The Revised Development Strategy is acceptable in the compromise that exists in balancing housing/infrastructure with Green Belt land.
There are no exceptional circumstances that allows the use of Green Belt land north of Leamington Spa.
It is vital to preserve the limited green space between Leamington and Kenilworth. Without the Green Belt land there is risk that Leamington and Warwick will merge with the West Midlands.
WDC should now resist approving any planning applications until the Revised Development Strategy is completed. This is to ensure that the correct infrastructure is planned and available.
Brownfield sites are still the best way to plan housing. The development on the old Potterton's site should be completed before any new planning applications are passed.
The foundations for these dwellings are already in place and those dwellings would reduce the numbers of housing units needed elsewhere.
The Revised Development Strategy has a reasonable distribution of new housing across the District. 17% of the new houses will be in the Green Belt North of Leamington, at Thickthorn and Lillington. 15% of the proposed development will be in Warwickshire Villages.
It is important that most of the development is located close to where there are employment opportunities (to the South of Leamington & Warwick). This provides opportunity for people to live close to their place of work. This is turn reduces or eliminates commuting for many people, with a consequential positive impact on the environment & everyone's quality of life.
The prospect of access to a good local workforce will help to encourage more businesses to set up & relocate to the area, helping to generate more jobs & prosperity for the local community.
The Revised Development Strategy provides for improvement to the road network South of Leamington to relieve the existing congestion and to cater for the new development. It is important that these road improvements are carried out as part of a coordinated plan. Traffic surveys show that road improvements can cope with the planned new development and that locating the majority of the development South of Leamington will reduce traffic movements, ease congestion and reduce pollution.
The Revised Development Strategy should provide for the necessary schools, hospitals and other infra-structure to support the new development.
I have special concerns about Warwick hospital as it struggles now to meet the demand of patients. The hospital and other infrastructures should grow before the population of Warwick and Leamington does.