Object

Village Housing Options and Settlement Boundaries

Representation ID: 61336

Received: 19/01/2014

Respondent: Karen & Nathan Bell

Representation Summary:

-Disagree with the allocation of Hatton Park as a Secondary Service Village as it does not offer a good range of services/facilities.
-The village has poor public transport connections with the 68 Bus Service unreliable/infrequent and not connecting with the rail service
-Concerned about traffic flow increase and safe access to the road network particularly given the proposed two new access points onto the A4177 and poor visibility
-Children from Hatton Park may have to travel some distance to secure a school place
-90 houses would not put undue pressure on local infrastructure

Full text:

1. We object to the proposals to allocate 90 additional houses on Hatton Park as set out in the Village Housing Options and Settlement Boundaries Consultation of November 2013. This document provides further information about the specific preferred site options identified in the Revised Development Strategy of June 2013.

2. In the Revised Development Strategy, Hatton Park is defined as a Secondary Service Village. Para 4.3.13 of that document states that information on the approach to demonstrating a robust and justifiable approach to the establishment of a settlement hierarchy is contained in the technical paper Draft Settlement Hierarchy Report 2013.

3. Secondary Service Villages are defined in that Report as ... "offering a good range of services/facilities or good accessibility to services/facilities..".

4. Hatton Park is not sustainable in terms of offering a good range of services/facilities or good accessibility to services/facilities - particularly by public transport and no evidence is provided in the Consultation document, the Revised Development Strategy or the Draft Settlement Hierarchy Report and Appendix 5 of that Report.

5. Hatton Park does not have good public transport connections. The No. 68 bus service that serves the estate is infrequent, unpunctual, unreliable and does not integrate with the local rail service.

6. We have concerns about the safe access to the road network, particularly given the proposed two new access points including one directly onto the Birmingham Road (A4177) and the impact of the additional trips that would be generated by the proposed additional houses. In particular there are a number of existing access points onto the Birmingham Road in close proximity to the proposed new access and specific visibility issues are identified in the Site Appraisal Matrix (Appendix 6 of the Consultation document).

7. Warwickshire is experiencing a significant growth in pupil numbers and demand for places is currently outweighing availability. In 2012, there was a consultation on proposals to increase the Published Admission Number (PAN) of The Ferncumbe CE Primary School from and to re-allocate the Hatton Park development across the priority areas for Budbrooke Primary School and The Ferncumbe CE primary School to help the Local Authority to meet its statutory duty to ensure sufficient places. Without these changes, children from the Hatton Park development could have to travel some considerable distance to secure a school place and a large number of 'in-area' children will be unable to secure admission to their priority school.

8. I consider that the proposed 90 additional houses will place undue pressure on local infrastructure and services - particularly local schools and the road network in isolation and together with the options for two Gypsy and Traveller sites in the vicinity as set out in Warwick District Council's document Sites for Gypsies and Travellers (June 2013).