect of the applications scheduled below: Stratford-on-Avon District CouncilElizabeth House This property in Shipston-on-Stour is a staggering example of how to do a conversion the right way it is very likely that Kevin McCloud and whichever hapless couple is on the brink of a divorce will come and convert you into a house that it has taken so long for me to come across a converted bank But now I have one. Or at least have seen one. It’s in Shipston-on-Stour, predictably on the High Street (where banks live), and offers four bedrooms. It is for sale with Hamptons for offers in excess of £900,000 It’s about as English a town as you could hope to ever find except the vault is used for storing wine rather than gold or coins who have created a terrific blend of historic character and modern convenience That character shines through in the details of the interiors on the market for less than £1 million offers a large kitchen/breakfast room with island All of which are on the ground floor.  with two further bedrooms on the second floor a coach house offers additional storage space in the walled garden A reminder that this house is in the heart of one of the Cotswolds’ best towns.  is very worthy of joining the pantheon of great conversions For sale with Hamptons for offers in excess of £900,000. For more information and pictures, click here Grey Peel is the sort of country home which makes you wonder why anyone lives in the city James FisherDeputy Digital EditorJames Fisher is the Deputy Digital Editor of Country Life