Loes Farm (North of Woodloes)

PO4:D Development of Greenfield Land

This site is on a highly visible slope, adjacent to the main approach road into Warwick from the north. It borders the huge and intensive exsisting development of Woodloes Estate. To redesignate it as developable land would permanently and tragically change the whole nature of the town.

Currently there is no significant sign of housing until one reaches the traffic island that leads onto Woodloes Park. This development would be visible on leaving the bypass and the current view of open fields would be gone.
The bridleway which runs along the back of the Woodloes Estate, would become a much busier road, unsuitable for the start of relaxing walks and the fields would just become more houses.
The additional traffic onto the Coventry Road island would cause even more queues than are there presently during the rush hour when traffic backs up to the A46.

The proposed development would further erode the green belt and exacerbate an existing traffic problem relating to accessing the A429 north of Warwick.
The proposed development also has a significant ecological impact: habitats for birds, reptiles and small mammals would be destroyed. Mature oak trees will need to be cut down. I will actively lobby Natural England to stop this development.
The development would ruin the only attractive approach into historic Warwick.

Strong objections to the development of the open space keeping Warwick and Leek Wootten seperate. The open aspect provides an important habitat to many ancient trees, birds and wildlife. The local area does not need any more traffic congestion or noise pollution (A46 continues to provide plenty). The land is very diverse and incredibly high in places making developments visually unappealing on higher grounds. The area offers an open aspect to residents and provides the right environment for Hintons Nursery, Guys Cliffe and the Saxon Mill all of which have historical importance to the area.

Development of the Loes Farm site for housing would cause a lot of disruption to the local neighbourhood for the provision of relatively few dwellings. The parcel of land is too small to be developed as a full community but its location prevents it from becoming part of the existing Woodloes estate. The site is bounded by the A46, the Coventry Road and Woodloes Lane - the A46 is a busy, noisy dual carriageway, the Coventry Road is a very busy route in and out of Warwick especially at morning and evening rush hours, and Woodloes Lane forms a natural boundary along the entire NE outskirts of the existing Woodloes estate. So inevitably any development on this site would create an isolated community, in no way a mere extension to the existing estate, due to the location, and too small to demand facilities of its own like shops, schools, doctors etc.
The site would need significant costly noise defences alongside the A46. Roads in the Coventry Road area in particular would need significant improvement to take the additional traffic and prevent danger points. More importantly, it would be a tragedy if Woodloes Lane itself were developed into an access road or became part of the new development, not only for the properties in the lane and those backing on to the lane, but also for the inevitable destruction of trees and hedgerows, which are a haven for birds and other wildlife. The lane creates a natural boundary containing the urban area of Warwick and should be protected at all cost.

The proposed development presents a yet further erosion of the green belt.

There is no indication as to how access would be achieved or indeed if it can be achieved over third party land. The development would further exacerbate the existing traffic problems on the A429 north of Warwick.

The proposed development will have a significant impact on the ecology of the area. There is no reference to ecology study having been undertaken.

The area has a high landscape value and any development on the elevated section of the land would have a negative impact on this attractive approach into Warwick.

The A429 is already unable to cope adequately with rush hour traffic. This proposal would make a bad situation worse.
It would create an isolated community, with no local shops or amenities necessitating further use of cars.
There would be a significant impact on the ecology of the area with the loss of many trees and hedgerows which would add to the already excessive noise pollution from the A46 to existing properties and have a severe impact on the local wildlife.
This is one of the few remaining beautiful approaches to Warwick, this scheme would ruin it for ever.

Unsuitable because of noise level from roads.
existing road infrastructure, etc. will be overburden.
Existing Woodloes development catering 'as is'.
Distance from shops, etc.
Will prevent future much necessary future improvements to junctions with existing roads, etc.
Will increase traffic on already overburdened road to rail station.
Land believed to lie wet. will increase surface water problems towards flood plain of river where housing was built on rafting system in '70's. these house are already suffering movement problems with foundations, etc moving. the eventual natural lie of the land will take surface water to the direct of the already problem areas.
In abandoned WMRSS consultation, owners stated there modest financial means, etc. Without prejudice, they own other agricultural land and the main of the of Woodloes Park (i.e. as is now) they sold their freehold in late '60's for the development of the same and bought other land out of the immediate area which thet farm in addition to Loes Farm.

This relatively small proposed development would have a huge impact on the North of Warwick.

It will dominate the currently pleasant approach to North Warwick along the A429, being positioned on the brow of the hill.

Means of access to the site has not been made clear, and will inevitably lead to further destruction of green belt land. Whatever the solution, it will either directly or indirectly feed into the already extremely busy A429.

As quoted in the preferred options summay, the Green Belt is designed to 'stop urban sprawl that would harm the open nature and rural character of the open countryside around the towns and the urban areas of the West Midlands'. Woodloes Lane is surely one of the best examples in Warwick of a beautiful open aspect right on the edge of the town, which as a Public Footpath is used by the local residents very regularly to get a glimpse of the open countryside. A development on this site is therefore completely against the Green Belt policy.

The development would substantially damage the ecology in the area, with destruction of trees, hedgerows and historically significant ridge and furrow fields.

It would also be very detrimental to the outlook for those living on the edge of the Woodloes estate.

The developement will inevitably set a precedent for further infill between the A46 and A429 in the longer term, further exacerbating these issues.

This site has ecologicaly value as outlined by the 2008 Habitat Biodiversity Audit survey report that also states that this site is unfavourable for development.

The site would affect the ancient trees and hedgerow as well as destroy pasture used by Foxes, Yellow Meadow Ants, Green Woodpecker, Rabbits, Buzzards and Rooks and other wildlife.

The site is also a remnant of the old Guys Cliffe estate and as such has interesting archaeology including in places evidence of ridge and furrow farming.

From an social point of view, the site would border the Centenary Way footpath and would separate people from the Woodloes even more from Green Open Spaces.

180 houses would put pressure on the road infrastructure and in one report in the evidence base seemed to suggest that the local school could not support the new children.

In terms of Aesthetics this approach to Warwick is one of the few that still show that the town is a rural county town, although how much longer that can be said is open to question.

This is a beautiful area of countryside and one which me and my family use almost daily to walk our dog. I also enjoy going running in this area because it is quiet and tranquil. The last thing the woodles needs is more housing, especially the upper area of th estate. I am deeply saddened that the council has chosen to ruin one of the few open green areas in the woodles area with more housing. I live on Hathaway drive which currently is quiet with little traffic. No doubt if this goes through with hundreds of homes built the traffic will be awful which im sure will be an excuse for you to build more roads. I am 23 and have grown up in those fields, I very strongly object to this proposal as it will ruin what is currently a beautiful area one can go to escape. I emplore you to reconsider

This development would have a huge impact on the whole of North Warwick, destroying an incredibly beautiful section of Green Belt land, home to wildlife including bats and many old trees and currently accessible and utilised by residents. I thought that Rural England said this site was not fit for new builds in 2008?..What has changed? The traffic level would increase and become a hazard, above an already unacceptable rush hour problem on the a429! The area is one of the few pretty approaches to Warwick and and provides access to Guys Cliffe and the Saxon Mill which have historic importance to the area. The development would destroy green belt for what looks like no reason other than spreading the developments across the whole area, rather than in as few a places as possible.

This is Green Belt!
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that inappropriate development is harmful to the Green Belt and 'should not be approved except in very special circumstances'. It goes on to say that construction of new buildings should be regarded as inappropriate with a list of exceptions that do not include housing or commercial development!

The Council has not demonstrated 'very special circumstances'; indeed the Authority's own documents show ample suitable land is available without the need to violate the Green Belt.

This site is in Green Belt!
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that inappropriate development is harmful to the Green Belt and 'should not be approved except in very special circumstances'. It goes on to say that construction of new buildings should be regarded as inappropriate with a list of exceptions that do not include new housing!
The Council has not demonstrated 'very special circumstances'; indeed the authority's own documents show ample suitable land is available without the need to violate the Green Belt.

The Warwick member in charge of the council planning office, admit they made mistakes, when they gave planning permission to build on Chase Meadow and Warwick Gates in the way it was built, "but there is nothing they can do about it now." This time! they will go back to Garden suburbs design (available then)and build on Green belt land. (But if they have it wrong!)
They say the traffic congestion and pollution in the Warwick rush hour is unacceptable and admits a large proportion of the vehicles involved are council workers going to and leaving work. Building housing estates surrounding Warwick without addressing this problem is nothing short of ignoring a serious situation for selfish reasons. Illustrated by the fact that:
The only thing they plan that will effect this, is to close their outlying offices and move the staff into Barrack St.
They say if they build the new estates in too close proximity to each other, the builders will not be able to sell them. It doesn't look like a pressing need for new houses to me.
Another issue is Loes Farm/Woodloes lane. The lane is a favourite walking place for Warwick people to take their exercise, so much so that in 2000 it became part of the millennium way.
Millennium celebrations over let's dig it up! (Not quite the intention of the millennium committee one would think.)
The farm is an important wild life corridor especially now the A46 cuts the other one off.
It provides a home for the Harvest mouse, Wood Mouse, Short Tailed Vole, Weasel. All not extremely endangered creatures in their own right, but they are very important in the food chain. Feeding breeding Buzzards and owls that live in the mature Oak and Sycamore trees in that field. Of course they will be made homeless too.
People think it a joke or a ruse when local people say crested newt live in this field .
All newts are endangered species and crested newts are the rarest type of newts. Let's get this straight they do live in that field.
So a piece of Green Belt land, a popular walking place for Warwick people, part of the Millennium way and a place that is near enough a nature reserve is part of a plan that will destroy it, and for what, 180 houses! (And if they get it wrong again will they just say there is nothing they can do about it now." )

This site is Inappropriate for housing based on:
1) Erosion of green belt.
2) Additional traffic congestion on an already grid locked approach to Warwick.
3) The last rural approach to Warwick will be destroyed by the impact of high density housing.

If you wish to destroy this area and blemish the approach to our beautiful town then this is the way to do it! This development would clearly destroy an area of green belt, that has previously been assessed 'not fit' for new build purposes. There is no doubt that this encroachment onto green belt land would increase traffic both on the already congested A429 and the Woodloes estate. If the idea is to extend the new build to the existing estate then at some point I suspect there will be a further proposal to connect to Primrose Hill/Woodloes Avenue North. The local area does not need any more traffic congestion or noise pollution.
This land is diverse and part of an area that offers to all the residents of Warwick an open aspect and access by footpath, to the nursery, Saxon Mill, Millenium trail and Guys Cliffe. All of these amenities contribute whether financially or historically to our community and all would be affected in some way by this proposed project.
The effects of building here should not be understated; where are the amenities to support the needs of an additional 180 homes ?
It beggars belief that a mini estate is being considered perhaps it is hoped they will use the recently approved Co-Op that is going ahead even with the local community having strongly objected!
Keep our environment green and consider the needs of the existing community, think about what you are doing!

A development of 180 houses at this location would be a significant traffic generator at a location where there are already serious delays in peak periods.
For safety reasons exit from the development would need to be to Primrose Hill because traffic on the A429 the main road is too heavy at peak for an uncontrolled exit and traffic flow from the proposed estate too low to justify signals - a roundabout would not provide sufficient gaps for traffic to exit and a left only exit would create problems at the A429/A46 roundabout.
One hundred and eighty houses would generate of the order of 200+ vehicles between the hours of 0730 and 0830, that is a queue of nearly one and a half kilometres to be discharged onto and from Primrose Hill. With the likely destinations to be biased towards Leamington/Warwick and Coventry most will want to access the A429 roundabout which is already subject to delay and increasingly to incidents, low speed damage only mostly but a sigificant number. Increased delay will inevitably lead to a number of incidents being injury, rather than damage only incidents with consequent serious community cost.
Excepting the exit to the A46 from the A429, all secondary junctions for traffic leaving the proposed estate, such as St Johns and Spinny Hill/Emscote Road have serious delays already.
The A429 is the diversion route when the A46 has to be closed. Traffic conditions then clearly show how increases in traffic cause serious traffic disruption. Even the proposed signals at Emscote Road/greville Road will have little or no reserve, because the river bridge is a significant traffic limiter; assuming that a complete reconstruction to four lanes isn't economically viable
Without major junction developments there is no capacity for the generated traffic to discharge. Consequently there will exist a possibility of gridlock in the Spinny Hill, Emcote Road, St John/Coventry Road/Primrose Hill area which could extend as far as the A42 Birmingham Road with further consequences.

The council are ignoring the views of the public. In their own survey the majority are against further development of green belt land yet the council puts forward a preferred option that is based on economic speculation, theories and hypothesis that utilises a considerable amount of green belt.

It is the thin end of the wedge that on one hand the council states 'green belt' is there to protect the open nature and rural character of the open countryside around towns and villages when their preferred option is to do the exact opposite.

This proposed development would extend the urban nature of the local area beyond the natural barrier of Loes Lane.This would seriously reduce the present amenity value of the area. The lane is regularly used by walkers, dog walkers, runners and cyclists. The lane is also used by parties of local school children experiencing science and nature studies. This would be an unwanted and unwelcome change to the local area.

Why are the council ignoring the District Habitat Assessment, October 2008, which clearly states the area as 'not favourable for development'? The huge biodiversity impact to the site (clearly listed in the assessment), the fact that the site is Green Belt land with no indication from the council that all other options have been exhausted to make this a viable site and no plan detailing the additional infrastructure to service the new builds comprehensively shows the councils lack of consideration on all aspects. Warwick is also an historic town that cannot be ruined by 'urban sprawl'.

Land is specifically designated as Green Belt to protect urban sprawl, encourage urban regeneration, stop towns from merging into each other and protect the setting of historic towns and cities. This site is not only in an historic location but also has a significant ecological footprint as was detailed in the 2008 Habitat assessment. The plan does not require development in such an important area of Green Belt. In 2009 Warwick District Council approved "A Core Plan for Strategic Growth to 2026" which catered for more homes than the current plan and did not involve development of the green belt.

Firstly this development will result in irreversable damage to Warwick's Green Belt land which provides both seperation from other residential areas and is a key factor in checking unrestricted urban sprawl, preventing towns from merging into one another, and in this case especially preserves the only rural approach to the historic town of Warwick. To build opn this site will destroy this visual impact as the site is on a hill side adjacent to the main approach road.

This is in plain contradiction to the aspirations in Sect 16.1 regarding the aim of a Green Belt area.

A developemnt of this site will further exasperate the significant traffic conjestion at peak times. Despite the commissioned modelling exercise, personal experience informs my opinion that some 180 households and therefore in excess of 200 extra cars plus delivery vehicles etc cannot be sustained especially on Primrose Hill.

In addition as this road way is crossed by many scores of schoolchildren daily whilst going to and from school, the spectre of traffic accidents becomes more likely.

The roiundabout improvements proposed will not be able to remediate this extra traffic burden - it will simply shift it a little further into town.

The proposed development will cause a loss of diversity - the 2008 Habitat Survey identified the site as being unsuitable for development. Along with many types of butterflies & moths, (including one thought to be extinct in Warwickshire), we know of bats and great crested newts in the arae; we have a section of ancient hedgerow and many very old (> 100 years) trees. The site is also part of the historic landscape which was a part of the Guys Cliffe Estate which has been identifed by English Heritage as of historical interest.

I am objecting on the basis of the increased risk of flooding.

P97 Sect 18.5 especially makes reference to the need to ..."ensure that new development does not increase surface wtaer flooding"

The area around Hinton's nursey and the Saxon Mill are often flooded by run off from the higher fields - exactly the location of the proposed develoment.

The extra hardlandscaping and associated foundations works will make this a more common and serious event; works to mitigate any such problems by creating extra drainage will destroy a section of ridge and furrow pasture.

I object on the grounds that the existing infrastructure is not sufficient to cope with the demands of more people. Traffic is already a major issue entering Warwick in rush hour. Hospitals, GP surgeries and schools only just meet the needs of existing residents as it is. We moved to Woodloes Park BECAUSE of the green fields surrounding the top of the estate-there will soon by no greenery left which will be a real shame for existing residents and visitors to the area (there are a number of public footpaths through the proposed sites that will be greatly missed).

Development on this green belt site would contravene many principles in the NPPF. In summary (with reference to the appropriate NPPF statements):

Section 9 Protecting Green Belt Land:
Para 80 bullet point 1. Development here would result in urban sprawl of the existing Woodloes estate;
Para 80 bullet point 2. Development here would encroach on a scenic and historic part of Warwickshire countryside;
Para 80 bullet point 4. Development here, and on a highly visible elevated site, would severely impact on the special character of the only rural main entrance into Warwick;
Para 87. Development here would be by definition inappropriate and harmful to the green belt.

Section 11 (Conserving and Enhancing the natural environment)
Para 109 Development here would severely adversely impact on valued ridge and furrow landscape and reduce biodiversity. The 1998 Habitat Biodiversity Assessment carried out by the County Museum Service described the site as 'unfavourable for development' based on the high value assigned to the landscape features and the meadow environment. Development here would reduce, rather than provide opportunities for net gains in biodiversity. The meadowland is species rich in terms of grasses, 18 varieties of butterfly and 280 species of moth have been recorded (including one thought to be extinct in Warwickshire), the area is rich in birdlife (45+ species including many migrants, 3 species of owl, nesting sparrowhawks and several pairs of green woodpeckers). Other biodiversity interests include at least 3 species of bat, breeding populations of frogs and smooth newts, and great crested newts are regularly recorded. The hedgerows date back to the 1700s and there are 13 significant trees of high landscape value. Such long established biodiversity cannot be protected by local mediation measures since the remaining area outside that allocated for housing is greatly reduced in size, and would be impacted on by increased distrurbance.

A key principle of the NPPF (Para 17 bullet point 7) states that allocations of land for development should prefer land of lesser environmental value.

The site is also adjacent to the English Heritage listed Guy's Cliffe Park and Garden.

There are also transport infrastructure issues in terms of access and increased local traffic in the Primrose Hill and Coventry Road areas.

It is difficult to see how access to schools in line with NPPF guidelines could be achieved.

The SE corner of the site is subject to regular flooding after moderate to heavy rain, and seasonally during the winter. The water table here is near the surface and any developer should be made aware of this.

I object to the development of Loes Farm as Woodloes Park cannot sustain more housing. My family live at the bottom of Primrose Hill near Coventry Road Roundabout and my children have to risk their lives every time that they cross the road. We have to run as fast as possible every day to get across. I worry every time they go out on their own because of the volume of vehicles using Primrose Hill and the speed that they travel. If more cars used this road there will be far more accidents and some will be fatal.