(vi) Land at Lower Heathcote Farm, south of Harbury Lane

Object

Representation ID: 4157

Received: 09/09/2009

Respondent: Elizabeth Heigl

Object to site at:
South of Harbury Lane
Recent housing needs survey shows only 15 houses required in Bishops Tachbrook.
4200 houses between Bishops Tachbrook and Warwick Gates threatens existence of Bishops Tachbrook as village.
Large estates lack social cohesion leading to anti-social behaviour and poor educational performance.
Number of new homes contradicts vision.
Utilities, services - police, doctors, dentists etc all overstretched now. Hospitals only accessible via bridges over Avon and fear for emergency cases reaching assistance.
Huge increase in traffic will result in pollution and air quality problems in Warwick and Leamington town centres. At peak times, traffic gridlocked along roads to M40.
Reduced employment since demise of AP, Fords, IBM and work not available for incomers. People commute elsewhere to work, especially at Warwick Gates.
Remaining agricultural land needed to feed future generations.
Why decision not to build new settlement below A46/J15 interchange where direct road links available. Why not disperse houses over whole district. Preferred option is not public's from initial consultation so why ignored that view.
Look again at regeneration prospects in towns to bring forward brown field sites.
Some housing may be needed but this should be based on local need from bottom up, not top down from govt. and not the numbers suggested.

Object

Representation ID: 4219

Received: 14/09/2009

Respondent: Rev. J.G. Lister

Object to site at:
Lower Heathcote Farm, south of Harbury Road
Housing needs survey indcates need for only 15 new houses in Bishops Tachbrook
South Leamington already had its fill of new housing at Whitnash and Warwick Gates. Further development would threaten village and make it into suburb of Leamington.
Traffic an absolute nightmare now.
No provision for new roads and infrastructure - how would people feed onto road system. Warwick bridge cannot take more and Myton Road is solid.
Where would children go to school? Where is extra health provision? Where will people find work? or will people commute, making area dormitory town without sense of community or soul?
Rethink before eating up green space, putting it under concrete and adding to run off and flooding problems and pollution.
There are brown field sites around area with demise of industries and houses in lamentable state - regenerate them and use for housing rather than putting up more industrial untis, office blocks and retail parks.

Object

Representation ID: 4243

Received: 24/09/2009

Respondent: Andrea Telford

object

Object

Representation ID: 4244

Received: 24/09/2009

Respondent: Andrea Telford

object

Object

Representation ID: 4262

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Kulwinder Fathers

Areas to the north of the district (Finham, Baginton Airport, Kenilworth, Cubbington, Lillington, Milverton, North Warwick and West Warwick should be allocated, due to the overstretched services, infrastructure and massive recent development in these southern areas.

Object

Representation ID: 4312

Received: 31/07/2009

Respondent: Mr Trevor E Wood

Object to:
Land at Lower Heathcote Farm south of Harbury Lane
Vision, strategy and strategic objectives are all poorly conceived and do not stand up to scrutiny.
Main objection to Woodside Farm which would cause greatest impact on Whitnash/Bishops Tachbrook due to topography and location on dangerous and overutilised road system.
Fieldgate Lane and Woodside Farm were Omission sites which were rejected at the time of the local plan examination, why are they again up for development?
No impact plan commissioned.
No consideration given to:
Schools, children from same families go to different schools typically opposing travel/traffic strategy
Police - crime increased since Warwick Gates developed
Dentists
Doctors
Road access - congestion. Bridge to Warwick and Leamington bottlenecks, M40 backs up to Longbridge Island in morning.
Services/utilities - already stretched to limit
Leisure facilities - built to placate residents when Warwick Gates built but are poorly utilised, inaccessible, incomplete
Flora and fauna - currently woodpeckers, muntjacks, foxes and many wild birds which would be compromised if Woodsite Farm site was developed.
No explanation as to why houses and employment needed. Process based on statisitcs known to be flawed and change daily.
Should look at empty units on Heathcote Industrial Estate, Warwick Technology Park, Shires Park, Sydenham town centres etc before building more factories etc.
Engineering/business leaving area not coming in which is flaw in strategy.
Stated South leamington is destibale place to live and not wanting people to trave lacross town so purchase Coventry Airport and no-one would have to travel across town. Council should be pro active in this respect.
Suggest:
Employ small committee of general public to work with WDC to look at opportunities for development if needed..
Buy Coventry Airport
Develop town centre properties rather than make a ghost town of closed shops and expensive parking.
Develop Old Town
Develop Althorpe Street
Develop Flavels and surrounding area
Suggest financially driven and not for any other purpose
Why is this correct strategy if a Conservative govt. would shelve process?
Will not gain public support until demonstrate that all brown field areas have been examined and a robust plan in place.

Object

Representation ID: 4329

Received: 18/09/2009

Respondent: Janette Eslick

Object to 8100 new homes to be built in district and specifically on area of restraint 1E (land south of Harbury Lane). Was identified as area of constraint when Warwick Technology Park developed to ensure gap between Warwick and Leamington maintained preventing urban sprawl. Core Strategy would damage character of area creating local issues.
Object that this is first area of restraint to be developed and should be last until alternative found or potential change of govt. and policies.
Concerned area around Europa Way impact on traffic, increase in flood risk on land currently acts as soakaway and is rich habitat for wildlife.
Traffic - south of Warwick already at saturation with Myton Road virtually impassable at peak times. No capacity for more cars. Detrimental to residents and tourism.
Increased risk of flooding - at present run off is slowed by pasture and crops. Development results in flooding of houses.
Loss of habitat - impact on woodpeckers, buzzards, bats, foxes, deer, newts and hedgehogs.
Impact on infrastructure - strain on local services; GP surgeries, hospital, drainage, sewerage and public transport.
Local school capacity - schools oversubscribed. Problems arose when Warwick Gates developed without new school..
Wish to see plan withdrawn and alternative presented reflecting public opinion.

Object

Representation ID: 4337

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Clive Letchford

Object to Land at Lower Heathcote Farm:
Location on edge of town and problems of transport - lack of effective public transport and increasing car congestion
Burden on services, police, health and education
Lack of indication of where people will be employed - already significant numbers of commuters
Contradicts vision

Object

Representation ID: 4345

Received: 24/09/2009

Respondent: G Walker

Object to Myton Farm site:
Proposals contradict wishes of public following previous consultation
Extent of proposals disproportionately large compared to other areas
Towns special atmosphere threatened by overdevelopment.

Object

Representation ID: 4383

Received: 19/08/2009

Respondent: Daniel & Elizabeth Sheethan

South Harbury Lane would have properties within 150 yeards of watercourse making buildings insurance questionable.

Object

Representation ID: 4387

Received: 26/08/2009

Respondent: R.F. Garner

Object to:
Land at Heathcote Farm, south of Harbury Lane
Need - based on acceptance that another 4200 needed in this area. Survey identified need for 15 new homes in Bishops Itchington - if not justified, what is being done to resist it.
Environment - South of Warwick Gates through to Bishops Tachbrook essentially rural. Clearly this would be destroyed if development allowed, making Bishops Tachbrook a suburb of Leamington.
Traffic will increase causing problems on already overcrowded routes. Quality of life in rural areas will deteriorate with no compensating benefits for local people.
Infrastructure - Already stretched due in part to lack of facilities at Warwick Gates. No assurances about new resources: police, medical, schools, shops, leisure facilities, parks, will be provided - likley to be woefully inadequate.
Employment and Transport - Not clear where new inhabitants will work. Not employment for them in Warwick/Leamington, therefore need to commute. Roads can't cope with more cars. Increased traffic would impinge on remainder of Leamington and Warwick and greater number of cars need to use limited existing routes across towns.
Green field development - iniquitous that high quality green field land should be squandered. Land needed for food production. More effort should be put into finding alternatives - brown field or lower agricultural quality.

Object

Representation ID: 4396

Received: 11/09/2009

Respondent: Andrew, Julie, Eleanor, Henry Day

Object to Lower Heathcote Farm, south of Harbury Lane site
Bishops Tachbrook housing need is 15 in recent survey
Rural community of 2,500 choosing to live in village environment not suburban. Proposed developments will effectively join Bishops Tachbrook to Whitnash, Leamington and Warwick conurbation. Leaving a field or two as an area of restraint does not provide legally binding surety that these won't be consumed in time.
Village has strong sense of community and is good place to live as a family. New estates do not provide same community and by joining Bishops Tachbrook to large development it risks losing its identity and vital community cohesion.
Concerned about congestion. New building will change character of village. No longer mix of historic towns and villages set in rural landscape of open farmland and parks as website states if development goes ahead.
Alternative option:
Disperse development throughout district. Look again at regeneration opportunities within the towns for the bulk of housing needed and villages can take some receiving the benefit of fresh investment in local amenties but the proposals threaten to destroy the thing planning endeavours to achieve, a balanced cohesive environment and our communities to flourish.

Object

Representation ID: 4400

Received: 15/09/2009

Respondent: Mr R.L.K. Drew

Object to
Land at Lower Heathcote Farm
Number of houses proposed far exceeds those required in needs survey for Bishops Tachbrook
By what process was the size of the development proposed determined?
Housing estates of this size have strong tendency to generate anti-social behaviour in younger residents, many of whom fail to achieve educationally. Have police been consulted? Few officers on patrol these days.
Bishops Tachbrook will feel less of a village, reducing quality of life for residents and at Warwick Gates and Whitnash. How does this square with the vision when it will destroy open farmland and obliterate one of the valued villages?
Roads already congested and often approach gridlock if there is an accident. Concerns about effect on some historic buildings from vibrations caused by heavy traffic. Most new households would have at least one car - how will traffic keep moving? What plans for dealing with increased pollution and deterioration in air quality in towns and increased deterioration in road surfaces.
Bishops Tachbrook is already used as rat run by commuters avoiding Europa Way - particularly dangerous to school children. What measures proposed to prevent this and reduce risk to villagers.
Rivers form physical obstacles to traffic movement. Increase in population south of river, remote from emergency services, seems unwise.
Where are jobs for new residents? Many existing residents commute. Generates more traffic, pollution, global warming and carbon emissions.
Loss of land suitable for food production against govt. policy. Should seek to build on brownfield sites.
Audit commission has urged refurbishment of empty/derelict housing - how many in Warwick District? If upgraded, what would impact on housing figures be?
Ignored results of last public consultation - how sham exercise justified financially?

Object

Representation ID: 4417

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Richard Sparkes

Object to significant harm to Whitnash and Bishops Tachbrook. Warwick Gates turned Whitnash into amorphous mass; this would threaten greater loss of identity with more unwanted homes and industrial units.
Where are impact studies for
Traffic
Schooling
Access
Drainage and Sewerage?
When were WCC and Severn Trent consulted? If not, then public consultation is a farce and should be stopped.

Object

Representation ID: 4424

Received: 29/09/2009

Respondent: J & P Foley

Object to housing in and around the area of Harbury Lane:
More traffic on Harbury Lane - busy and hard to cross now.
More schools, medical centres would be needed.
Strain on public services - public transport, ambulances, fire service, police. Talk of closing some of depots, so how will they cope with more people.
The bridges in Warwick will not be able to cope with extra traffic.
More jobs - not enough for people living here.
Warwick Gates is more than adequate in size and is sufficient share of housing for the area.

Object

Representation ID: 4430

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Robert Johnson

Bringing such a large number of houses to the area south of Warwick Gates will cause problems:
Infrastructure - roads are congested at rush hour in south Leamington - 8,000 more cars will make situation worse.
Emergency services will not be able to cope with increase - have they been consulted?
Increased pollution - breathing problems and listed building cleaning.
Bishops Tachbrook is village with own community and all advantages that this brings. Intended growth would encroach on area between village and Leamington.
Alternatives:
Public opinion at previous consultation was that Finham was most popular area for new housing - Coventry's infrastructure better.
On campus housing for students would free housing in Leamington.
Brown field development - sites still unused - Peugeot plant at Ryton.

Object

Representation ID: 4436

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: JD & CL Mackenzie

Object to 4,200 new homes near Harbury Lane, Europa Way and Whitnash
Loss of green belt land
Lack of infrastructure - busy roads, local hospitals, doctor's surgeries, local schools

Object

Representation ID: 4462

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Mick & Sandra Coulson

Object to development of over 4,000 houses between Warwick Gates and Bishops Tachbrook.
Would overload the area - traffic congestion already a nightmare.
Pressure on schools, doctor's surgeries.
Area would lose identity and become sprawling area of Leamington.
Build small building projects in most villages for benefit of growing families who wish to stay in village where they were brought up. Small increase would not have such disasterous effect.

Object

Representation ID: 4501

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Mrs E R Matthews

Object to housing sites south of Whitnash:
Request delay of not less than one year.Large body of public opposed, including those not immediately affected.
There will be more damage from financial crisis and little likelihood of improvement this decade.
Lack of school spaces and water supply.
Land south and south west of Whitnash developer driven and not electorally/local authority driven.
Reasons to delay:
Likely to be more developable land available at Coventry Airport, former Peugeot factory, North Leamington School, other land and redundant factories and areas more accessible to proposed Kenilworth station.
Further loss of employment opportunities and therefore inward migration.
Lack of consideration of intensely polluting, anti-environmental, detrimental, ecological effects and loss of good local amenity of current proposals.
Infrastructure problems - schools, bridges, access roads, flooding and lack of forethought and awareness of contemporary urban housing and transport developments in and beyond UK.
Need for genuinely affordable housing for existing local population.
Already too much new housing in wrongly designed, laid out and priced areas.
Lack of existence of organised voluntary committee of mixed local politician, expert advisor and informed community members involved in planning ahead acceptable housing and other developments in the locality.
Recognise that:
District council hamstrung by previous promises to and the pressures from at least four, profit-hungry developers looking for easy job in unsuitable land.
Dichotomy approach of WDC and WCC which sadly would be better constituted as a unitary authority.
By central govt. for last 8 years, producing short term policies.
Govt. currently discussing changes to local needs and development plans as a result of financial crisis and unparalleled levels of govt. debt.

Support

Representation ID: 4537

Received: 22/09/2009

Respondent: Southern Windy Arbour Area Residents' Association

support

Support

Representation ID: 4599

Received: 23/09/2009

Respondent: Mr S Morris

support

Object

Representation ID: 4609

Received: 18/09/2009

Respondent: Mrs Sheila Verrier

Object to site at:
Lower Heathcote Farm south of Harbury Lane
10,800 new homes seems to be a govt. figure plucked out of thin air with no thought for where and without the necessary economic support with local industry and for infrastructure.
New development would be three times bigger than Warwick Gates development.
Further land and outlay needed for schools, sprots fields and other leisure facilities, shops, churches, car parking including park and ride, and utilities such as sewerage and flood prevention.
How much consultation taken place with Severn Trent for eg. Flooding problems twice in 12 years when expected once in a lifetime.
Travel implications with additional 8,000 more vehicles and detrimental to air quality in towns. No travel impact survey done. Serious effect on M40 junctions and town centres of Warwick and Leamington in both directions. Bridges over and under rivers and canals and railway lines will inevitably be worse. Impact on public transport services as well as emergency vehicles. Those living in towns will be trapped by increased gridlock and historic buildings will be suject to greater traffic damage and air pollution.
Extensive devt. along Harbury Lane will spoil ridge line and countryside - visibly impinge on Bishops Tachbrook. Whitnash and Bishops Tachbrook already have Warwick Gates, further devt. will mean they lose individual identity.
Development should not be concentrated in area with so much new development.
New houses should be at Finham which would benefit students and free up significant number of houses in Leamington. Should not be releasing land to Coventry but develop for Warwick. Coventry would still have economic benefits of having district residents using their facilities.
Consider developing small housing devt. at Hatton Park and put other housing around small pockets of land to spread impact.
New home building should be on brownfield sites as a priority.

Object

Representation ID: 4671

Received: 01/10/2009

Respondent: Mrs C Gribbon

Object to housing figure and the development of land south of Warwick, concentrating most of the development into small area.
Acknowledge and support need for affordable housing.
Fail to see how preferred option complies with 'Strategic Objectives'. How has this preferred option been chosen above those preferred by majority of local people.
Strategic Objective to help disadvantaged areas through supporting regeneration - none will be supported through regeneration from developments south of Warwick. Deprived areas of Brunswick St and Kingsway will be disadvantaged further with additional traffic moving into the town centre and railway.
Road,rail links - sites cannot be considered viable without new rail link from Kenilworth for north Leamington/Kenilworth area, alleviating traffic through Warwick and Leamington town centres. Preferred option would increase traffic along Tachbrook Road to Leamington station which does not have parking capacity.
All major routes from Bishops Tachbrook/Whitnash/Warwick Gates to Leamington and Warwick and motorway are heavily congested in south of town - will impact on local residents and tourism, contravening the strategic objective.
Schools already oversubscribed and Warwick hospital needs to expand. Developments on north of the town would have access to expanded, improved services at teaching hospitals in Coventry.
If 90% of district outside urban area, proposals to develop land in Bishops Tachbrook increases the urbanisationof Warwick, Whitnash and Leamington.
Living on large estate cannot be considered to improve community. Lack of community based projects resulting in non-contributing estate
type behaviour.
Will result in lack of open spaces and real community value to south of Warwick.
Lack of commitment by developers to provide community facilities.
Core strategy hgihlights need to protect environment yet proposed area of restraint will not protect environment or community of Bishops Tachbrook.
Survey of infrastructure yet to be carried out. Potential increase of 8000 cars in area with severe effects on carbon emissions.
Planning to build on know flood plain seems ludicrous.
Need for transparency. Wish to see plan withdrawn and alternative presented better refecting opinion of public.

Object

Representation ID: 4677

Received: 23/09/2009

Respondent: Mrs Jennifer Miremadi

Object to site at:
Lower Heathcote Farm south of Harbury Lane
Historic area and evidence would be lost forever.
Bishops Tachbrook would be submerged into urban sprawl. People choose to live in villages to get away from built up areas.
Surprised local amentiies considered sufficient support for increased population.
Many other locations within Leamington that should be considered for building and large scale developments should be located close to Coventry to take advantage of amenities and employment opportunities.
More student accommodation at University would save cost of transporting students from Leamington.
Very little in the way of new housing needed in Bishops Tachbrook. Village and surrounding roads already suffer from too many cars taking short cuts.

Object

Representation ID: 4684

Received: 02/10/2009

Respondent: Hassan Miremadi

Object to site at:
Land at Lower Heathcote Farm, south of Harbury Lane
Historic area with evidence that would be lost forever.
Deplore idea that Bishops Tachbrook would be submerged into urban sprawl. People choose to live in villages to get away from built up areas.
Surprised that local amenities considered sufficient to support increase in population.
Many other locations within Leamington for further building and large scale developments should be located near Coventry where amenities and employment exists.
Should be student accommodation built at the University to reduce transporting students from Leamington.
Very little new housing needed in Bishops Tachbrook
Village and surrounding roads already suffer from too many cars taking short cuts.

Object

Representation ID: 4706

Received: 23/10/2009

Respondent: V Gill Peppitt

Is this land green belt or 'arable'

Object

Representation ID: 4751

Received: 02/10/2009

Respondent: Cllr Bob Dhillon and family

Object to building houses south of Warwick:
Why did you ignore result of consultation and choose unfavoured option? Is it because developers have option on land? Why are developers taking precedence over people? Has any land been purchased by developers?
In South West and South East and East there have been legal challenges (to RSS), are you planning such an action to West Midlands strategy?
Why not buillding on brown field before green field?
Why removing area of resraint? Area of restraint was planning agreement - how can it be broken? Why first to be developed? Area will remove identity of Warwick Gates, Whitnash and Bishops Tachbrook and become large continuous urban sprawl, adversely affecting quality of life of residents.
Who will pay for extra sewage pipe for proposed new housing and necessary extra water pipes and power lines to be laid.
Why was traffic survey carried out during school holidays? Will another be carried out? How is already congested traffic situation going to improve especially when there are pinch points at bridges?
When will studies be carried out on access, schooling, utilities, sewage, policing, employment, medical provision, impact on hospital, community activities etc. Any guarantee a new school will be built?
How can planners and developers be trusted when promises reneged on at Warwick Gates and Chase Meadow? There are still 700 houses to be built at Chase Meadow.
Why more houses not allocated to villages?
Why all housing in Warwick, not around Leamington or Kenilworth or along A46 corridor where access to Coventry infrastructure and employment.
Why has Cave Report been ignored in respect of house numbers?
Why no challenge to projected growth rate of 40,000? Why has this been accepted? Have the figures been examined and assessed?
Will further consultation be allowed following 6 month deferment requested?
Why, when Kenilworth to have new station, no traffic and none of the problems of Warwick has and can support infrastructure does it not have some of the housing developement?
Why have discussions taken place with developers before people?
Why planning to build on flood plain? Householders won't be able to get insurance. Legally, flood alleviation schemes do not have to be implemented until end of scheme - could take years. Will it be condition of any development that flood alleviation measures be put in place prior to development?
Why was employment at Warwick University stated knowing that major redundancy programme starting?

Object

Representation ID: 4785

Received: 24/09/2009

Respondent: Roger Higgins

Object to 10,800 houses in particular those south of Warwick/Leamington:
Developers having options on land no basis on which to plan future housing development.
Ensuring quality of life of future and existing residents paramount - at least maintained, preferably improved.
No established infrastructure plan to support each possible housing development. Should have been available to public when assessing development areas.
Contrary to alleged government directive, designated area of restraint should be respected as have been identfied for good reason.
Wish to see Preferred Options withdrawn and alternative more meaningful proposals including infrastructure proposals presented for meaningful public consultation and objective decision process - preserving quality of life now and for future generations.

Support

Representation ID: 4812

Received: 18/10/2009

Respondent: Ian Frost

Support there are no 'urban separation' issues here.

Object

Representation ID: 4871

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Vera Leeke

WDC assured Parish Council and local residents that this "strong boundary" would not be crossed. This is prime agricultural land, farmed since Saxon times; it would be vandalism to build on it. It would make a nonsense of previous vision statements referring to "strong agricultural economy" and "villages set within an attractive rural landscape"