Leamington Fire Station, Leamington Spa

I believe this is perfect a brownfield site

This would be a great location for housing close to the town centre and its communication links

It is fine where it is, close to the centre of population and able to reach most of the area quickly. Where will it be rebuilt? Presumably on a piece of green belt.

As a resident of Grove St I am concerned that the addition of such a large number (50) of homes on our already congested street will worsen conditions for the current local residents. Parking is a nightmare as it stands - I have 2 toddlers and often have to park several streets away. I thought the Waitrose possibility was a better one as it would include parking and add variety to the in town shopping possibilities.

In the section where the fire station is there are approx 26 dwellings in the same block and approx 20 dwellings on grove st on the other side of the road. In total, approx 46 dwellings. The plan is to more than double that in an area approx 1/3 of the size!
My objections are to do with the density of the housing, parking, and the general density of people in the area.

Density of the housing would have a negative impact on the value of my house.

There is already an issue with parking, and residents often need to park blocks away from their homes. At least doubling the number of cars will not help this situation.

We bought in the area because it was a nice neighbourhood just outside of town. By increasing the density of people in the area, the 'nice' aspect will come under threat.

Fire Station needs to remain central to give adequate response time to residents. Moving out of town will add to response times and put residents lives in danger.

The building of new housing must take advantage of all brownfield land first is a priority, before any development takes place on rural land.

Scanned Letter

See attachment

Objection to the proposal within PO4: Distribution of Sites for Housing; Sites within the town centre, Leamington fire station

Summary

The development of the Leamington fire station site should not form part of the Local Plan. This site is of crucial cultural, visual and historic importance to Leamington as a whole. The nature of the community around the area should be preserved as representative of a harmonious, varied town community that the Local Plan aspires to achieve. There will be development of the site when or if the fire station is re-located and opportunities should not be lost to contribute the stature of Leamington Spa by simply specifying it as high density housing and precluding any other type of development. Whilst significant to the area, in planning terms fifty homes is a small number which could be accommodated within existing proposals or in other areas throughout the town, such as the site of the Royal Spa centre should it move to south of the town.

Why this proposal fails to support other preferred options within the draft Local Plan.

PO3 Included in this option is the desire to avoid existing settlements merging.
There are large multi-occupancy developments at Churchill house, Clarence Mansions, Westbrook House and Warwick Terrace and further such development at the fire station site would result in a continuum of all these residences and overwhelm the area.
PO4 All proposed town centre housing development lies within a small triangle to the northwest of the town bordered by the railway line, Warwick Place and Dale street. This seems disproportionate.
PO 5 Affordable homes: There are many small apartments around this site (see PO3 above). A development of fifty homes, being greater than the number houses on Grove Street would swamp the diverse character of the street.
PO6 Grove Street is an exemplar mixed community. There are retail properties, houses of multiple occupancy, student accommodation, young families, retired couples and working households. No one element outweighs the other. The tower block on Brook Street houses owner occupiers and social housing tenants. The balance of this mix would be lost with a development greater that that which already exists.
PO13 'Much can be done to deliver inclusive, safe and healthy communities through the Local Plan by controlling the location and design of development.'
This site is a sensitive location in Leamington, of interest to many town residents and the future of the site is of concern to them. The vibrancy of the Grove Street community would be overwhelmed by inappropriate development. For these reasons the development of the site needs to be given careful consideration outside the Local Plan.
PO14 Transport: Any development will lead to road safety issues (many young families, wide street, speeding cars), parking problems (especially after 5pm) and congestion. There is no reassurance in the plan that they have been given due consideration.
PO15 At a density of 50 homes it is difficult to see how this development will 'make a positive contribution to the quality of the natural and historic environment' of Leamington town centre. There will be no space for green space or gardens and little scope to reflect the historic significance of the site.

How this proposal misses the opportunity to achieve other preferred options in the Local Plan

PO8 Economy: Currently the site offers employment. Planning decisions at this stage should not exclude a continuation of this. The draft Local Plan says that existing employment land will be protected.
PO9 Retailing and Town Centres: The contribution this site makes to the town centre needs to be carefully thought through. A rush to residential development, whilst fulfilling a planning need for brownsite development, may prove a missed opportunity to benefit the Leamington community as a whole.
PO10 Built environment: The design of buildings at this site is of key importance to Leamington town centre; the fire station has been voted the most ugly building in Leamington. Many residents are ashamed of it in comparison to Leamington's Regency architecture. Also a development of fifty homes is not in keeping with the principle of sustainable garden towns. Under these guidelines the density range for dwellings in a district or local centre is 35-40 dwellings per hectare. The fire station site is approximately half a hectare or around 20 houses. The proposal of 50 homes is over twice that.
PO11 Historic environment: This option says that protection from inappropriate development will be provided. Development of this site when the fire station moves is an opportunity for planners to redress past mistakes. This is an historically important site being the site of the home of Dr Jephson, father of Leamington spa in whose honour the gardens were planted. Past mistakes have allowed it to become an embarrassment to the town.
Grove street lies in the conservation area and houses on the West of the street are listed. This was a decision taken in the past to discourage over representation of houses of multiple occupancy and encourage families to live in the town centre. This has been successful with Grove Street having a diverse yet balanced variety of homes. (Nine of the twenty three properties on the west side of Grove Street have children of nursery or primary school age) Any development should be respectful of this and not overwhelm the existing community.
PO17 Culture and tourism: If the site of the old Ford factory on Princes Drive is seen as the gateway to Leamington then this site could be seen as its front door. It is the first major cross roads in the town as people arrive in town or travel north. It should be visually well designed and distinctive to visitors, setting the tone for Leamington.

Objection to the proposal within PO4: Distribution of Sites for Housing; Sites within the town centre, Leamington fire station

Summary

The development of the Leamington fire station site should not form part of the Local Plan. This site is of crucial cultural, visual and historic importance to Leamington as a whole. The nature of the community around the area should be preserved as representative of a harmonious, varied town community that the Local Plan aspires to achieve. There will be development of the site when or if the fire station is re-located and opportunities should not be lost to contribute the stature of Leamington Spa by simply specifying it as high density housing and precluding any other type of development. Whilst significant to the area, in planning terms fifty homes is a small number which could be accommodated within existing proposals or in other areas throughout the town, such as the site of the Royal Spa centre should it move to south of the town.

Why this proposal fails to support other preferred options within the draft Local Plan.

PO3 Included in this option is the desire to avoid existing settlements merging.
There are large multi-occupancy developments at Churchill house, Clarence Mansions, Westbrook House and Warwick Terrace and further such development at the fire station site would result in a continuum of all these residences and overwhelm the area.
PO4 All proposed town centre housing development lies within a small triangle to the northwest of the town bordered by the railway line, Warwick Place and Dale street. This seems disproportionate.
PO 5 Affordable homes: There are many small apartments around this site (see PO3 above). A development of fifty homes, being greater than the number houses on Grove Street would swamp the diverse character of the street.
PO6 Grove Street is an exemplar mixed community. There are retail properties, houses of multiple occupancy, student accommodation, young families, retired couples and working households. No one element outweighs the other. The tower block on Brook Street houses owner occupiers and social housing tenants. The balance of this mix would be lost with a development greater that that which already exists.
PO13 'Much can be done to deliver inclusive, safe and healthy communities through the Local Plan by controlling the location and design of development.'
This site is a sensitive location in Leamington, of interest to many town residents and the future of the site is of concern to them. The vibrancy of the Grove Street community would be overwhelmed by inappropriate development. For these reasons the development of the site needs to be given careful consideration outside the Local Plan.
PO14 Transport: Any development will lead to road safety issues (many young families, wide street, speeding cars), parking problems (especially after 5pm) and congestion. There is no reassurance in the plan that they have been given due consideration.
PO15 At a density of 50 homes it is difficult to see how this development will 'make a positive contribution to the quality of the natural and historic environment' of Leamington town centre. There will be no space for green space or gardens and little scope to reflect the historic significance of the site.

How this proposal misses the opportunity to achieve other preferred options in the Local Plan

PO8 Economy: Currently the site offers employment. Planning decisions at this stage should not exclude a continuation of this. The draft Local Plan says that existing employment land will be protected.
PO9 Retailing and Town Centres: The contribution this site makes to the town centre needs to be carefully thought through. A rush to residential development, whilst fulfilling a planning need for brownsite development, may prove a missed opportunity to benefit the Leamington community as a whole.
PO10 Built environment: The design of buildings at this site is of key importance to Leamington town centre; the fire station has been voted the most ugly building in Leamington. Many residents are ashamed of it in comparison to Leamington's Regency architecture. Also a development of fifty homes is not in keeping with the principle of sustainable garden towns. Under these guidelines the density range for dwellings in a district or local centre is 35-40 dwellings per hectare. The fire station site is approximately half a hectare or around 20 houses. The proposal of 50 homes is over twice that.
PO11 Historic environment: This option says that protection from inappropriate development will be provided. Development of this site when the fire station moves is an opportunity for planners to redress past mistakes. This is an historically important site being the site of the home of Dr Jephson, father of Leamington spa in whose honour the gardens were planted. Past mistakes have allowed it to become an embarrassment to the town.
Grove street lies in the conservation area and houses on the West of the street are listed. This was a decision taken in the past to discourage over representation of houses of multiple occupancy and encourage families to live in the town centre. This has been successful with Grove Street having a diverse yet balanced variety of homes. (Nine of the twenty three properties on the west side of Grove Street have children of nursery or primary school age) Any development should be respectful of this and not overwhelm the existing community.
PO17 Culture and tourism: If the site of the old Ford factory on Princes Drive is seen as the gateway to Leamington then this site could be seen as its front door. It is the first major cross roads in the town as people arrive in town or travel north. It should be visually well designed and distinctive to visitors, setting the tone for Leamington.

Objection to the proposal within PO4: Distribution of Sites for Housing; Sites within the town centre, Leamington fire station

Summary

The development of the Leamington fire station site should not form part of the Local Plan. This site is of crucial cultural, visual and historic importance to Leamington as a whole. The nature of the community around the area should be preserved as representative of a harmonious, varied town community that the Local Plan aspires to achieve. There will be development of the site when or if the fire station is re-located and opportunities should not be lost to contribute the stature of Leamington Spa by simply specifying it as high density housing and precluding any other type of development. Whilst significant to the area, in planning terms fifty homes is a small number which could be accommodated within existing proposals or in other areas throughout the town, such as the site of the Royal Spa centre should it move to south of the town.

Why this proposal fails to support other preferred options within the draft Local Plan.

PO3 Included in this option is the desire to avoid existing settlements merging.
There are large multi-occupancy developments at Churchill house, Clarence Mansions, Westbrook House and Warwick Terrace and further such development at the fire station site would result in a continuum of all these residences and overwhelm the area.
PO4 All proposed town centre housing development lies within a small triangle to the northwest of the town bordered by the railway line, Warwick Place and Dale street. This seems disproportionate.
PO 5 Affordable homes: There are many small apartments around this site (see PO3 above). A development of fifty homes, being greater than the number houses on Grove Street would swamp the diverse character of the street.
PO6 Grove Street is an exemplar mixed community. There are retail properties, houses of multiple occupancy, student accommodation, young families, retired couples and working households. No one element outweighs the other. The tower block on Brook Street houses owner occupiers and social housing tenants. The balance of this mix would be lost with a development greater that that which already exists.
PO13 'Much can be done to deliver inclusive, safe and healthy communities through the Local Plan by controlling the location and design of development.'
This site is a sensitive location in Leamington, of interest to many town residents and the future of the site is of concern to them. The vibrancy of the Grove Street community would be overwhelmed by inappropriate development. For these reasons the development of the site needs to be given careful consideration outside the Local Plan.
PO14 Transport: Any development will lead to road safety issues (many young families, wide street, speeding cars), parking problems (especially after 5pm) and congestion. There is no reassurance in the plan that they have been given due consideration.
PO15 At a density of 50 homes it is difficult to see how this development will 'make a positive contribution to the quality of the natural and historic environment' of Leamington town centre. There will be no space for green space or gardens and little scope to reflect the historic significance of the site.

How this proposal misses the opportunity to achieve other preferred options in the Local Plan

PO8 Economy: Currently the site offers employment. Planning decisions at this stage should not exclude a continuation of this. The draft Local Plan says that existing employment land will be protected.
PO9 Retailing and Town Centres: The contribution this site makes to the town centre needs to be carefully thought through. A rush to residential development, whilst fulfilling a planning need for brownsite development, may prove a missed opportunity to benefit the Leamington community as a whole.
PO10 Built environment: The design of buildings at this site is of key importance to Leamington town centre; the fire station has been voted the most ugly building in Leamington. Many residents are ashamed of it in comparison to Leamington's Regency architecture. Also a development of fifty homes is not in keeping with the principle of sustainable garden towns. Under these guidelines the density range for dwellings in a district or local centre is 35-40 dwellings per hectare. The fire station site is approximately half a hectare or around 20 houses. The proposal of 50 homes is over twice that.
PO11 Historic environment: This option says that protection from inappropriate development will be provided. Development of this site when the fire station moves is an opportunity for planners to redress past mistakes. This is an historically important site being the site of the home of Dr Jephson, father of Leamington spa in whose honour the gardens were planted. Past mistakes have allowed it to become an embarrassment to the town.
Grove street lies in the conservation area and houses on the West of the street are listed. This was a decision taken in the past to discourage over representation of houses of multiple occupancy and encourage families to live in the town centre. This has been successful with Grove Street having a diverse yet balanced variety of homes. (Nine of the twenty three properties on the west side of Grove Street have children of nursery or primary school age) Any development should be respectful of this and not overwhelm the existing community.
PO17 Culture and tourism: If the site of the old Ford factory on Princes Drive is seen as the gateway to Leamington then this site could be seen as its front door. It is the first major cross roads in the town as people arrive in town or travel north. It should be visually well designed and distinctive to visitors, setting the tone for Leamington.

I am quite taken aback by WDC's statement in Para 2.1 of the Local Plan Preferred Options. WDC states that the Council's vision for the Warwick District .... "is to make Warwick District a Great Place to Live, Work and Visit."

There are and have been a great many local people who belong to respected societies, who range from all political persuasions (or none) or who are just hard working individuals who have made this locality what it is today - a really good place to live, work and visit. WDC can continue the work in this vein and I hope it does, but it would be more fitting in a document of this kind for WDC to acknowledge the dedication and effort to date of such people and not to give the impression that our District is not at this moment something other than a really good place to live, work and visit.

WDC please restructure this paragraph.

1. Quoting from the LOCALPLAN: "Introduction:
"Our approach can be summarized as one which:
"Plans positively for growth and meets the District's housing need by allocating areas of land for new mixed developments.
"Supports the future vitality and sustainability of villages by including development sites in or adjacent to some villages and relaxing some of the current restrictions on development in villages." End of Quote.

Comment: Yes, but WDC doesn't mention the Localism Act. If WDC has Preferred Options then by law I understand that it now has to obtain buy-in from elected representatives, residents and voters.

PO4 ...Quote: "The Council will work with developers...."
Comment: Under the Localism Act, the council, the elected representatives, the residents and the voters will all work with the developers if that is the consensus between the council, the elected representatives, residents and voters. This must mean no more "behind closed door" meetings or secrecy.

PO9...Start of quote: "Our Preferred Option is to incorporate retail and town centre policies to:
** Apply the 'town centres first' message at the heart of Government retail policy advice that will be central to promoting the vitality and viability of the district's town centres. Town centres will be the focus for retail development and the Council will plan positively for their growth and development in accordance with their particular role within the network of town and local centres;
Support the addition of a major retail -led development scheme in Leamington Town Centre, in accordance with the identified need/evidence within the retail study" End of quote.

Comment: WDC may still support this, but after discussion with residents and voters, district councillors decided not to support Application W10/0340 re Clarendon Arcade. The legitimate planning reasons for refusing the Application, given in a written statement to the Applicants, are clear and on record. This was before the Localism Act became law. WDC must observe that any decision taken from now on is to be as a result of a consensus between themselves, the elected representatives, the residents and the voters. Furthermore, should any rivaling scheme, however small or diverse, gain the "majority" support from the elected representatives, residents, voters and WDC, then that scheme must now by law prevail.
During the public discussion on W10/0340 (2007-2011), under the questionable heading of "public consultation", there was very little support and much opposition to that scheme but WDC went ahead regardless. It was due to the good sense of the elected representatives that the scheme was rejected in November 2010. Well over 200 people lodged their formal objections to WDC. There were but four or five letters in favour. A similar proportion of Leamington Courier readers wrote in to express their objections to the scheme. The first survey by Wilson Bowden in the Royal Prior Shopping Centre in 2007 demonstrated that some 40 people wanted more shops. However, 200 others in that survey did not express such a desire. Yet this survey result has been used on a number of occasions to provide justification for the scheme and more shops. There are now more empty shops in Leamington in 2012 than there were people who wanted more shops in 2007.

PO11
Quote: "Reviewing of the Conservation areas"
Comment: It is to be expected that all such matters are to be discussed with elected representatives, residents and voters under the framework of the Localism Act. Further, I would prefer that specific parts of the existing / previous Local Plan be carried over verbatim to the new Local Plan as follows (notwithstanding the welcomed comments in section 11 in the LOCALPLAN Preferred Options Complete with....):
1. A development will not be permitted which has an unacceptable adverse impact on the amenity of nearby users and residents such as loss of privacy, loss of sunlight and daylight and noise disturbance.
2. A development will only be permitted which protects important natural features and positively contributes to the character and quality of its existing environment
3. Developments will help to support the objective of reducing dependence on the private car, avoid excessive levels of car parking and increase the patronage of public transport and encourage walking and cycling.
The rules 1 to 3 above are preferred because of their (relatively) unambiguous meanings. There doesn't appear to be a good reason to deviate from the previous plan which seems to have protected our town's heritage quite successfully during the past 20 years.
2. Comment on LOCALPLAN Preferred Options Complete with....
Paragraph 4.11, first section, 4. Quote:" 4. Make sure that new developments are in place that will reduce the need for people to use there cars. This will improve air quality and help address climate change by reducing road congestion and carbon emissions, and will encourage people to live more healthy lifestyles by walking and cycling more." End of quote.
Comment on the above quote: BRAVO!
Final Comments: I do not find the Preferred Option Executive Summary acceptable in so far as it fails to mention the Localism Act. WDC is well aware that this new Act has an objective to genuinely involve all the interested parties in local issues, the interested parties being (to repeat): the elected representatives, the residents, the voters and the District Council (or its equivalent).
The Localism Act is referred to only in Para 5.12. of "LOCALPLAN Preferred Options Complete with....", but mainly only that part of it concerned with the removal of the regional layer of strategic planning. Thank you WDC for acknowledging one part of the other main purpose of the Act and for pledging in this Para 5.12 that the "Council will, however be consulting neighbouring authorities on its proposals".
For clarity, I would like to see contained in the final agreed Local Plan an independently prepared précis of the Localism Act 2012 and what effect it may have in local decision making.
It would be good also for WDC to provide a detailed explanation of what is meant by "sustainable" in the contexts in which it uses it. The effort made in Para 12.28 on this is appreciated.

Comments on Draft Infrastructure Plan re Leamington Fire Station.

There has been considerable public discussion recently on the possible relocation of Leamington Fire Station from Warwick Street. I would like to see a commitment in the Local Plan for the retention of Leamington Fire Station at its present Warwick Street site
The "Local Plan Preferred Options" seems to be advocating growth in such a way that growth may become inevitable. WDC envisage an increase in traffic between 6% and 13% for each of the four home growth areas identified in Para 3.1.2 or a compound traffic growth of 40% if they are all developed as outlined. Is it conceivable that satellite crews from out of town fire stations, struggling with appliances through our narrow streets during the rush hour against a 40% increase in traffic density over current levels, might just fail to reach the town centre in time to prevent our wonderful Regency style heritage from being razed?
In Para 4.6.17, it is reported that the Fire and Rescue Service acknowledges that although new development can impact on the level of risk, there is no direct relationship between an increase in population and an increase in risk. This curious and counter-intuitive denial (from whom it is not clear) then turns into a warning: An increase in traffic congestion could impact the ability of existing stations to meet standards of cover. Here we have a preferred plan which predicts an increase in traffic density of up to 40% and a proposition in Para 4.6.18 to remove the Fire Station to a satellite location.
Under the powers of the Localism Act, I would urge our elected representatives, the Leamington residents and the voters to press WDC for our Town's Fire Station to be retained at its present location. Perhaps WDC could resolve not to relocate our Fire Station?

In my opinion, without further explanation, the Para 3.1.24 (on innovative but undefined ways to overcome traffic problems) lacks credibility. Perhaps further explanation could be provided in the Plan? Any explanation may be crucial to the case for a re-location of our Fire Station.