Object

Preferred Options for Sites

Representation ID: 64395

Received: 02/05/2014

Respondent: Paul and Caroline Whitwood

Representation Summary:

As residents of Bishops Tachbrook object to site GT05 - Land At Tachbrook Hill Farm on the following grounds :-
* The adjacent road junction is an accident black spot with several serious injuries / fatalities occuring during the 12 years we have lived in the village. The presence of the police speed camera van at the site of this juction is further demonstration that this is an accident black spot. Objective factual data detailing all RTA's is in the public sector domain (local police / hospital records) and should be retrieved and considered by yourselves.
* The Gaydon Road and juctions off this to and from Bishops Tachbrook are already heavily congested during weekday rush hour periods (07:00 to 09:00 and 16:00 to 18:00) resulting in stationary / crawling traffic Monday to Friday, every week. Any additional development will only make this worse.
* This is a green field site which would also require compulsory purchase. There are also no services currently provided (water, electricity, sewerage etc). These facts mean it represents one of the least economic sites to develop as a gypsy and traveller site. As these sites are being provisioned using the tax payers money, you have a responsibility to ensure that cost effective sites are chosen such as GTalt01. Site GT05 is certainly not cost effective for the reasons given.
* Planning permission to build houses on this land / land adjacent to it was recently rejected by WDC on the grounds that, and I quote "the development would have an adverse impact on the visual amenity of the rural area" and "improvements to highways, libraries, education or healthcare and therefore the infrastructure needs generated by the development have not been satisfactorily secured". All of these factors apply just as equally to development of this land as a gypsy and travellers site. Your proposal of GT05 as a potential gypsy and traveller site therefore contradicts your prior planning rulings and is there inappropriate, hypocritical and ill conceived.
* The site is seen to regularly flood in the Autumn, Winter and Spring periods on a regular basis - factual proof of this is available. This makes it less suitable than other sites being proposed and would again result in additional development expenditure meaning it is one of the least cost effective sites as previously pointed out above.
* Local village services are already over-subscribed. The local school is full and is already turning away children in the catchment area. Local recreational clubs are also full such as The Brownies and Youth Club. The local doctors only operates on a part time basis requiring travel to either Warwick Gates or Whitnash for treatment on certain days of the week.

Full text:

As residents of Bishops Tachbrook we wish to comment on the proposed gypsy and traveller sites as listed below. Please confirm receipt of this email :-

We object to site GT05 - Land At Tachbrook Hill Farm on the following grounds :-
* The adjacent road junction is an accident black spot with several serious injuries / fatalities occuring during the 12 years we have lived in the village. The presence of the police speed camera van at the site of this juction is further demonstration that this is an accident black spot. Objective factual data detailing all RTA's is in the public sector domain (local police / hospital records) and should be retrieved and considered by yourselves.
* The Gaydon Road and juctions off this to and from Bishops Tachbrook are already heavily congested during weekday rush hour periods (07:00 to 09:00 and 16:00 to 18:00) resulting in stationary / crawling traffic Monday to Friday, every week. Any additonal development will only make this worse.
* This is a green field site which would also require compulsary purchase. There are also no serivces currently provided (water, electricity, sewerage etc). These facts mean it represents one of the least economic sites to develop as a gypsy and traveller site. As these sites are being provisioned using the tax payers money, you have a responsibility to ensure that cost effective sites are chosen such as GTalt01. Site GT05 is certainly not cost effective for the reasons given.
* Planning permission to build houses on this land / land adjacent to it was recently rejected by WDC on the grounds that, and I quote "the development would have an adverse impact on the visual amenity of the rural area" and "improvements to highways, libraries, education or healthcare and therefore the infrastructure needs generated by the development have not been satisfactorily secured". All of these factors apply just as equally to development of this land as a gypsy and travellers site. Your proposal of GT05 as a potenial gypsy and traveller site therefore contradicts your prior planning rulings and is there inappropriate, hypocritical and ill conceived.
* The site is seen to regualry flood in the Autumn, Winter and Spring periods on a regular basis - factual proof of this is available. This makes it less suitable than other sites being proposed and would again result in additional development expenditure meaning it is one of the least cost effective sites as previously pointed out above.
* Local village services are already over-subscribed. The local school is full and is already turning away children in the catchment area. Local recreational clubs are also full such as The Brownies and Youth Club. The local doctors only operates on a part time basis requiring travel to either Warwick Gates or Whitnash for treatment on certain days of the week.

We are in favour of site GTalt01 - Brookside Willows, Banbury Road for the following reasons :-
* The site has already been partially developed as a caravan site and would not require compulsary purchase. A suitable road juction has been provisioned making it a safe place to turn off and onto the Banbury Road. There is easy access to Warwick via road and with minimal additonal extra expenditure pedestrian access could also be easily provided. This means much of the capital expenditure for developing the site has already been provided for making the burden on the taxpayer significantly lower.
* Whilst being convenient for Warwick and therefore satsifying the need for provision of the necessary infrastructure, the site is well screened and would impact only a minimal number of existing land owners and residences in the vicinity.