Preferred Options

(6) 4. Spatial Portrait, Issues and Objectives

(6) Population and Spatial Portrait (see Map 1)

4.1 Warwick District has a growing, ageing, urban, ethnically diverse and highly skilled population.

4.2 90% of the 138,800 residents live in the main urban areas of Kenilworth, Warwick, Whitnash and Leamington Spa with the remaining 10% living in a number of relatively small villages. The population has grown from 124,000 in 2000—a 12% increase—and is forecast to continue grow, with potentially a 15% growth over the next 15 years.

4.3 Compared to other parts of Warwickshire, a higher proportion of the District’s population is of working age. The highest rate of projected population growth in the future is expected to amongst those aged 65 and over.

4.4 The District has a diverse population, with a high proportion of non-white British residents (15% of the total population) compared to other Districts in the County.

4.5 Notwithstanding the current economic downturn, the District has in recent years had a strong local economy, with a skilled population and higher than average levels of productivity and earnings compared with regional and national averages.

4.6 A significant proportion of the District is designated for its environmental or historic value. To protect and maintain the character of the District, the Local Plan will have to balance the growth of the District with the protection and enhancement of these assets.

4.7 Areas of historic or environmental importance in the District include:

• 81% of the District 28,000 hectares is Green Belt.
• 7 Sites of Special Scientific Interest
• 15 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
• 2145 listed buildings
• 29 conservation areas (covering 4% of the District)
• 11 Registered Parks and Gardens (covering 4% f the District)

(8) Issues

4.8 The District faces a number of opportunities and issues and it is important that the local plan addresses these. The Council consulted on the issues facing the District during spring 2011 and through that consultation the following issues were identified as important:

1. The effects of the recent recession and not knowing how the local economy will change in the future.

2. Relatively high house prices limiting local people’s ability to buy or rent property in the area, creating the need for more affordable housing for families in towns and villages and the need to provide more housing to meet people’s needs in the future, particularly those of older people.

3. The threat to the economic strength of the town centres of Warwick, Leamington Spa and Kenilworth from retail and leisure developments elsewhere..

4. The size and condition of existing community facilities and services (particularly schools and health-care facilities) and whether they can meet current and future needs.

5. People’s general health and well-being, and the need for people (particularly teenagers and young people) to have access to sport and cultural experiences, such as cinemas and community events.

6. Road congestion and air pollution, particularly around the main junctions along the A46 and M40, the routes into the towns, and within the town centres.

7. The threat of flooding of homes and businesses in some areas, particularly where surface water may flood towns and villages, and the concern that the threat of flooding will increase because of climate change.

8. Areas of poverty in Warwick and Leamington Spa.

9. The pressure for new development threatening the high-quality built and natural environments in the district, particularly historic areas, and the cost of maintaining historic buildings and areas.

10. Crime and the fear of crime, particularly in town centres, and the need to protect the community from harm.

11. The Government’s planned High Speed 2 rail line and its possible effects on the area (the Government is consulting the public separately on this issue).

(8) Objectives

4.9 During the consultation carried out in Spring 2011, a number of objectives were identified. These set out the key aims that the Local Plan will seek to deliver. Following the consultation, the objectives have been amended to take account of the views received and more recent changes (such as the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework). These objectives have been used to link the Council’s Strategy, described in paragraph 2.5, with the specific proposals set out in the Preferred Options (summarised in section Error! Reference source not found. below and detailed in sections 7 to 18)

4.10 (3) Providing sustainable levels of growth in the district.

1. (1) Provide a sustainable level of economic growth (and balance this with housing growth) to maintain high levels of employment, and to deal with pockets of unemployment in deprived areas. The Local Plan will:
   • identify and maintain a flexible and varied supply of accommodation and land for business that is the right type and in the right location
   • support the growth of knowledge-intensive industries, energy industries and the rural economy; and
   • improve the rates of business growth in the district to support the ‘organic’ growth of the local economy.
2. (3) Provide a sustainable level of housing growth (and balance this with economic growth) to reduce the number of people who are currently homeless or living in unsatisfactory accommodation , to meet future housing needs, and to help deal with the issues of need for affordable housing. The Local Plan will:
   • identify and maintain a flexible supply of land for housing that is the right type, has the right tenure, and is in the right location;
   • make sure that the district can accommodate university students without harming the balance of existing communities;
   • allow providers to meet the special housing needs of the growing number of older people; and
   • make provision for gypsies and travellers in order to deal with local need and historic demand.
3. (1) Provide a sustainable level of retail and leisure growth that will meet people’s existing and future needs, and will maintain and improve the vitality and viability of existing town and local centres as attractive and safe places to visit both by day and night. The Local Pan will:
   • identify the role of each of the town centres, and a plan for their future management and growth that will provide sustainable levels of retail and leisure growth

4.11 (2) Providing well-designed new developments that are in the right location and address climate change

4. (8) Make sure that new developments are in places that will reduce the need for people to use their cars. This will improve air quality and help address climate change by reducing road congestion and carbon emissions, and will encourage people to live more healthy lifestyles by walking and cycling more.
5. Make sure new developments are designed and built so they use water and energy efficiently and reduce the overall demand for natural resources (specifically by increasing the use of renewable and low-carbon sources of energy to reduce carbon emissions).
6. Make sure that new developments are located, designed and built so that they can deal with the expected effects of climate change, particularly flooding.
7. (5) Make sure new developments are appropriately distributed across the district and designed and located to maintain and improve the quality of the built and natural environments, particularly historic areas and buildings, sensitive wildlife habitats and areas of high landscape value. In addition new developments should respect the integrity of existing settlements.
8. (3) Make sure new developments are built to a high standard in terms of design, and provide inclusive, lively and attractive places where people feel safe and want to live, work or visit.
9. (4) Make sure new developments provide public and private open spaces where there is a choice of areas of shade, shelter and recreation which will benefit people and wildlife and provide flood storage and carbon management.
10. (1) Make sure that if buildings and spaces, particularly in historic areas, need to be adapted to meet the changing needs of the economy and to deal with environmental issues, they will be adapted in a sensitive way.

4.12 (1) Enabling the district’s infrastructure to improve and support growth

11. (5) Enable organisations that provide community infrastructure, such as schools and the health service, to provide and maintain improved facilities and services in locations people can get to and that can meet people’s current and future needs, and support sustainable economic growth in deprived areas.
12. Enable energy, communications, water and waste organisations to improve their infrastructure and services so that they can meet people’s current and future needs, protect the environment, and contribute towards dealing with the causes and mitigating the effects of climate change.
13. (4) Enable transport providers to provide improvements, particularly better and more integrated public transport, cycling and pedestrian facilities, to meet people’s current and future needs, improve the safety and efficiency of the transport network, and support sustainable economic growth.
14. (2) Enable improvements to be made to the built and natural environments which will help to maintain and improve historic assets, improve habitats and their connectivity, help the public access and enjoy open spaces such as parks and allotments, reduce the risk of flooding, keep the effects of climate change (including the effects on habitats and wildlife) to a minimum, and support healthy lifestyles.
15. (2) Enable the maintenance and improvement of the quality of sporting and leisure facilities, including opportunities for culture and tourism. This will include maintaining a flexible supply of land and buildings for sport and recreation that is the right quality and in the right location, and can meet people’s current and future needs and support healthy lifestyles.