I consider that Modification 14 - Allocation of land north of Milverton for development is unsound for the following reasons:
1. The EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES required by the National Planning Policy Framework to remove the land North of Milverton from the Green Belt have not been demonstrated by Warwick District Council.
2. Development is to support Coventry City Council's housing need. There are sites closer to Coventry more suitable considering infrastructure and damage/reclassification of Green Belt
3. The location of the proposed site is unlikely to attract people who want to live and work in Coventry. This will effectively result in housing not supporting Coventry's housing need.
4. There are more suitable green belt sites on the edge of Coventry considering 'value' of potential sites as assessed and determined by WDC in cooperation with Coventry City Council.
5. The Green Belt in question would effectively be reduced to less than 1 1/2 miles between Leamington and Kenilworth
6. The beautiful village of Old Milverton would now be integrated into Leamington Spa should the Green Belt be removed
7. From my experience the land is successfully farmed and this would be lost
8. From experience there is an abundance of wildlife in this area of Green Belt which would be lost
9. I personally, as do many other people in the area, regularly use this area of Green Belt for walking with my family and recreational purposes and as such consider it a valuable asset to the local community which is at risk of being lost.
10. The proposed park and ride scheme is unsustainable because:
a. There will be no dedicated buses so it would have to work with the bus timetable
b. The site is too close to Leamington Spa to provide the congestion relief a park-and-ride is supposed to achieve. Located a park-and-ride within a high congestion area makes no sense at all and suggests a badly thought out strategy
c. The more suitable infrastructure and major employers are located to the south of Leamington
d. I have lived and worked in Oxford and there the park-and-ride scheme is successful because there is no alternative but to use it due to parking and vehicle restrictions within the city. This is not planned for Leamington so the logic behind the scheme would appear to be lacking
e. The very action of destroying valuable green belt to provide car parking is illogical. Isn't one of the very reasons behind a park-and-ride scheme to protect the natural amenities, i.e. Green Belt, supporting local communities?
A railway station is not viable as the existing line is in a deep cutting in Old Milverton.