Dear Sir

I oppose construction of the Park&Ride Scheme as detailed in MM-54. There are 2 areas of search in Blackdown, north and east of the A452. Possible sites now include a third one, west of the A452 in Old Milverton. This area identified as the H44 Development Area proposal in the Green Belt which was instructed to be removed from the 2016 Amended Local Plan by HM Government Inspector. All three fall short of the advantages of such a provision north of Chesford Bridge at Thickthorns.

WDC had clearly discussed plans for this P&R with Developers and Stagecoach prior to the Public Examination; but when the issue was challenged by a WD County Councillor at the public meeting, WDC agreed to remove it from the Local Plan.

It follows that this P&R was not subject to adequate public discussion at the Examination or subsequently, and was wrongly included in the 2017 Local Plan main modifications. This clearly demonstrates that insufficient thought, enquiry and no public consultation has been allocated to a Park&Ride provision in this general location.

The acknowledged increase in traffic volume, noise and environmental pollution derives largely from rush hour traffic, generated by people who work locally and already benefit from existing parking provision; added to which the large numbers of parents, teachers and children travelling to and from schools simply have no use of a P&R.

The P&R scheme is crudely estimated at £3million. This cannot be justified, with the primary beneficiary seemingly the Bus Company actively pressing for this provision at public expense, at a time of fiscal austerity. A P&R is neither viable nor desirable in this location.

There is increasing currency in the local community belief that the P&R scheme is a cynical attempt to re-designate Green Belt area H44 to a Brownfield Site for development to subvert and overturn HM Inspector's decision to preserve this attractive northern approach to Royal Leamington Spa and invade established and cherished Green Belt.