I am writing to voice my objections to the proposed development at and around the village of Hampton Magna.

I am particularly concerned at the decision to build at the previously discarded site H51. I am very aware that the council needs to provide housing for the growing population, but even I as a lay person, i find it hard to believe that anyone who has visited Hampton Magna can believe that this, added to the proposals for H27, would be a wise decision.

I also find it strange that the reasons for discarding this site previously have now become acceptable and would like to hear an explanation for this.

I live at 3, Lloyd Close, so would be impacted in many ways by the development, but I have tried to look at the proposals as objectively as I can, as I realise there is a most definite need for housing in the area.

It is the ability of the infrastructure of the village to cope which worries me most particularly regarding traffic and the huge increase in the number of cars travelling in and out of the village. I find it hard to believe that anyone who has visited the village at the relevant times and taken into account any traffic surveys that have taken place, could consider such an increase in traffic moving into and out of the village.


Points for consideration:

* At school arrival and departure times it is quite often impossible to exit out of Woodway Avenue and negotiate your way along Slade Hill and Field Barn Road due to the double parking of parents bringing/collecting children from school and the fact no child has been injured whilst running into the road is amazing.
* This same location also houses a row of shops and the entrance to a doctors surgery, both with very limited parking so the overspill from these has also to be taken into account.
* Old Budbrooke Road which is used by most residents to exit the village, is still quite a narrow country road on which two buses have difficulty passing and traffic often comes to a standstill to allow for the passing of wide load farm vehicles and horses.
* Flooding is also an issue along Old Budbrooke Road as you attempt to exit the village and as a resident here for over 30 years, I have been unable to pass through the accumulated water many times and been forced to enter from Ugly Bridge Road.
* Old Budbrooke Road has two sets of traffic lights. The first set reduces the traffic to a single track due to the restrictions of the railway bridge which cannot be altered regardless of the amount of traffic.
* The second set of traffic lights leading onto the Birmingham Road regularly has a long line of traffic leading to it at busy times , adding to the congestion at the traffic island.
* The opening of the railway station (Warwick Parkway) has also increased traffic flow over the years with car parking spaces for 959 cars. National Express also uses the Station car park as a pick up point for passengers.
* Closure of the nearby M40 due to accidents etc. which happens occasionally sends both Warwick and Leamington into total grid lock and the roads around Hampton Magna become a cut through in an attempt by drivers to avoid the chaos.

I am now retired but I use to teach in a Coventry School and I often used to joke with colleagues that it took me longer to get out of the village onto the A46, than the remaining journey to school including passing through the centre of Coventry!

Taking all this into account how can a population increase of on average 588 and an increase in extra vehicles of 426 be thought possible by those responsible for planning the future of our area?

As I previously stated I have tried to looks at the proposals in as an objective way as possible and I feel there must be land available that has less problematic access to the main roads and motorway than the proposed sites at Hampton Magna.

As a final point surely we should be protecting our green belts where possible and only building on these areas when there is no possible alternative.