Comment

Representation ID: 6912

Received: 24/09/2009

Respondent: Warwick Town Council

Residents of Warwick, as well as residents of Whitnash and Bishops Tachbrook are most concerned that the Preferred Options for further housing development, intended to meet the housing needs of the entire District, proposes that the majority of green field development should be directed to those areas.

Whilst landowners and developers have indicated a preference for more houses in those areas, the consultation for Options for Growth in May of 2008 showed that there was no support expressed by the communities of Bishops Tachbrook, Warwick and Whitnash areas for
the mass of houses as proposed by the Preferred Option. Indeed, residents and Town Councillors were greatly disappointed that Option 5 (development south of Coventry), the most supported option, was rejected by the District Council, on the basis of 'regional and national planning policies'.
From the presentations which have been delivered and the District's own documentation it does appear that the District Council is responding to the GOWM direction in respect of projected population growth. The Core Strategy states that this figure is unrealistic and this view is supported by the Town Council, for a 40,000 population increase depends on migration from the adjoining areas, when GOWM's policy is to focus more development in major cites and reduce migration to districts like Warwick.
The Town Council therefore considers that the District Council should seek more time in order to question and assess the projections on which the Preferred Options are based.
TC wishes the District Council to question the projected population growth of 40,000, which the Core Strategy states is unrealistic, and which assumes continued inward migration from adjoining urban areas, before determining how many new houses are required in Warwick District.