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I would like offer comments on the proposal to use Turnbull s Gardens as a Gypsy and Travellers site .

I would refer to the settings documents that I have produced for both the Gallows Hill Sites and The Asps site where a detailed study of the impact of Banbury Road and the adjacent agricultural land has highlighted the importance of these features to the setting s of Warwick Castle Park , Warwick Conservation area and Warwick Castle .These study s have highlighted the significance of the re alignment of Banbury Road in the late eighteenth century to the creation of an almost designed approach to Warwick and more importantly to the Castle itself .
The site at Turnballs Gardens lies between the two areas of land for which setting exercise s have been carried out ( using guidlines produced by English Heritage ). In both cases the possibilities of development on either Gallows Hill and /or the Asps is judged as causing harm to the settings of the major historic assets , Warwick Castel Park , Warwick Castle and Warwick conservation area . The level of harm is described in the reports and the fact that it cannot be satisfactorily mitigated against.
Historically ,although not well documented , Turnbulls Gardens appears to have been created at the same time that Banbury Road was re aligned and this area of land and tree planting defined as the outfall of New Waters in Castle Park ,
Whilst an approval has been granted for caravan use at Turnballs gardens and the land has been disfigured by landfill the general contours and original tree belt are still well defined along Banbury Road and part of the important route that form s part of the setting and sense of arrival to the heritage assets . To add a further use to this site that could lead to static caravans and mobile homes within these important views would in my view be unacceptable development in this sensitive area . There is possibly more research to be done into the history of this area however I think that it is clear that a further layer of development would significantly change the character of this area which would impact upon the historically important route into Warwick and impact on the setting of the heritage assets and I do not consider in this case would be out weighed by the public benefit of locating this type of development in this location - particularly as there are other sites under consideration .