7. Housing

Housing is a basic right. Sustaining low cost housing is a key issue as market forces will push prices up in north Leamington, parts of Kenilworth and rural Warwickshire. If low cost housing is provided it must not fall out of the control of the Council or Housing Associations. If sold to individuals will mean lots of "buy to rent" property will appear as will second homes.

I do not dispute the need for increased availability of houses - particularly affordable houses for first time buyers, but I strongly believe that in the current and projected economic climate the estimate of the number needed is grossly inflated. The current rate of build and occupancy in the Warwick area is less than projected and the economic indicators are that this is not likely to increase in the imminent future. I also believe that the estimates for migration into the area are inflated since they are based on a historic temporary upwards trend, whereas the reality is that inward migration has reduced.

Electronic attachment

Dear Sir

Following the consultation meeting at Old Milverton I would like to make the following points:

Why are even thinking of putting this development on Greenbelt land when other Brown and White field sites have not been properly investigated?

Old Milverton and Blackdown do not have the infrastructure for a development of this nature and it would extremely costly and disruptive to put this in place.

Much infrastructure is already in place south of the town.

Employment is mainly south of Leamington and practically none in the area where you are planning to build.

People's views should be heard - I hope you are going to listen to them and not present people with a fait accompli.

Why are you making these changes to the 2009 Core Strategy, which was carefully thought out, in contrast to these recent ideas which appear to lack any imagination or appreciation of this lovely natural area of countryside, which is a fitting divide between Leamington Spa, Old Milverton and Kenilworth. This is something that should not be lost for ever.

I do hope you will listen to the people you represent - you have a duty to do so.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully

Jill Wiglesworth

Preferred Options.
Not should be located could be located.
Not should expect would expect

Part 1 Intro
Local Plan, key to help War Dist deliver its vision for next 15 yrs.
Produced with Police, fire and rescue and health and many others

Part2 our vision for district
To make Warwick district a great place to live, work and visit.
Council and partners trying through the Sustainable Community Strategy.

Try means fail. Do there best is what they mean. I make no comment on
how good this is.

This sets out 4 key priorities and 5 cross cutting themes.

Priorities

Safer Communities
Health and well Being
Housing
Economy, Skills and Employment

Cross Cutting Themes

Narrowing the Gaps
Embedding sustainability throughout.
Families at risk
Engaging and strengthening communities
Rurality

The Sustainable Community Strategy is central to improving life in the
District across all the themes. Supported by series of Delivery Plans
and Locality plans which set out approach to improve areas of the
District.

Local Plan a key element to deliver Sus Comm Strat
Preferred Options for Local Plan have been aligned with Strategy to
ensure it will address these priorities and themes.

Strategy for Future Sustainable Prosperity of District
to deliver vision, Council agreed key principles to develop Local Plan.

These include

Economy
Facilitating growth and development of local economy to support a
dynamic, flexible, low carbon, mixed economy
Agreement to pursue the potential for sub - regional employment
site at the Gateway. The need to provide new employment land in and
around the thee main towns to meet local needs encourage creation
of jobs.

the need are food, water, air etc. This is a want.
local needs. If this is the above ok, if not this is a want.

Commitment to maintain and promote thriving town centres

How does building out of town supermarkets achieve the above ?

Commitment to maintain current strengths in districts economy.
Promoting regeneration of more socially / environmentally deprived
areas and support rural economy

Providing for growth and population changes.
meeting housing of the existing / future population of District including
land for around 550 new homes per annum on new allocated sites
Providing for diversity, including affordable homes for elderly and
vulnerable. Sites for gypsies / travellers and other specialised needs.

If these are green sites Please quote the Green Party's Countryside
policy

Please see above

Providing for neighbourhoods that are well designed, distinctive and
based on principles of sustainable garden towns, suburbs and villages.
Providing home and neighbourhood designs that are sustainable,
low cost and carbon efficient.

Environment
Distributing development across District.
Avoiding coalescence
Ensuring developments based on principles of sustainable Garden Towns,
suburbs and Villages.
Protecting biodiversity, high quality landscapes, heritage assets and
other areas of significance

They have been reading the Green Party's Countryside Policy

Emphasis on infrastructure
Developing an effective / sustainable transport package
Ensuring parks, open spaces, countryside and areas for wildlife are maintained
and improved

They have definitely read the Green Party's Countryside Policy

Ensuring education is provided for in major new developments

Does this include gypsys and travellers

Ensuring community activities, health services and other key services
are provided for in new developments
Develop sustainable communities with strong local centres and / or
community hubs

Done so far
May 2011 Document of key issues and scenarios for growth published.
This was subject of consultation.
Substantial amount of evidence gathered, to help understand changes
locally and what we need to plan for.

Please see above

This information important in helping develop preferred options
December 20011 Council agreed Future and sustainable Prosperity
of Warwick District. This set out key criteria for Preferred Options
Range of options appraised lead to selection of a preferred option
for each aspect of plan
The Government has published National Planning Policy Framework
This underlines importance of well justified upto date local plans and
means local plans play vital role in shaping future of local areas.
Whilst options can be justified. Important to underline they are
suggestions and not proposals for L Plan. The Council also prepared

Infrastructure Plan to go with Preferred Options. This Plan outlines
transport, schools, health open spaces, which is needed to help new

Please see above

communities prosper. More needs to be done on this, but again,
the Council is keen to hear from all interested parties about
infrastructure requirements.

Please see above

For those interested infinding more why these options chosen see
chapter below or www.warwickdc.gov.uk

Following consideration by Executive consultation starts 1st June
to 27 July Council keen to hear from anyone. Consutation is number
of public meetings, exhibitions and roadshows, local press and website.
Following consultation, work undertaken to develop draft Local Plan
with detailed Infrastructure Delivery Plan and Community

infrastructure Levy scheme. Then, approval of Daft Local Plan and

investment strategy, delivery to Council late 2012 early 2013.
Publication of Plan Feb 2013. 6 week consultation March / April 2013
Submission to Secretary of state June 2013
Pre - hearing meeting July / August 2013
Examination Public Hearing October / November 2013
Inspector's report February / March 2014
Adoption Estimated March / April 214.

4 Spatial Portrait, Issues ansObjectives see map 1
Warwick District has a growing, ageing, urban, ethnically diverse
and highly skilled population.
90% of the 138,800 live in Kenilworth, Warwick, Whitnash Leamington
areas. 10% in small villages. Population grown from 124,000 in
2000 12% increacse, forcast to grow 15% in next 15 years.
Compared to other parts Warwickshire,a higher proportion of
working age. Highest rate expected over 65
District diverse population, high proportion non - white 15% compared
to rest of county.
Notwithstanding current economic downturn, district has strong local
economy with skilled population higher productivity, earnings
compared with reginal / national averages
significant proportion of is designated for environmental or
historic value. To protect and maintain the character of District
Local Plan will balance growth and protecting enhancement of
assets.
So it is supposed to be
Areas of historic and environmental importance include 81% 28,000
hectares of Green Belt. 7 sites scientific interest. 15 sites important to
Nature Conservation. 2145 Listed Buildings. 29 conservation areas
4% of District. 11 Registered Parks and Gardens 4% of District.
ISSUES
District faces a number of opportunities and issues, important Local Plan
addresses these. Council consulted on issues facing District during
spring 2011 and thought consultation on following issues identified
important: Effects of recent recession and not knowing economies
future
House prices limit local peoples ability to buy or rent in area, creating
need to provide more affordable housing in towns and villages in the
future.
Please see above
Threat to economic strength of town centres in Warwick,Leam and
Kenilworth from retail and leisure developments elsewhere.
Size and condition of existing community facilities and services
( particularly schools and health - care ) and whether they can
meet current and future needs. Peoples health and well - being
and the need for people ( particularly teenagers and young
people ) to have access to sport and cultural experiences
such as cinemas and community events.
Road congestion and air polution around main junctions along
A46 and M40, routes into towns and in town centres.
Threat of flooding to homes and businesses in some areas
particularly where surface water may flood towns and villages
and concern that flooding will increase beacause of climate
change.
Areas of poverty in Warwick and Leam
Presure for development threatening the high - quality built
and natural environmets in district, particularly historic
areas and the cost of maintaining historic buildings in the areas.
Crime and the fear of crime, paticularly in town centres and the
need to protect the community from harm.
Governments plan ned high speed 2 rail line and possible
effects on the area (government cosulting on this ).
During consutation in spring 2011, number of objectives
identified. These set out key aims Local Plan will seek to deliver.
Following consultation objectives have ammended to take
account of views received and more recent changes ( such as
publication of National Planning Policy framework ).
Objectives have been used to link Council's Stratergy see above.
Providing sustainable of levels of growth in district.
And balance with housing growth to maintain high levels of
employment and deal with unemployment in deprived areas.
Local Plan will identify and maintain flexible and varied supply of
accommodation and land for right businesses.
Support the growth of knowledge - intensive industries, energy
and the rural economy;
improve business growth to support organic growth of local
economy.
Provide a sustainable level of housing balanced with economic
groth to reduce homeless and in unsatisfactory accommodation
to meet needs and help deal with future need for affordable
housing. Local Plan will : identify and maintain


right type, right tenure and in right location.
Make sure that new developments will reduce car use.
this improves air quality and help address climate change
reducing road congestion and carbon emissions, encouraging
people to walk and cycle more. Make sure new developments
are designed and built so they use water more effeciently and
reduce demand for natural resources. Increase renewable
and low carbon sources to reduce emissions.
.Make sure new developments are located, designed and built
so they can deal with the expected effects of climate change
particularly flooding. Make sure new developments are
distributed across district,and located to maintain and improve
the quality of the build and natural environment, particularly
historic areas and wildlife habitats and buildings and
areas of high landscape value. New developments should
respect the integrity of existing settlements. Make sure
new developments are built to high standard in terms of
design and provide incluplacessive liverly and attractive
places where people feel safe and want to live, work and visit
Make sure new developments provide public and private open
spaces where there there is a choice of areas of shade, shelter
and recreation which will benefit people and wild life, provide
flood storage and carbon management.
Make sure , if buildings and spaces particularly in historic
areas need to be adapted to meet the changing needs

Please see above

Check with Police WHITNASH

of the economy a nd to deal with environmental isssues
in a sensitive way 4.12 Enabling infrastructure to
improve and support groth. Enable organisations such
as schools and health service and provide and
maintain improved facilities and services in locations
peopoe can get to and that can meet current and future
needs and support sustainable economic groth in deprived

THIS may be correct, dwellings are another need

Even those sleeping rough go to the Salvation Army
for tents.
areas. Enable energy, communications, water and waste
organisations to improve their infrastructure and services
so they can meet peoples needs. Protect the environment

ALL TOGETHER NOW. Please see above

and contribute towards dealing with causes and contribute
dealing with the causes and mitigating the effects of
climate change.
Enable transport providers to make improvements more
integrated public transport cycling and pedestrians
organisations to improve their infrastructure and services
transport network, support sustainable economic growth.
Enable improvements to be made to the built and natural
environments which will help maintain and improve
historic habitats and their connectivity, help the public
access and enjoy open spaces such as parks and
allotments, reduce the risk of flooding. Keep the effects
of climate change

Please refer to the following as my OBJECTIONS to the Specific Section of the Preferred Options Booklet
Part of the document which I am responding to: - PO4 Location 11
Heading: - Woodside Farm, Tachbrook Road.
I OBJECT FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:-
The way that WDC have presented the Preferred Options Plan is designed to persuade the public from easily objecting.
We are only permitted to object to small segments of the plan depending on our own (sometimes selfish) reasons.
If we object to the WHOLE plan based on the gross number of housing in the very vague guestimate then we are faced with submitting a raft of objections.
Clearly WDC have got this all wrong. As members of the whole community affected by the proposals we have an interest in every aspect and area of the plan and not just the parochial issues.
This looks like a repeat of the WDC method of limiting the objections to their intentions, which is aimed at allowing individuals to vote for the things they dislike the least.
The truth is I object to the whole of the plan because it has not been thought through intelligently. Some individual/s have made wild predictions based on unfound evidence. They have then used this to make it appear as realistic requirements.
Only time will tell us of the needs for housing in future years. It is not good enough to make these wild predictions then turn them into a developers dream.
We need a flexible plan that allows small numbers of houses to be built as and when they are required, and not mass housing schemes that rip out the heart of communities.
These plans are totally unrealistic and would have serious consequences if they are allowed to proceed.
They will not provide employment. Rather, they will take employment away as developers bring in their own lablur force.
They will put demands on our schools, doctors and hospitals that are already overstretched.
I am now talking of the proposals as a whole so would like this to be a general objection that should be seen by all visitors to the WDC website and not just a specific area.
We do not wish to see masses of houses built largely as investments for rich people who wish to rent.
Changes to Plan:
Scrap the plan to construct mass housing and only allow small developments by local builders.
To support this we have an army of local builders who are engaged in providing a service to house owners in extending rather than new build. There is a good reason for this in that they cannot afford a new larger houses.
These local builders can fill any requirements for the number of new homes that will be truly required.

As scanned.

As scanned.