Object

Representation ID: 57650

Received: 29/07/2013

Respondent: Stephen Ray

Concentrating development to the south of Warwick in preference to the more distributed pattern contained in previous plans is very poor planning which when taken in conjunction with the proposed development by Stratford District Council of up to 4800 houses at Gaydon/Lighthorne. This will mean a total of over 8,000 new houses / 20,000 new residents living along the Gaydon to Warwick/Leamington corridor. Most of which will shop and use the medical facilities in Warwick and District Council. The development needs to be more evenly distributed and thought through.

Potential for serious damage from excess traffic to what is already a traffic dependent economy. Plan will generate patterns of traffic that add counter-sustainable commuting across Warwick and Leamington Spa to places outside our District.

Large volumes of traffic are seriously damaging to health and the latest threat identified is the potential to cause lung cancer. The levels of through traffic within the area of the town centre have already been 'designated' to a likely breach of the Nitrogen Dioxide objective as specified in the Air Quality Regulations (England) (Wales) 2000. Adding to the already unacceptable levels of pollution and subsequent damage to health is poor planning.

Protecting Warwick Castle's status as the finest castle in the UK is crucial to the town's future. Looking south over the ramparts at another 3,000 new homes will be contrary to recommendations of the District Council's landscape and environmental consultants. The historic nature of the town will be irreversibly damaged. More consideration should be taken of their advice and to the preservation of the landscaped setting of the approaches to the south of Warwick.

Recent floods have all been man-made, with the flood waters not coming from the river, but up, out of the drains. The drainage of the 6,630 proposed new dwellings will join the water course at some point. Considering the state of the existing system and the constant need for the Council to manually maintain the main under-river sewer coupled with the run-off of many of the proposed dwellings.