Concerns over funds to unlock 5,000 new homes in Rugby

A councillor has questioned whether an additional £53m will be enough money to fund the infrastructure needed to unlock 5,000 new homes in Rugby.

Councillor Jerry Roodhouse suggested some figures related to the South West Rugby Masterplan were "probably too low now" due to increased costs.

The masterplan includes cost estimates for supporting infrastructure, such as schools, health services and highways.

The £53m top-up also includes an extra £15m to pay for a new secondary school.

It includes £16m to cover the cost of two primary schools more than doubling, as well as more than £20m towards the highways and minor increases to funding for GP surgeries and the hospital, partly due to inflation.

However, the masterplan, adopted in June 2021, also includes the caveat that local infrastructure required for the project and its costs will be kept under review.

A four-week consultation on proposed infrastructure for the development is due to start from 15 January.

Liberal Democrat leader at the town's borough council, Mr Roodhouse, encouraged the public to engage with the process and to "make sure they get their comments in".

"Looking at some of the figures in there, I would also question them, actually," he said.

"It will certainly be interesting to see what the figures are when the time comes to deliver but this is a starting point."

Conservative councillor Ian Picker added it was important for people to engage with all consultation processes.

He said the masterplan allowed the project's infrastructure requirements to be kept under review, so if there were any further changes, "we will be able to look at those as necessary".

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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