Cllr Josh Payne, serving Cubbington & Leek Wootton

01/09/2026

This morning I've been chasing progress on the Caddick Land application off Hill Wootton Road. I appreciate this planning application would have a very significant impact on Leek Wootton and there's a lot of uncertainty around it. This uncertainty is unhelpful for local residents, especially with the Rouncil Lane site also under consideration. I have pressed Warwick District Council officers please to be more specific and explain what's causing the delay in reaching a decision and/or a hearing date. The Council has set 16 September as a deadline but from what they've fed back to me, it will take longer. Please visit this page for further updates as they emerge.

30/08/2026

I'd recommend this tour. It was great to have a look round the station when I spoke to the staff about my father's will. Going forward, I'm hoping to keep my father's memory alive by volunteering for local fundraising work with the RNLI - a vital charity.

Spaces available for our VIP tour on Tuesday 29th September https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/whitby-lifeboat-vip-station-tour-experience-tickets-1992748477339?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

27/08/2026

Re-joining the Labour party was an option, following the new direction the Prime Minister has set at the national level. After several exploratory discussions, however, I have decided to serve the ward as an Independent Councillor. I shall consider issues and votes arising at Warwick District Council on a case-by-case basis. Tackling cost-of-living pressures remains a personal priority, as does securing better public transport for rural areas.

26/08/2026

More investment proposed for the site. Those investing will, eventually, wish to see a meaningful return on the spending. I don't agree that local people are helped by making unrealistic demands - in the long term it will make the situation worse. The real issue here is securing strong, pragmatic mitigation and funding which brings benefits to the wider area.

Coventry City Council's Cabinet is set to discuss a proposed £1m investment for a new planning application at GreenPower Park, a key West Midlands site earmarked for advanced manufacturing, electric vehicle and battery-related industries.

26/08/2026

Delighted to hear, last week, from SDP representative Cllr Wayne Dixon on Leeds City Council. Thanks Wayne for your kind letter about my now being an Independent - great to hear from you. A move to the Social Democrats remains possible, as does the anti-merger Liberal Party (for whom I was once Treasurer). This would diversify representation on Warwick District Council.

26/08/2026

Going forward, I aim to set a positive, progressive agenda and continue support for individual constituents. In terms of political options for the future, I am openly exploring all possibilities. Three core priorities for me will be:
1. Improved rural bus services and more reliable, coordinated busses into Leamington - mentioned to me more than perhaps any other local issue.
2. The access to high quality public services and healthcare people deserve - as more housing is built, and as a new Local Plan emerges, it is becoming harder in towns such as Kenilworth to gain GP appointments. People also need quick access to good dentists.
3. Respect for both individual rights and the common good - in the past year there's been too much pressure to agree, almost reflexively, with narrow points of view and disregard the longer-term implications of decisions. Polices will affect our constituents in different ways and constructive disagreements are valid; Warwick District Council is constitutionally independent of our Parish Councils.

In order to advance these goals most effectively, I shall be actively exploring all options for the future. It still remains possible I can pursue these goals best for Cubbington and Leek Wootton as an Independent Councillor.

26/08/2026

Since my election to Warwick District Council in 2023, I have worked on cost of living issues and achieving better services for the rural parts of the District. I appreciate many people are struggling financially and there's a desire for better local jobs. Affluent areas often have 'hidden' pockets of poverty. I shall retain this focus going forward.

24/08/2026

Please be mindful of 8 September deadline.

Do you want to find out more about the South Warwickshire Local Plan and the Regulation 19 consultation?

The team will be in the Pump Room Gardens in Leamington this Wednesday 26 August from 4pm to 7pm. Staff will be on hand to help people understand the consultation and do their best to answer any questions about it.

We know planning can be an emotive subject and rights to object and constructive challenge are both key components of democracy. Your views are important to both District Councils to help address the development challenges we face and it’s important that we work together to get it right.

Abuse or intimidation which cross the line into unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated.

24/08/2026

Going forward, I aim to set a positive, progressive agenda and continue support for individual constituents. Three core priorities for me will be:

1. Improved rural bus services and more reliable, coordinated busses into Leamington - mentioned to me more than perhaps any other local issue.
2. The access to high quality public services and healthcare people deserve - as more housing is built, and as a new Local Plan emerges, it is becoming harder in towns such as Kenilworth to gain GP appointments. People also need quick access to good dentists.
3. Respect for both individual rights and the common good - in the past year there's been too much pressure to agree, almost reflexively, with narrow points of view and disregard the longer-term implications of decisions. Polices will affect our constituents in different ways and constructive disagreements are valid; Warwick District Council is constitutionally independent of our Parish Councils.

In order to advance these goals most effectively, I shall be actively exploring all options for the future. It still remains possible I can pursue these goals best for Cubbington and Leek Wootton as an Independent Councillor.

24/08/2026

If it was morally imperative to prevent Coventry Airport closing down and to stop the West Midlands Investment Zone coming in, what was the policy of Warwick District Liberal Democrats during the previous Conservative administration? Were they fighting for the Aiport's future, or urging realism to improve the economy in the District?

Text of letter sent to local media this week:

On 24th July, I resigned the Liberal Democrat whip at Warwick District Council. Following this decision, I wish to comment on the Gigafactory planning application at the Coventry Airport Site. Outline planning permission was granted in 2022, prior to my election. The West Midlands Investment Zone likewise was initiated under the previous Conservative administration. If it was morally imperative to prevent these developments for Baginton, and stop the closure of Coventry Airport, the local Liberal Democrats could have championed these causes while they were most current and when concessions could realistically have been gained. The Conservative councillors representing Baginton at this stage were not able to prevent these planning permissions being granted.

While I understand the concerns of residents, it was legally impossible to undo the outline planning permission last year without putting Warwick District Council ultra vires. I do not think there were easy solutions or quick answers which would have meaningfully addressed these concerns for Baginton. I remain uncomfortable with many of the sentiments now being expressed – apparently objectors must be seen to prevail at all costs and almost irrespective of the process, implying other views don't matter. The overwhelming negativity of the debate feels unjust to those Warwick District and Coventry residents who would welcome the extra employment opportunities at the site, or the money which is proposed for traffic calming, cycleways and better rural bus services. Many of the comments on social media don't strike me as wholly objective and I do not think this is helping Baginton find a way forward.

When I spoke on the application last year, I sincerely believed that constituents would not have been assisted had I put forward arguments which planning officers would surely have pointed out were irrelevant. The alternative was to accept the stage reached in the process and argue for strong mitigation going forward. Sometimes representation requires honesty and pragmatism. My position was based on thorough research with both residents and Warwick District Council officers. It seemed appropriate that any new Liberal Democrat County Councillors elected in 2025 would respect and acknowledge that work and preparation. The local party's previous position appeared to be to recognise the employment benefits of the Investment Zone.

Cllr Josh Payne (Independent / Cubbington & Leek Wootton)