I am a Warwick resident in close proximity to this proposed site. I am disappointed that the Council has issued no communication to local residents or at the very least made residents aware of this proposed development by way of local newspapers.
This proposed site location for business development and a gypsy community is beyond ridiculous. Firstly heavy development has taken place on land at Stratford Road in the last few years and development is still ongoing. As a local resident I have to leave my property by 7.45am at the latest (despite not being paid to start work until 9am) because otherwise the traffic at Longbride Island is a nightmare to negotiate. When creating the A46 flyover the Council seemed to ignore the need to put traffic lights at the Warwick junction of Longbridge Island leaving vehicles exiting Warwick having to fight their way out of the junction. Road users frequently block up the Warwick junction of Longbridge Island as they queue towards the M40 and Barford/Wellesbourne and there will one day be a major accident on Longbridge Island as cars are forced to speed out of the junction in the smallest of gaps in the traffic. Adding further business traffic to Longbridge Island is nonsensical.
Secondly where would the accessway to this site be? The Council has made no mention of the accessway and unless Severn Trent is prepared to allow access across its land then there is no suitable access point because the existing farm track is too narrow for the proposed development. Has the Council consulted the local fire authority for its opinion regarding access to the development and, if so, where is the fire authority's report?
Tournament Fields has been constructed for a number of years now and remains largely undeveloped and buildings unoccupied. How can the Council even consider constructing further business properties on Stratford Road when current buildings are unoccupied.
The Council has made no comment about the effect that the gypsy community will have on the local economy - has the Council even considered this or is the Council just ignoring this question. Has the Council considered whether businesses would want to let properties in close proximity to a gypsy community? Surely businesses on Tournament Fields should be consulted on this issue?
The proposed development will be next to a Grade II listed building namely Longbridge Manor. Has the Council considered the impact of such a development on this listed building?
Is the land in question really suitable for development? The sewerage works create at the very least unpleasant smells, particularly in Summer, and there must be other pollutant/contamination issues to consider. This together with the close proximity to a major motorway would surely indicate that this site is not suitable for residential development. It appears that this issue has been flagged as red but has not been highlighted in the consultation document or the response form.
Stratford Road is prone to flooding, particularly close to the roundabout outside Severn Trent's site. Adding further drainage to this already vulnerable site is only going to exacerbate this problem. In addition the site itself is a flood plain within flood zones 2 and 3. The government's guidelines on planning Gypsy and Traveller sites states that 'caravan sites for permanent residence are considered "highly vulnerable" and should not be permitted in areas where there is a high probability that flooding will occur (Zone 3 areas)'.
For all of the reasons outlined above I strongly object to the proposed development of this site.