Object

Revised Development Strategy

Representation ID: 57048

Received: 27/07/2013

Respondent: Gillian Pearson

Representation Summary:

Warwick not geographically suited to large housing developments around its periphery - only two river crossing points and an historic centre which restricts traffic flow. This should be avoided if the quality of life is to be preserved.

Additional traffic will cause horrendous congestion and increased traffic pollution. The plan should reduce or at least not worsen traffic congestion and so out of town housing developments should be avoided. The increased traffic will diminish air quality of the even further.

Where is the need as many houses on the old Potterton site are still on the market after several years?

Full text:

I believe that you have devised a plan to destroy Warwick and, as a resident of the town, I strongly object to its implementation. Here are my objections in more detail:

Housing and Traffic

Warwick is not geographically suited to cope with large housing developments around its periphery - we have a river with only two crossing points and an historic town with narrow streets which means that traffic movement is always going to be severely restricted. On these grounds alone, additional housing development around the outskirts of the town should be avoided at all costs if the quality of life of Warwick is to be preserved for future generations.

There is no point planning dual carriageways to carry the traffic to and from the new estates because when it gets to the town it will come to a halt causing horrendous congestion and increased traffic pollution. The situation now in 2013 is bad - Warwick is famous for its traffic congestion being much worse than Leamington or Kenilworth. For example, work colleagues refuse to drive into Warwick when we lift share because of the traffic problems here so I always have to drive out to meet up with them somewhere else.

You need to devise a plan that will reduce or at least not worsen traffic congestion and I'm afraid this means that out of town housing developments will need to be 'off the menu'.

Why do we need all these extra houses when many of the homes built on the old Potterton site are still on the market after several years?

Air Quality

The District Council is required to improve air quality which at present is above the legal limit, therefore the increased traffic from the new housing developments will diminish the quality of the air even further. How will you improve the air quality with this plan in place?

Gypsies

I object to the plan for so many gypsy sites in the area with so much council tax payers money being spent on a group of people who do not contribute to the economy of the district. It seems the council is bending over backwards to help this non-tax paying group whilst the council tax payers are getting the thin end of the wedge - could it be that the gypsies shout louder than the so-called 'settled community' (tax paying residents)? That certainly seems to be the case looking at the astounding number of proposed gypsy sites in the plan.


If the council needs to raise funds for new schools, improving infrastructure etc, I would be grateful if it would not sell the soul of the town it is meant to be representing to housing developers in order to achieve this. Please come up with a fresh Plan that honestly looks after the interests of the town and its inhabitants and which centres on quality of life in Warwick rather than a money grab that will blight the lives of future Warwick residents.