I object strongly to the proposed development of this land as a Gypsy/Traveller site. This land provides essential drainage and flood plains to a water course that currently runs under the A46. Any disturbance to this drainage will divert water through the overflow facility, which is not designed to take that quantity of water, and cause flooding to the A46 and properties that are situated adjacent to the Hampton Road. The existing drainage has had to be altered to take the overflow due to property flooding over a period of 7 years from 1998 to 2005 but the A46 still floods as the drainage along the highway cannot accommodate the quantity of water that it directed through it.
I am also objecting on the grounds of local infrastructure being insufficient to cope with the current levels of demand and not able to handle any greater demand. The local schools are already oversubscribed before the projected rise in applications from the expansion of Chase Meadow is taken into consideration. The Dr's surgery was repositioned from Warwick Town Centre to Chase Meadow and brought existing patients with them as well as taking on new patients from Chase Meadow and cannot take on further patients. This has also created more passing traffic through the estate as well as the increased use of the estate roads by people employed in the industrial area on Tournament Fields and visitors coming to The Unicorn pub. There have been several serious accidents at the junction of Purser Drive and Hampton Road and the current 30mph speed limit is ignored by the vast majority of passing motorists. Massive delays on the M40 at rush hour force drivers onto surrounding roads in order to reach their destination in Leamington and the traffic on Hampton Road at rush hour has increased massively in the last 15 years. The access road to the proposed site is directly opposite a pedestrian/cycle path from Chase Meadow and currently, users of the path have to cross a 50mph stretch of road directly into the mouth of the proposed access road. This is less than ideal at present, given the high volume of traffic but the thought of children and others crossing to reach the school bus stop through an active junction is unbearable. Also, I believe that, given the response from local residents, it is impossible that the development of this site will promote peaceful co-existence between the Gypsies and the local community. The potential for noise disturbance to the existing residents, due to businesses being run from the site, and destruction of wildlife habitat through the proposed construction is considerable. There is also a real danger of disturbances to the Racecourse, as well as the possibility of the spread of disease from Gypsy livestock to racehorses. Finally I am very concerned about the increase in crime. The cycle path onto the Hampton road also gives direct access to our cul de sac. Since the street lights have started getting switched off, we have seen an increase in break-ins and attempted break-ins to both houses and cars, this is enough of a problem as it stands. I consider it to be a well known fact that crime rates increase in areas in which the gypsies/travellers reside. Warwick's Police force is already stretched thin following policing cuts and the closure of Warwick Police Station, it is unfair on all new and long standing residents of not just our road but the whole estate, to have to permanently sleep with one eye open "just in case" their property is targeted.