Flooding:
The land on which it is proposed to build has a heavy clay sub-soil and readily and regularly floods. The last time was 2007 and 47 houses in Cubbington had to be evacuated and renovated for an average of 6 months and some for 12 months.
Cubbington village lies in a natural hollow below Windmill Hill. There is natural drainage from the upper church end of the village to the Pingle Brook but this is unable to drain away sufficiently.
The addition of 2500 further houses, roads and paved driveways on the new estate on the existing flood prone area with additional water from the stream at Offchurch, would make matters many times worse.
I understand that there has been no progress on any work to alleviate the flooding since the 2007 problem. Are Severn Trent and the National Rivers Authority along with the Environment Agency (DEFRA) willing and able to provide the expensive drainage and pumping systems necessary to prevent the risk of flooding of the centre of the village?
There has been a road sign placed outside Thwaites factory stating that the road is laible to flooding and likely to be impassable at certain times (see also traffic)
Traffic and New Proposed Access:
There is a single access point to the estate shown on the Cubbington side of this development and this would see to place reliance on the use of a private drive to Hill Farm being given over for the purpose.
The access from Lillington would be by 2/3 at present cul-de-sac side roads off Parklands Avenue. These are totally unsuitable as entry roads.
There is inadequate space for a suitable sized roundabout at the exit from the estate on to the Offchurch Road at the foot of Queens Street, Cubbington. Heavy lorries would have difficulties passing at this point.
The existing traffic is already busy along the Offchurch Road to Windmill Hill or to Offchurch village. The former route goes past St Theresa's School where there is insufficient lay-by space and danger to children crossing the road at school times including lunch time. Then there is a mini-roundabout at the top of the hill, which crosses the Cubbbington Road and is an accident black spot as drivers still consider the Cubbington Road to be the main road and take it as having priority
Drivers, especially lorry drivers who wish to avoid this mini roundabout cut along Cross Lane or Queens Street and through Cubbington village centre and up Church Lane. This produces great dangers of an accident as the streets are narrow and there are cars parked on one or both sides of the street. This can cause difficulties with the peoples' access to Cubbington Church of England School
Associated Amenities:
Schools - it is understood that there is no room for expansion at Cubbington C Of E and St Theresa's schools. Cubbington and both Telford Infants and Junior Schools have had temporary classrooms for many years.
It would seem that a new school would be required.
Medical Services - There is a single medical practice at Highland Road Lillington and this already serves the outlying villages as well as Cubbington and Lillington.
Additional midwifery and nursing services may well be required
Dental services would be required
Water and Sewage Services:
The present service network cope but additional facilites are likely to be required.
Policing - There is already youth trouble in the area and additional cover would be required
Employment:
At the public meeting held on 17 March 2010 at the Cubbington Sports & Social Club, the Warwick and Leamington District Council representatives from the planning department were unable to indicate that any new large employers or sizeable existing employers were likely to be coming to the area. It was indicated that several brown field sites had been designated as available for industry in Leamington Spa and Warwick. This begged the question as to why they were not available for these housing developments rather than taking existing green belt land currently in agricultural use?
As previously stated the road network to reach work in Leamington Spa and Warwick Industrial Estates is poor; similarly for Kenilworth via Kenilworth Road, Bericot Road and via the very busy Chesford Bridge.
Arable Land Conservation of Wildlife and Rural Amenities:
The proposal if adopted to swallow up 53 hectares of arable land in current agricultural use.
It is an undisturbed area for wildlife including badgers, crested newts and birds. There are many footpaths, which cross these fields. The villagers are regular and frequently walk the paths.
The village of Cubbington has records going back to 1066 and the people appreciate the value of their countryside and do not wish to be linked up to the town sprawl of Leamington
The people of Cubbington appreciate and wish to continue their rural life
The value of living in beautiful open countryside must not be lost forever