Object
Proposed Modifications January 2016
Representation ID: 68266
Received: 15/04/2016
Respondent: Jane Marshall
Legally compliant? Yes
Sound? No
Duty to co-operate? Yes
WDC has not demonstrated the EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES required by the National Planning Policy Framework to remove the land North of Milverton from the Green Belt.
The plan states that the housing is to help Coventry City "as it is unable to meet it's housing need." However WDC in consultation with Coventry City has identified Green Belt land of lower value on the edge of Coventry. This should be used first: it is both of lower value and closer to the relevant area of employment.
The green lung between Kenilworth and Leamington should not be reduced to less than 1.5 miles.
I believe the plan is unsound because Warwick District Council has not demonstrated that there are EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES to justify taking the land North of Milverton out of the Green Belt.
The New Local Plan states that Coventry City Council is "unable to meet its housing need". The suggested removal of the Green Belt land North of Milverton is justified by the plan as supporting Coventry's housing need and yet WDC in consultation with Coventry City Council has already identified land of lower Green Belt value on the edge of Coventry. Precedence for releasing land from the Green Belt requires the value of potential sites to be taken into account, with land of lower value being used first.
In addition to this an important planning consideration is to build new housing "close to areas of employment." Building houses for Coventry based workers in Leamington is not sustainable, it is simply too far away and will increase commuting and congestion on already congested roads.
The land North of Milverton is a rural amenity used by countless residents of the town for jogging, walking, cycling and bird watching. It is also used by local schools for nature walks. It is accessible to local residents without the need for getting into a car to travel to it.
The village of Old Milverton attracts countless local dog walkers and ramblers from further afield due to its rural nature; to build right up to the railway bridge will mean that a pretty and highly prized rural community will become just another suburb.
If this land is built on the green lung between Leamington and Kenilworth will be reduced to less than 1.5 miles. These two Warwickshire market towns are celebrated for their different histories and very different architecture. They are popular with tourists, bringing employment and income into the local economy. The road between the two towns needs to maintain that precious 1.5 miles of green space to protect their individual identities. It would be a retrograde step to remove forever the picturesque northern gateway to the historic regency town of Royal Leamington Spa.