Dear Development Policy Manager.

After hearing about your local plans I felt I needed to write as I am a little concerned about your local plans for Hatton and feel areas of land have been looked at without the consideration of local people and the environment they live in.
It looks as if no ground surveys have been carried out apart from looking at plots of land.
My main concern was to here about the private proposal laid out below from my family having attended the local meetings over the last two weeks.
My other worry is that Hatton Estate posted out leaflets prior to these meetings to the houses on Hatton Park but did not include any of the houses within the vicinity of the land plots numbered 2 and 3 on your plan.
My direct feelings to this is they are trying to slip something through the back door without proper consultation.
I do not feel any of the sites you have marked in the plan are suitable without major highway improvements due to the grid lock in peak periods. Also a lot of work will be required to prevent flooding as it is now bad in areas around your sites and more hard standing will take away areas for the water to drain slowly away and create more flooding as this water will need to go somewhere.

I have lived in the area for fifty years in Canal Lane. (named Canal Road in the comments)
A local resident spoke to me and said he had laid out some concerns and was going to wright, having showed me his concerns they are the same as my own and can fully agree with the points he has made.
I therefore requested a copy and have attached below to save reinventing the wheel.

I look forward to your comments on how the council will progress with the local plan and to how you will resolve the many issues before granting any developments for the area.

Regards Bob Gee

Comments on the Hatton Estates/Bloor Homes/Marron Housing Development Proposal
Reaction to a proposal by Hatton Estates and Bloor Homes produced by Marrons Planning for the development of an area of land off Birmingham Road between Hatton Park and Canal Road, Hatton Hill, Hatton, Warwickshire.
Introduction
This proposal is a private development proposal to develop a site for 70 to 90 houses of mixed style and function and including some social housing. The site is currently a south facing sloping field under agricultural management. The site is introduced as another option to another site to the south of the Hatton Park estate.
Warwick District Council's preferred option for future housing development is not this site but the site to the South (south east) of Hatton Park. In order to promote this possible option Marrons Planning has produced a document that suggests the 'Canal Road' site has a number of advantages.
Comments
* Green Belt. The site is to the South of the Birmingham Road where historically development within the Green Belt has been refused. Development of this site would significantly affect the visual amenity of the area and destroy an important buffer area between the Birmingham Road and the canal.
* Part of the attraction of the canal system in the area is that it is not over used and providing additional parking and access would not improve the quality of the environment. Should any housing development occur we would not expect residents to be supportive of car parking within a residential area that would adversely affect their privacy and quality of life.
* The site is primarily agricultural land but adjoins the canal network at the Hatton flight of locks which is a historically significant feature and an area of local (arguably national) and natural importance. Privacy and preservation of this area is unlikely to be improved by the development of housing. There could be some important Industrial Archaeology in the area which would need to be investigated, recorded and preserved but it is better that nothing is disturbed by development in the first place.
* The field boundary is surrounded by trees but these are not of sufficient density to screen any development from nearby properties. Any development would be a significant loss of visual amenity as well as an unwanted visual intrusion in the countryside.
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* There is the possibility that there would be a loss of some mature trees during the course of any development and even though compensatory planting might be included in any plans this might not cover the losses. We would hope that the existing trees significant tree would be covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) to prevent such incidents.
* The site is not central to the amenities of Hatton Park or indeed connected to Hatton Park in any way. The amenities in Hatton Park are not well used and the village shop in particular struggles to remain a viable business. This development is even further away from a central hub and is unlikely to add additional business to activities within Hatton Park.
* An additional 70 to 90 houses in this location would indeed assist business at The Hatton Arms and possibly The Falcon. The Hatton Arms is now a thriving business that on occasions is too busy with an overloaded car park, especially in the summer months. There have been and are concerns for road safety at the entrance to the Hatton Arms on the Birmingham Road. A development of housing in this area could possibly increase the evident danger.
* The views from the houses on Canal Road that overlook the field would be dramatically changed for the worse and would represent a reduction in the quality of the environment.
* During the 'rush hours' of 07.45 to 09.00 and 17.00 to 18.30 the traffic on the Birmingham Road is often stationary, especially going in to Warwick in the morning. The addition of a new roundabout at the bottom of Hatton Hill would very likely increase the traffic problem. Recently traffic has been witnessed queuing as far back as the Five Ways Island at Wroxall during the morning rush hour.
* The speed limit is 50mph down to 40 mph at the bottom of Hatton Hill and the construction of a road island would very likely increase and not reduce the potential for accidents.
* Local residents would have no wish to see a large traffic island constructed at the bottom of Hatton Hill. The stationary traffic and noise of acceleration away from the island would increase disturbance and pollution levels in the area.
* Adding another 70 to 90 houses in this area would generate a lot more traffic with the potential to cause more congestion at busy times of the day. It would seem that a full traffic study would be required before any such development is considered. This study would also apply to the preferred site nearer to Warwick. In addition it may be necessary to consider a study of the adequacy of the existing infrastructure.
* Already the road drainage in the area of Brownley Green Lane is inadequate with water often flooding the nearby so called lay-bye area adjacent to the Birmingham Road/Beausale Lane junction.
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* The environmental impact of further street lighting in the area could be quite significant. Due to the contour of the land, street lights and housing would be very visible rising up Hatton Hill and no screening would be able to hide the development.
* The concept plan provided by Marrons Planning does not have sufficient detail to comment on the layout, style and density of any proposed properties but as this site is wholly detached from Hatton Park it might not be necessary to use that as a blueprint for design should further consultation occur. This might be a good thing.
* A Birmingham Road crossing point would need further explanation. It is thought that a bridge would be inappropriate in the location.
* A cycle link to the other cycle ways in the area would be welcome.
* Should there be a need to increase the car parking at Hatton locks alternative options might exist that do not involve a significant development of houses with the offer of providing parking as an incentive.
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