Ensuring the vitality of town centres

One of the major impacts on the use of Kenilworth town centre is the heavy traffic through the town centre. This does and will continue to detract from this town as a shopping and leisure destination. Making the section of Warwick road from just past Barrow Road to the clock tower roundabout would significantly enhance the enjoyment of visiting and staying in the town centre. Traffic heading towards Birmingham would use the existing Bertie Road one way and complete through the car park by the community centre, traffic moving towards Leamington would feed off the clock tower roundabout and use the existing road through the car park behind the row of shops including HSBC. Again one way. Road improvements would be minimal and traffic passing only one way through existing car park structures. Sainsbury's car park up to Barrow Road would remain open to traffic but volumes reduced, aiding access to Sainsbury's. Kenilworth would then make use and enhance its existing niche shopping and food experience.

Leisure facilities are increasingly being moved to the fringes of towns as sports facilities are seen as something that can be moved to the countryside, making the old sites available for lucrative housing developments.

There is a"leapfrogging" process. Sports clubs move to a greenfield site on the edge of built up area. In a few years' time they seek permission to develop the site for housing and to move their sports fields even further away from the town and the people they purport to serve.

There is significant supply of empty offices or office space in planning in town centres ( enough for 22 years growth at current take up). Using this supply first is vital for vibrant community centres - yet there are plans to develop more out-of-town business parks in Stoneleigh, Abbey Park and Coventry. In addition to these adding to local traffic flows, these will further erode green belt land and reduce the viability of existing town centres and have a negative impact on use of fossil fuels

I'm not sure what edge of centre development means. I'd like to therefore state categorically that I object to any further retails development outside of the town centre (s) such as around what is known as Queensway or 'leamington Retail Park. At the same time, ways must be found to 'level' the playing field between these out of town sites and the historic centres. Levies must be placed on the former and subsidies on business rates / parking on the latter. If large cities such as Paris can do just this then why not Leamington / Warwick? Fine words but without tangible support will lead to their rapid decay. They are important points of distinction that separate the two towns from 'High Street Britain' or 'Any Retail Park, UK'. A referendum should be held on such important matters including future town centre development. Other towns manage this and we should follow.

It is most important that the centre of towns in the District are supported; towns die if too much retail activity is concentrated in out of town shopping centres.