Dear Sirs,
I must object in the strongest terms to the plans to turn Sydenham, Whitnash, Warwick Gates, Bishops Tachbrook and South Warwick into one giant horrendous conurbation.
Who do expect to buy all of these houses?
The banks aren't lending and people aren't spending. There is a risk of building a ghost town.
We simply DO NOT NEED this many houses
I have lived on Warwick Gates since the early days in 1999. It is my observation that over half of the houses built were not occupied by local people, but people moving into the area because of its proximity to the M40 and convenience for commuting to Birmingham, London, Coventry, Banbury, Oxford etc. If you believe that there is a local housing shortage, this is not the answer. I guarantee you that the houses will be filled by people moving into the area. Now more people moving into the area might be great news for Morrisons who (for some reason) have been allowed to build yet another supermarket that we neither want or need, but it is terrible news for the current residents that you are supposed to be representing.
It's not fair
I heard in last week's meeting at Whitnash Primary School that just saying 'it's not fair' will be ignored even if it is blatantly true. However, as my representatives in local government, I firmly believe that being fair to local residents is absolutely your duty and your obligation. This ISN'T FAIR. I feel as though I am being told that I am going to get 10-20 years of disruption, development, dirt. Followed by permanent increases in pollution, traffic, destruction of countryside on a massive scale in a circle around my house! This IS NOT FAIR and MUST NOT be allowed to happen. If we really need the houses (which I dispute) then it is your duty to share them around the area, it cannot be OK to imprison our houses inside this planned circle of destruction.
Brownfield sites
In the presentation at Whitnash Primary school, we were told that the council is taking a 'Proactive approach to brownfield sites'. How can this be true when the biggest and best brownfield site in the area has been used to build yet another unnecessary supermarket. What a golden opportunity wasted to build in-town housing and start addressing the alleged housing shortage. Instead we get a plan to destroy more countryside. Your plan has no credibility.
Massive increase in traffic
There WILL be a huge increase in traffic. To be honest, just telling me that you have a computer model that says everything will be fine doesn't wash. The traffic congestion is already terrible. There is no way that throwing another 12,000 cars into the mix is going to be OK. Building dual carriageways to squeeze more cars in more quickly will clearly make everything worse.
Air pollution
I am told that air pollution in Warwick is already at unacceptably high (illegally high someone said?) levels. There is no way that throwing another 12,000 cars into the mix is going to be OK.
Emergency services
We heard that there are only 4 points to cross the river. All of which are single lane bottlenecks. All of the services are north of the river, yet you are proposing to massively increase the population South of the river. Not only would this ruin our countryside, our air, our roads, our views, but you will adversely affect our access to emergency services. On this plan I would expect to see a new hospital, a new fire station, a new police station south of the river to address the problem.
Further decay of Leamington town centre
I believe that the prospect of huge population growth south of Leamington is driving the expansion of the Shires retail park and surrounding area. Clearly Morrisons, Aldi, Debenhams, John Lewis etc would not be moving in without being pretty sure that the developments will go ahead. This will continue to drag shoppers away from the town centre and we will get yet more boarded up, closed down units.
Local community & identity
I fear that because I can't put a monetary value on quality of life, it doesn't matter to the planners. It does. Whitnash IS Whitnash, Warwick Gates IS Warwick Gates. This is our home, our identity, where we belong. It MEANS something to us. Your plans destroy all of that permanently and there will no going back.
Gypsies
If all of the above wasn't enough, I'm also being told that you plan to create 20 gypsy sites in Warwick District. Why is the vast concentration in a circle around my house again! You know this is unfair. Why must you keep dumping from a height on my area? ITS NOT FAIR. You cannot look at the plan and think that it's OK. You exist to look after the interests of the district - LOOK AFTER MY INTERESTS! It's not OK to keep dumping on one corner while the rest of the district do not take their share. Yes I am worried about crime, yes I am worried about house prices, insurance costs, quality of life and safety.
Final plea!
I can see that there is massive commercial pressure to build 1000s of new houses. It can't be a coincidence that we have more supermarkets being built a stone's throw from the 'proposed' developments.
I guarantee you that 99% of the local population do not want this. It is disturbing to think that it's probably going to happen anyway. This is supposed to be a democracy.
This madness has to stop. You can't just keep building more and more houses for ever. Enough is enough. Please be strong, please be brave. Fight central government, fight the big businesses, save our home.