I wish to object to the Gypsy and Traveller preferred site GT04 Land at Harbury Lane, Fosse Way.
My comments and some of my concerns are as follows:
- The site does not meet the fundamental planning criteria laid out in the NPPF, guidance from Department of Communities and Local Government and WDC's own consultation documents for Gypsy & Traveller sites. GT04 does not comply with planning policy whereby sites should provide access to nearby services and quality of life. Specifically:-
- Accessibility to shops and local services: GT04 does not meet national planning framework guidelines recommended 5-10mins walk on a pavement.
-Proximity to local community: GT04 does not meet the national planning framework guidelines recommendation for sites to be on community periphery to encourage integration.
-Establishing 5-10 pitches at GT04 would be disproportionate to the local community (8 residential properties, with 16 adults and 4 children). This is contradictory to national planning framework guidelines recommendations.
-Planning policy for G&T requires schools / GP surgeries to be a 5-10 minute walk away, GT04 is at least a 45 minute walk away.
- The nearest GP surgery is three miles away
- that GP surgery is at capacity.
- According to the Government's planning policy framework, adjacent DCs are required to collaborate, and yet Warwick DC and Stratford DC are very much out of phase with their consultations so logically they cannot collaborate. Further there is no evidence that WDC has collaborated or discussed with Stratford DC other than a reported "10 minute long but un-minuted meeting" or with Rugby DC
- there is no evidence in WDC's consultation report that as required by NPFF and CLG , that WDC have weighed up the cost to council of Compulsory purchase vs development of underutilised brownfield sites including those that the council already own.
. - The WDC proposals will provide for more accommodation than there are G&T residents within WDC boundary the vast majority of whom already live in houses so the requirement is clearly seriously over-stated
- There is clear evidence via Hansard that MP's now want a fair planning policy that should result in the abolition of the G&T planning requirement
- There has been little (and passive) publicity of the Consultation process and key milestones. Had it not been for the local Community group I would not have known about it - it feels and looks like this is a deliberate underhanded approach.