Object

Revised Development Strategy

Representation ID: 56282

Received: 08/07/2013

Respondent: Lindsey Taylor

Representation Summary:

Where is predicted growth in housing coming from? Is there evidence that Kenilworth will need the amount of housing proposed?

Full text:

As a Kenilworth resident, I am writing to express my concerns about the Local Plan.

I outline a number of concerns below, which are not clarified sufficiently, or have been conveniently side-stepped, in the 'preferred options summary'.

My main concern however, is infrastructure planning, and in particular, sixth form education in the Kenilworth area. There is a lot of talk about the need to provide additional school places, but not enough focus on 16-18 education places. What plans are there to increase 16-18 education infrastructures within the local plan, which, coupled with government plans for children to stay on in education until the age of 18, will be crucial in the very near future? Kenilworth School Sixth Form is already oversubscribed and won't be accessible to large numbers of Kenilworth children if the proposals for new housing in such large numbers go ahead.

In addition:
* Where is the predicted growth in housing coming from? Is there really statistical evidence to show that Kenilworth specifically will need additional housing at such a growth rate?
* How will the plan be funded? I'm particularly interested to hear why tax payers will be expected to fund sites for non-tax paying communities which the current proposals suggest.
* The plan may be adopted in 2014 - but what are the timescales for implementation?
* What exactly are the employment opportunities that these developments will bring, beyond the build phase?
* Road and rail networks will be key. Traffic in the Thickthorn area is already heavy at peak times.