I am writing to object to the new Local Plan. I am absolutely disgusted that Warwick District Council intends to destroy our lovely town by carving up our beautiful surrounding countryside and building houses, turning Warwick and the surrounding area into a massive suburban sprawl. Our area is renowned for being part of 'Leafy Warwickshire'. If the local plan goes ahead then 'Leafy Warwickshire' will be no more. Our surrounding countryside, which has been here for thousands of years, should be protected and safeguarded for future generations, not decimated by this preposterous Local Plan.
Furthermore, it is abhorrent that you are dumping 12,300 houses on Warwick District. Less than half that number would meet local needs. Warwick and its residents will suffer greatly for many reasons. Besides the fact that the appearance of Warwick and the surrounding area will be greatly altered and ruined for people who live in and visit the town, Warwick is designed in such a way that would not sustain any more people and cars. There is not sufficient infrastructure to support such a massive increase in urbanisation; the District Council's predicted funding and provision for other infrastructure such as schools and healthcare facilities etc. is not enough and there would also be risks to the water supply, sewage and drainage.
There is not sufficient infrastructure to cope with any more people, let alone the massive development that Warwick District Council are proposing. Sprawling development is inevitably car-dependent. Currently the roads of Warwick cannot cope with the amount of traffic that passes through it every day. This plan would just be squeezing more congested traffic onto the existing road network, the already buckling old bridge over the River Avon, and in limited parking areas. At the moment this traffic is causing severe air pollution in Warwick and the surrounding area, which is already worse than is legally permitted. The District Council are required to improve air quality, but the plan and its transport strategy would worsen it. Noise and vibration would also be constant and businesses and tourism would be damaged in these tough economic times. Of even more concern is the fact that the long-term health of residents in the town would be even more threatened. It is disgraceful that you are willing to risk the health of the people who already live here just to fulfil the criteria of your ill-informed and poorly conceived Local Plan.
Moreover, the historic environment of Warwick, which attracts visitors from around the world and of which locals can be proud, would be directly damaged by the increase in traffic and by wide new junctions cluttered with traffic lights and signs at beautiful places: in Warwick at Bridge End, over the Castle Bridge (described as being the most beautiful view in Britain), on Castle Hill, and at St. John's; and on the approach to Leamington via Europa Way.
What message are we sending to the world about how we treat our beautiful historic towns? This would undoubtedly have a dramatic effect on tourism and consequently the economy of the area. We should be preserving our heritage, not erasing our cultural identity and destroying the historic integrity of our buildings.
There are better alternatives to this crazy Local Plan. Please reconsider what you are doing to our wonderful town. If the Local Plan goes ahead then Warwick and the surrounding area will be irreversibly damaged and the town that we all know and love will be no more. It is an issue that many of us are concerned and upset about, but you have the power to change this bleak future for our town.