Object

Representation ID: 6540

Received: 15/09/2009

Respondent: Mrs Anne Steele

Object to sites at:
East of Europa Way
Why only one option offered when there were other options.
Plan is developer/landowner led - they are ones asked to identify areas for development. Areas in question are obviously already in land bank or under option. Concerned that developers may have been given assurances concerning planning consent, perhaps not from local, but national govt. WDC should select appropriate sites after consultation with Town and Parish councils and the public.
Where are the people to live in new properties? No concrete proof of projections.
Led to believe that there is a housing waiting list of 500,000, yet local people will not be given priority as housing associations can offer homes to anyone on their waiting list. Is this going to be the same mistake as was made at Warwick Gates - moving people to a strange area away from families and into an area where employment is at a premium.
To allow building of majority of housing in this area will have detrimental environmental and socal impact on already overstretched community. If there is a need for housing at top of quota then small areas of development spread throughout district will have lowest impact on existing communities.
Whitnash and immediate areas have already suffered from Warwick Gates, Tachbrook allotment and South Farm developments. Roads chaos particularly at school and rush hours.
Schools are full to capacity.
Police, dentists, doctors and hospital facilities are already overstretched. Where are plans to ensure adequate services.
High increase in population where employment opportunties are decreasing adds to strain on public finances. Since plan was prepared, world has suffered economic meltdown and will take a long time to recover. In this area commercial land lays undeveloped and buildings empty. Employment has been lost with demise of AP, Fords, Wolseley and IBM.
Priority should be given to brown field sites thus protecting green field and agricultural land. Govt. stated that we must produce more of our own food so it would seem ridiculous to use available agricultural land for building.
Nothing has changed since govt. Inspector found two years ago that the land at Woodside Farm and between Whitnash and Radford Semele was unsuitable for development.
More recent development is the new proposed railway station at Kenilworth - suggest development here makes more sense.
Studies are only now being carried out into effect of preferred option on areas involved - should have been done before. How can one be asked for an informed opinion when there are no impact studies available and no information to support large-scale population increase in one area? It would appear that these will be left to the whim of developers - not good enough.