Issue and Options 2023
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New searchThe opening statement of the Vision is ‘to meet South Warwickshire’s sustainable development needs, while responding to the climate emergency’. We are pleased to see reference being made to ‘sustainable development’ at the start of the Vision, as this ties in well with the purpose of the planning system, which is ‘to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development’2. However, the phrase ‘to meet South Warwickshire’s sustainable development needs’ inappropriately skews the emphasis towards ‘development needs’ rather than ‘sustainable development’. This impression is reinforced by the Strategic Objectives, where the objective of ‘meeting South Warwickshire’s sustainable development needs’ only focusses on delivering vibrant town centres, infrastructure, jobs and homes. It is further reinforced by the emphasis given to infrastructure, jobs and homes in the third paragraph of the Vision. Development is only sustainable if it meets economic, social and environmental objectives in mutually supportive ways.3 It is not appropriate to emphasise one or two of these objectives over another. We acknowledge that the opening statement of the Vision states ‘… while responding to the climate emergency’. Responding to the climate emergency is obviously a key consideration. However, this should not be the only environmental objective that is addressed at the start of the vision. Also, the use of the word ‘while’ creates the impression that responding to the climate emergency is a secondary and separate objective, albeit that will be addressed concurrently with meeting sustainable development needs. The vision should make it much clearer that development needs should be met in a way that actively addresses the climate emergency. Alongside the ‘climate emergency’, explicit reference should also be made to the ‘ecological emergency’ (i.e., the drastic decline in biodiversity at an international, national and local level). With regards to the ecological emergency, we recommend that the principle of having ‘a biodiverse and environmentally resilient South Warwickshire’ should explicitly seek to achieve a significant increase in biodiversity. We also have concerns about the emphasis given, in the Vision, to accommodating unmet needs from neighbouring authorities. Whilst this is an important consideration for identifying the amount of housing and development that should be planned for (and the spatial strategy for delivering this), it does not seem appropriate to put this issue ‘front-and-centre’ in the over-arching Vision for the area. We suggest that this sentence should be deleted. Strategic Objectives All of the strategic objectives should contribute to sustainable development. This should be made clear in the opening / supporting text for the strategic objectives. In this context, and having regard to our comments on the Vision, the first strategic objective should be ‘Meeting South Warwickshire’s Development Needs’ rather than ‘Meeting South Warwickshire’s Sustainable Development Needs’. The section of the strategic objective ‘A resilient and Net Zero Carbon South Warwickshire’ should address the resilience of the whole South Warwickshire area to climate change, not just the resilience of new development. We consider that the strategic objective of ‘A well-designed and beautiful South Warwickshire’ should make explicit reference to the Cotswolds National Landscape (CNL). Although the CNL only covers a small part of South Warwickshire, its setting covers a wide and development further afield has the potential to increase traffic movements through the CNL. The CNL is also an area whose distinctive character and natural beauty are so outstanding that it is in the nation’s interest to safeguard it. This national importance should be reflected in the strategic objectives. Recommendations (in relation to Q-V3.1 and Qv3.2) Vision Suggested wording: The vision is to achieve sustainable development in South Warwickshire by meeting the area’s development needs in a way that actively addresses the climate and ecological emergencies and significantly enhances our natural and built environment. The plan will provide homes and jobs, boost and diversify the local economy, and provide appropriate infrastructure, in suitable locations, at the right time. Five overarching principles will determine how this development is delivered: • A climate resilient and Net Zero Carbon South Warwickshire – adapting to the effects of climate change and mitigating against its causes, while avoiding any further damage that might arise from development • A well-designed and beautiful South Warwickshire – creating spaces where people want to be, which respect and reflect the existing beauty and heritage of the area • A healthy, safe and inclusive South Warwickshire – enabling everyone to enjoy safe and healthy lifestyles with a good quality of life • A well-connected South Warwickshire – ensuring that development is physically and digitally connected, provided in accessible locations, and promotes active travel • A biodiverse and environmentally enhanced South Warwickshire – strengthening green and blue infrastructure and achieving a significant net increase in biodiversity across South Warwickshire Strategic Objectives – Meeting South Warwickshire’s Sustainable Development Needs The title of this strategic objective should be changed to ‘Meeting South Warwickshire’s Development Needs’, with the supporting – or introductory – text clarifying that all of the strategic objectives should contribute to achieving sustainable development. Strategic Objectives - A resilient and Net Zero Carbon South Warwickshire The wording of the bullet point should be changed to: • Ensuring that South Warwickshire is resilient to climate change, that new development does not cause a net increase in carbon emissions and that every opportunity is taken to reduce existing carbon emissions and mitigate against – and adapt to - climate harms. Strategic Objectives – A well-designed and beautiful South Warwickshire This strategic objective should include an additional bullet point: • Conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of South Warwickshire’s valued landscapes, particularly the Cotswolds National Landscape. Alternatively, to ensure consistency with other bullet points, the phrase ‘protecting and enhancing’ could be used. 2 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (2021) National Planning Policy Framework. Paragraph 7. 3 NPPF. Paragraph 8
Yes. This is important to enable the delivery of the proposed infrastructure improvements.
Before brownfield land is classed as being ‘suitable’ for development,10 an ecological assessment should be undertaken to identify the ecological value of the site. In particular, consideration should be given to whether the site constitutes the priority habitat of ‘open mosaic habitat on previously development land’. If this is the case, then the land should not be developed unless it can be demonstrated that the development would not harm this priority habitat. 10 https://cdn.buglife.org.uk/2020/01/Identifying-open-mosaic-habitat.pdf
New Settlement Reference E1 (Long Marston Airfield / Meon Vale): We are pleased to see that the sustainability appraisal for this potential new settlement has had regard to the potential impacts on the Cotswolds National Landscape. We support the proposal to mitigate any potential minor adverse effects through the use of landscape-led site design principles. Consideration should be given to the potential cumulative effects of this new settlement combined with other development in this locality.
Don’t know. In principle, a ‘rail corridor’ growth option seems to be an appropriate preferred approach to identifying potential locations for new settlements as this should, in theory, help to reduce commuting-related greenhouse gas emissions. However, the climate change emissions estimation for the potential new settlements indicates that the ‘rail corridor’ growth option doesn’t perform any better than the ‘economy’ growth option or the ‘sustainable travel’ growth option and it performs worse than the ‘sustainable travel and economy’ option. From the information provided in Table 2 of the emissions estimates report11, it would seem that this is because the ‘rail corridor’ growth option doesn’t perform as well in terms of delivering 20-minute neighbourhoods (although it is equal best in reducing car trips). Overall, the ‘sustainable travel and economy’ growth option appears to deliver the most benefits out of the five growth options with regards to mitigating the impacts of climate change, including: •The smallest quantity of greenhouse gas emissions. •The equal best reduction in car trips. •The equal best uptake of 20-minute neighbourhoods. •Highest electric vehicle uptake. •Higher retrofit and on-site renewables. Rail corridors would presumably still form part of this ‘sustainable travel and economy’ growth option. If Long Marston is prioritised through this process, consideration will need to be given to the potential impacts of development, including cumulative impacts, on views from (and to) the Cotswolds National Landscape, particularly with regards to views from public rights of way on Meon Hill. Consideration would also need to be given to the extent to which the close proximity of a new transport hub, such as a new railway station at Meon Vale or Long Marston Airfield, might increase development pressures within the Cotswolds National Landscape and its setting. In this regard, we recommend that development at Meon Vale should not: • Extend into the Cotswolds National Landscape. • Extend east of the B4632. • Coalesce with Lower Quinton. • Extend south of the current southern limit of development at Meon Vale. 11 Stratford-on-Avon District Council and Warwick District Council (2022) South Warwickshire Local Plan – estimation of emissions for proposed growth options and new settlements. Prepared by Arup.
