2 The Local Plan and Consultation Process

I strongly object to the Local Plan in its current form. My objections are based on the following:-
* It has been clearly established that the local need is for fewer than 6000 new houses by about 2030, however the Local Plan proposed more than 12000.
* Whatever increase in the number of houses is finally established, the proposed concentration to the south of Warwick is unreasonable and untenable.
* The proposal is to develop huge swathes of green belt land, mostly used for farming, whilst ignoring large amounts of brown belt land that could easily be developed for housing.
* Local infrastructure will not support such an increase.
* The proposed concentration of new housing predominantly to the south of Warwick an Leamington is ill-conceived and impractical.
The current proposals would have a severe impact on environment and infrastructure on Warwick and Leamington.
* Demands placed on schools and hospitals would be severe and unsustainable.
* Demands on water supplies and drainage would be increased considerably, and could even exacerbate risk of flooding in some areas.
* Without considerable improvement in public transport, the proposed developments would be extensively car dependent, leading to an increase in pollution and severe congestion. Public transport in the Myton Road area is extremely poor with only an hourly service during the day, and no service at all during evenings and Sundays.
* Typically, houses in the area have at least two cars, hence there is a potential for around 24000 additional vehicles on local roads, some of which are already close to saturation, especially at peak times.
* Warwick town centre is already clogged with traffic at peak times; total gridlock could well ensue as a result of increased vehicle movements. Without any alternative routes, north-south journeys will become almost impossible.
* All north-south traffic movements will be concentrated on the two more westerly of the three available routes. These are already congested.
* The proposed concentration of new housing to the south of Warwick and Leamington will create far more serious traffic congestion than would be the case with a more even north south distribution.
* Pressure on the junctions at either end of Myton Road, already severely congested at peak times, will be increased considerably, making it extremely difficult for residents to travel.
* WDC is already failing in its obligation to reduce pollution in town centres - the proposal will only worsen the situation with serious impact on historic buildings and the population.
Any current planning applications should be put on hold until a more reasonable, sensible, and practical scheme that has a viable traffic solution is established for the area.

* It has been clearly established that the local need is for fewer than 6000 new houses by about 2030, however the Local Plan proposed more than 12000.
* Whatever increase in the number of houses is finally established, the proposed concentration to the south of Warwick is unreasonable and untenable.
* The proposal is to develop huge swathes of green belt land, mostly used for farming, whilst ignoring large amounts of brown belt land that could easily be developed for housing.
* Local infrastructure will not support such an increase.
* The proposed concentration of new housing predominantly to the south of Warwick an Leamington is ill-conceived and impractical.
The current proposals would have a severe impact on environment and infrastructure on Warwick and Leamington.
* Demands placed on schools and hospitals would be severe and unsustainable.
* Demands on water supplies and drainage would be increased considerably, and could even exacerbate risk of flooding in some areas.
* Without considerable improvement in public transport, the proposed developments would be extensively car dependent, leading to an increase in pollution and severe congestion. Public transport in the Myton Road area is extremely poor with only an hourly service during the day, and no service at all during evenings and Sundays.
* Typically, houses in the area have at least two cars, hence there is a potential for around 24000 additional vehicles on local roads, some of which are already close to saturation, especially at peak times.
* Warwick town centre is already clogged with traffic at peak times; total gridlock could well ensue as a result of increased vehicle movements. Without any alternative routes, north-south journeys will become almost impossible.
* All north-south traffic movements will be concentrated on the two more westerly of the three available routes. These are already congested.
* The proposed concentration of new housing to the south of Warwick and Leamington will create far more serious traffic congestion than would be the case with a more even north south distribution.
* Pressure on the junctions at either end of Myton Road, already severely congested at peak times, will be increased considerably, making it extremely difficult for residents to travel.
* WDC is already failing in its obligation to reduce pollution in town centres - the proposal will only worsen the situation with serious impact on historic buildings and the population.
Any current planning applications should be put on hold until a more reasonable, sensible, and practical scheme that has a viable traffic solution is established for the area.

Mr Elliott,

I write in relation to the Local Plan which is currently undergoing public consultation.

To say that "the Plan" is grossly unfair to residents of South Leamington and Warwick is an understatement. Sanctioning the bulk of such a massive development all in one area of the town represents a very ill thought out plan, and one that will create chaos, not just in southern areas of Leamington/Warwick, but across the district.

I have heard of an alternative plan that would distribute housing evenly around the district, and thus mitigating many of the disastrous outcomes of concentrating the developments where they are currently proposed. Surely this represents a fantastic alternative, if we are to have such a number of new homes, and spreads the burden thinly across the district. Such a plan could also benefit smaller local building firms rather than large national developers, and this would help the local economy.

Evenly distributing the housing around both Leamington and Warwick might mean that fewer significant road infrastructure changes would be needed, thus saving the Council money in these times of economic austerity.

Given the volume of housing that is proposed, another option would be to create a whole "new town" outside Leamington and Warwick in open countryside. This could be built from scratch to include schools, parkland, shops and other infrastructure etc, making it largely independent. Again, this would impact far fewer existing residents, and require fewer significant infrastructure changes in the main Leamington/Warwick district.

On the subject of public consultation - the consultation period has recently been extended for the Woodside Farm development in Whitnash. However, 3 other significant developments are proposed nearby:

- Hawkes Farm, North of Harbury Lane, Heathcote (Ref W/13/0607)
- South of Harbury Lane (ref W/13/0606)
- West of Europa Way (ref W/13/0603)

I believe that local residents have not had long enough to digest what the implications of these might be, and would request that a similar extension of the consultation period is granted for these applications.

I am keen to gauge your thoughts on these matters.

Dear Ms Darke
I wish to object to the draft local plan in the strongest terms. The proposed development to the south of Warwick and Harbury Lane is grossly disproportionate to the housing needs of the district.. There is no evidence that the majority of people moving to this area will find employment locally and the majority will be car commuters placing intolerable strain on the road network. If new houses are needed they should be spread through the area with a priority for brownfield sites and to the north or the district with access to the West Midland region. Warwick District already has a high proportion of built up areas and development proposed will result in the loss of agricultural land and destroy the character of the area. It is also undemocratic as local people have previously made it very clear that building in this area is unacceptable.

I am writing to you to strongly object to the new local plan.
I have a number of points detailed below.
Housing.
Why are the numbers so high? Using projections based on natural growth of the population and an allowance for migration only 5400 homes are required. WDC consultants gave a forecast study in Dec 2012, in their own opinion at only 4405 new homes required. If growing for new jobs is the reason this is not required as Warwick district has low unemployment at only 1.7 percent. The 2012 strategic housing market assessment said that overall Warwick district had a very good jobs home balance.
A major issue is also why nearly 70 percent are being planned to be being built within the same area around Warwick gates and bishops tachbrook.
This will mean that their will be a huge urban sprawl of whitnash, Warwick and bishops tachbrook.
The planning inspector who reviewed the current local plan in 2006 stated that woodside farm should not be built on now or in the future. This still stands and therefore should definitely not be agreed to.
WDCs landscape consultant Richard Morrish in the landscape area statement in 2009 referred to this area at Gallows hill that this study area should not be considered for urban extension, so why is this being ignored. The beautiful rolling countryside will be destroyed.

The local infrastructure cannot possibly cope with this amount of housing. The roads will guide to a halt, already the Warwick roads cannot cope at peak times. The Warwick strategic transport phase 3 assessment show traffic speeds of only 0-10 miles per hour at large parts of Warwick.

Warwick hospital is already at capacity and cannot possibly take more people using its facilities.

The school system in the local area is already bursting at the seems, priority areas are over subscribed. Particularly a problem is Warwick gates where I am a resident. WDC failed to provide a school for over a thousand homes and this has constantly caused problems within the school system, having a knock on effect to all local schools and families. I am currently having the worrying task of finding a school place for my daughter and know of many people disappointed this year who have not managed to get there child into any of their 6 choices even with being a mile or so down the road from the school. If all these houses are going to be built as well as the gypsy sites, will the schools be in place before the houses are built, or are the current residents going to be forgotten and pushed out of priority areas with new people moving into the area. The schools MUST MUST MUST be built before the houses are occupied to stop any further issues. You cannot allow another mistake like Warwick gates to happen.

A major concern is why before the local plan is agreed are the WDC looking at accepting other applications like wood farm and harbury gardens. These should not be accepted until the local plan is accepted after correct public consultation. WDC should stand up to national government during the appeal process if necessary.

I cannot more strongly object to this local plan and the applications that are trying to sneak in the back door. WDC must take more time to consider the plan and reduce the amount of housing and distribute it evenly over the district and not just penalise our area.
The back door applications must be refused until this process is considered together.

Ref: The Warwick DC Local Plan

I write to raise my strongest objection to the 2013 Local Plan, and the many planning applications that are associated with it - those that are currently under consideration, and those that are undoubtedly yet to come.

This revised local plan unfairly places the bulk of the proposed housing in one concentration to the south of Warwick/Leamington and around Whitnash.

Scale and proportion


*massive long term coalescence of settlements,
*loss of significant open space,
*loss of local countryside,
*loss of agricultural land,
*lead to significant urban sprawl.
*excessive bulk and scale,
*significant overdevelopment of the area

The effect of these potential developments on the existing local communities and infrastructure will be devastating, and I believe have been grossly underestimated by both Warwick DC and the developers.




Effect on local road traffic/infrastructure

The road infrastructure south of Warwick/Leamington and around Whitnash is already stretched.

*2 or more cars per household,
*9000 extra vehicles using the local road network.
*the local road infrastructure is inadequate. (e.g congestion on various local roads)
*traffic heading towards the town centres is already a major problem,
*gridlock, increased pollution etc.
*congestion on rural roads outside the town at peak times is also already a problem
*traffic noise,
*potential increased danger to pedestrians and children.

The National Planning Policy Framework, Policy DC7 states:
"Policy DC7 goes onto highlight that development will not be permitted where it generates significant road traffic movements, unless mitigation measures are used to avoid adverse impacts."

These developments will generate significant road traffic movements, and I do not believe that mitigation measures will alleviate the problem, certainly on a local level. If all the developments in the area are given the go ahead as part of the Local Plan, the situation will become untenable.

Effect of local services/amenities

The National Planning Policy Framework, Policy DP2 states:
"that development will not be permitted where it has an unacceptable adverse impact on the amenity of nearby uses and residents and/or does not provide acceptable standards of amenity for future users / occupiers of the development."

*pressure on local schools
*primary schools already oversubscribed year on year
*increased pressure on the local secondary schools
*effect on catchment areas
*effect on applications from siblings of children already in one school
*new schools not "guaranteed" to be built as part of the developments
*limited access to doctors and dentists surgeries in the Whitnash and Warwick Gates and Myton areas already
*effect on increased numbers on the local hospitals

Flood Risk

*already flood issues in Whitnash and Warwick Gates
*scale and density of proposed housing,
*large areas of paved/concreted or tarmac surface etc,

Alternatives to the Local Plan

There are many reasons why the Local Plan represents a disaster for the whole of the South Warwick/Leamington/Whitnash areas, predominantly because of the sheer concentration of most of the districts proposed new housing in one relatively small area.

Alternatives that should be considered include:

*Identifying existing housing that is derelict or currently unoccupied,
*Identifying empty industrial units with a view to use the land for brownfield site housing.
*Identifying an area in the surrounding countryside to use to build an entirely "new town".
*Spreading the numbers of new homes evenly around the district, with lots more much smaller developments.
*Smaller developments given to local builders rather than large national firms, thus helping the local economy.

Applications have already been submitted for land that is earmarked to be part of the Local Plan, before the Local Plan has been fully agreed and approved is unacceptable. Such applications should not even be considered until such time as the Local Plan has been clarified and the public consultation completed.

Therefore, I hope you listen to the concerns and suggestions of the residents of your district, and act accordingly. This Local Plan cannot be allowed to come to fruition, and I hope Warwick DC come realize that, withdraw it, and refuse all the various planning applications relating to it, namely:



W/13/0776 - 280 homes at Woodside Farm fields
W/13/0606 - 720 homes on Lower Heathcote Farm land, south of Harbury Lane
W/13/0603 - 370 homes on land west of Europa Way/South of Gallows Hill
W/13/0607 - 220 homes on Hawkes Farm fields
W/13/0036 - 200 homes on Grove Farm fields (application on hold)
W/13/0464 - large Retirement Community development on Gallagher Land near Heathcote
W/13/0858 - upto 100 homes at Fieldgate Lane/Golf Lane, Whitnash

I hope Warwick DC would also refuse any new applications relating to the following:

Myton Garden Suburb - upto 1250 homes
Further development South of Gallows Hill - upto 260 homes
Former Severn Trent Sewage Works - 225 homes
Further development at Grove Farm - 375 homes
Whitnash East/South of Sydenham - 500 homes

Ref: The Warwick DC Local Plan

I write to raise my strongest objection to the 2013 Local Plan, and the many planning applications that are associated with it - those that are currently under consideration, and those that are undoubtedly yet to come.

This revised local plan unfairly places the bulk of the apparently needed housing in one concentration to the south of Warwick/Leamington and around Whitnash.

Scale and proportion

This represents a massive long term coalescence of settlements, and one that will result in the loss of significant open space, local countryside and agricultural land, and lead to significant urban sprawl.

As with any significant individual development, a suitable ground for objection includes excessive bulk and scale, or overdevelopment of the area. Placing the majority of proposed housing on such a confined part of the Warwick District as this is surely overdevelopment on a massive scale.

The effect of these potential developments on the existing local communities and infrastructure will be devastating, and I believe have been grossly underestimated by both Warwick DC and the developers.

Effect on local road traffic/infrastructure

The road infrastructure south of Warwick/Leamington and around Whitnash is already stretched. Most households have 2 cars in this day and age, so for up to 4500 houses, you could expect there to be over 9000 extra vehicles parking in and around the various developments, and using the local road network. This does not account for any visitors or other extra vehicles.

With potentially 9000 extra cars, the local road infrastructure is inadequate. Tachbrook Road, Tachbrook Park Drive, Princes Drive, and junctions with Harbury Lane, Europa Way, Gallows Hill, Banbury Road, Whitnash Road and others into the centre of Leamington and Warwick, are already significantly congested at peak times, and even at weekends. At peak times, there are several places where the traffic heading towards the town centres via these few available routes is already a major problem, leading to gridlock, increased pollution etc.

However, the congestion on rural roads outside the town at peak times is also already a problem, and again, adding a load more vehicles to the traffic will make this worse. I refer to out of town junctions such as:

the Harbury Lane/Fosse Way crossroads (itself an accident blackspot),
the Oakley Wood Road/Banbury Road junction beyond Bishops Tachbrook,
the Mallory Road/Banbury Road junction beyond Bishops Tachbrook,
the Harbury Lane/Gallows Hill/Europa Way roundabout
the Europa Way/Banbury Road/M40 feeder road roundabout at Tachbrook Mallory.

The increase in vehicles will compound this further, causing increased pollution, traffic noise, and potential increased danger to pedestrians and children.

The National Planning Policy Framework, Policy DC7 states:
"Policy DC7 goes onto highlight that development will not be permitted where it generates significant road traffic movements, unless mitigation measures are used to avoid adverse impacts."

These developments will generate significant road traffic movements, and I do not believe that mitigation measures will alleviate the problem, certainly on a local level. If all the developments in the area are given the go ahead as part of the Local Plan, the situation will become untenable.

Effect of local services/amenities

The National Planning Policy Framework, Policy DP2 states:
that development will not be permitted where it has an unacceptable adverse impact on the amenity of nearby uses and residents and/or does not provide acceptable standards of amenity for future users / occupiers of the development.

The pressure on local schools in the Whitnash area is already well known, with the primary schools to this being oversubscribed year on year. The development of Warwick Gates without the provision of a new school put added pressure on the existing schools, and the addition of all the various Local Plan related developments will further increase this pressure.

So too will it increase pressure on the local secondary schools. School places are limited, and
adding extra housing will increase the number of applications to schools from this inflated
catchment area, and could mean that some existing residents will not be able to get their children into schools that they could have done previously. The school catchment area may be one reason why many people moved to Whitnash/Warwick Gates/Myton in the first place, but the total number of schools has not changed.

Although there are supposedly schools provisioned for in the various plans, these are not guaranteed to be built, and following the building of Warwick Gates with no schools, local residents are already sceptical.

There is limited access to doctors and dentists surgeries in the Whitnash and Warwick Gates areas already, and adding several thousand extra people around Heathcote and Whitnash development will place further undue pressures on those existing surgeries, as well as any in the South Warwick/Myton areas. The effect on increased numbers on the local hospitals should also be taken into account.

Flood Risk

There are already flood issues in the back gardens of houses on Landor Road and Ashford Road in Whitnash, where water runs off the fields. There have also been previous drainage issues at Warwick Gates, and the land in the surrounding areas is probably not much different, given its proximity to Warwick Gates. Given the scale and density of proposed housing, and potentially large areas of paved/concreted or tarmac surface etc, this problem could get worse for existing residents, and for those on the new developments.

Alternatives to the Local Plan

There are many reasons why the Local Plan represents a disaster for the whole of the South Warwick/Leamington/Whitnash areas, predominantly because of the sheer concentration of most of the districts proposed new housing in one relatively small area.

Alternatives that should be considered include:

* Identifying existing housing that is either derelict or currently unoccupied, and ensuring those houses are brought back onto the market for people to buy and live in.
*
* Identifying empty industrial units that have been empty for some time, with a view to use the land they occupy for brownfield site housing.
*
* Identifying an area in the surrounding countryside to use to build an entirely "new town". This town could incorporate the entire 12,500 houses in on development, and be placed somewhere such as around the A46 or M40 to the west of Warwick, which would mean much of the traffic would use these roads to by-pass the towns of Warwick/Leamington. If such a town was built with its own schools, doctors surgeries, shopping areas etc, it ought to be relatively self-sufficient.
* Spreading the numbers of new homes evenly around the district, with lots more much smaller developments. Smaller developments mean a severely reduced impact on the local area where they are located, and spreading it evenly around the district would mean a similarly reduced impact on the road network, schools, health care services, etc. It would also mean the loss of open space/character of individual areas would not be lost, and urban sprawl would be minimized in all locations.

* Smaller developments could then also be given to local builders rather than large national firms, thus helping the local economy.

I believe this 2013 Local Plan is ill conceived, especially given the large land area that the whole district covers. To concentrate most of the total development in one area of the district is not only wrong, but it is also disastrous.

It is disastrous not only for those that currently live nearby, but also for the whole of South Leamington/Warwick and Whitnash, and for those who use the road networks into the town centres.

When there are seemingly many existing houses lying empty around the district, or rented on an ongoing basis rather than being sold to prospective dwellers, or industrial units unoccupied on brownfield sites, then these things should be looked into before large swathes of the local landscape are destroyed forever.

Effective use of existing housing and industrial sites in this way, coupled with the spreading of new developments evenly around the district, or further out in the countryside to create a new town, would make far more sense than to just force excessive numbers of new houses on South Leamington farmland merely because it isn't Green Belt.

The fact that applications have already been submitted for land that is earmarked to be part of the Local Plan, before the Local Plan has been fully agreed and approved is unacceptable. Such applications should not even be considered until such time as the Local Plan has been clarified and the public consultation completed.

Therefore, I hope you listen to the concerns and suggestions of the residents of your district, and act accordingly. This Local Plan cannot be allowed to come to fruition, and I hope Warwick DC come realize that, withdraw it, and refuse all the various planning applications relating to it, namely:

W/13/0776 - 280 homes at Woodside Farm fields
W/13/0606 - 720 homes on Lower Heathcote Farm land, south of Harbury Lane
W/13/0603 - 370 homes on land west of Europa Way/South of Gallows Hill
W/13/0607 - 220 homes on Hawkes Farm fields
W/13/0036 - 200 homes on Grove Farm fields (application on hold)
W/13/0464 - large Retirement Community development on Gallagher Land near Heathcote
W/13/0858 - upto 100 homes at Fieldgate Lane/Golf Lane, Whitnash

I hope Warwick DC would also refuse any new applications relating to the following:

Myton Garden Suburb - upto 1250 homes
Further development South of Gallows Hill - upto 260 homes
Former Severn Trent Sewage Works - 225 homes
Further development at Grove Farm - 375 homes
Whitnash East/South of Sydenham - 500 homes


Yours sincerely,




Stephen McFadden

I write to raise my strongest objection to the 2013 Local Plan, and the many planning applications that are associated with it - those that are currently under consideration, and those that are undoubtedly yet to come.

This revised local plan unfairly places the bulk of the proposed housing in one concentration to the south of Warwick/Leamington and around Whitnash.

Scale and proportion

* massive long term coalescence of settlements,
* loss of significant open space,
* loss of local countryside,
* loss of agricultural land,
* lead to significant urban sprawl.
* excessive bulk and scale,
* significant overdevelopment of the area
* increased flooding

The effect of these potential developments on the existing local communities and infrastructure will be devastating, and I believe have been grossly underestimated by both Warwick DC and the developers.

Effect on local road traffic/infrastructure

The road infrastructure south of Warwick/Leamington and around Whitnash is already stretched.

* 2 or more cars per household,
* 9000 extra vehicles using the local road network.
* the local road infrastructure is inadequate. (e.g congestion on various local roads)
* traffic heading towards the town centres is already a major problem,
* gridlock, increased pollution etc.
* congestion on rural roads outside the town at peak times is also already a problem
* traffic noise,
* potential increased danger to pedestrians and children.







The National Planning Policy Framework, Policy DC7 states:
"Policy DC7 goes onto highlight that development will not be permitted where it generates significant road traffic movements, unless mitigation measures are used to avoid adverse impacts."

These developments will generate significant road traffic movements, and I do not believe that mitigation measures will alleviate the problem, certainly on a local level. If all the developments in the area are given the go ahead as part of the Local Plan, the situation will become untenable.

Effect of local services/amenities

The National Planning Policy Framework, Policy DP2 states:
"that development will not be permitted where it has an unacceptable adverse impact on the amenity of nearby uses and residents and/or does not provide acceptable standards of amenity for future users / occupiers of the development."

* pressure on local schools
* primary schools already oversubscribed year on year
* increased pressure on the local secondary schools
* effect on catchment areas
* effect on applications from siblings of children already in one school
* new schools not "guaranteed" to be built as part of the developments
* limited access to doctors and dentists surgeries in the Whitnash and Warwick Gates and Myton areas already
* effect on increased numbers on the local hospitals

Flood Risk

* already flood issues in Whitnash and Warwick Gates
* scale and density of proposed housing,
* large areas of paved/concreted or tarmac surface etc,

I have particular interest in flooding as I was flooded in 2007 and out of my property for 12 weeks. It was the worst experience in my life and I do not want to experience again.

Alternatives to the Local Plan

There are many reasons why the Local Plan represents a disaster for the whole of the South Warwick/Leamington/Whitnash areas, predominantly because of the sheer concentration of most of the districts proposed new housing in one relatively small area.

Alternatives that should be considered include:

* Identifying existing housing that is derelict or currently unoccupied,
* Identifying empty industrial units with a view to use the land for brownfield site housing.
* Identifying an area in the surrounding countryside to use to build an entirely "new town".
* Spreading the numbers of new homes evenly around the district, with lots more much smaller developments.
* Smaller developments given to local builders rather than large national firms, thus helping the local economy.

Applications have already been submitted for land that is earmarked to be part of the Local Plan, before the Local Plan has been fully agreed and approved is unacceptable. Such applications should not even be considered until such time as the Local Plan has been clarified and the public consultation completed.

Therefore, I hope you listen to the concerns and suggestions of the residents of your district, and act accordingly. This Local Plan cannot be allowed to come to fruition, and I hope Warwick DC come realize that, withdraw it, and refuse all the various planning applications relating to it, namely:




W/13/0858 - upto 100 homes at Fieldgate Lane/Golf Lane, Whitnash
W/13/0776 - 280 homes at Woodside Farm fields
W/13/0606 - 720 homes on Lower Heathcote Farm land, south of Harbury Lane
W/13/0603 - 370 homes on land west of Europa Way/South of Gallows Hill
W/13/0607 - 220 homes on Hawkes Farm fields
W/13/0036 - 200 homes on Grove Farm fields (application on hold)
W/13/0464 - large Retirement Community development on Gallagher Land near Heathcote

I hope Warwick DC would also refuse any new applications relating to the following:

Whitnash East/South of Sydenham - 500 homes
Myton Garden Suburb - upto 1250 homes
Further development South of Gallows Hill - upto 260 homes
Former Severn Trent Sewage Works - 225 homes
Further development at Grove Farm - 375 homes

We write to raise our strongest objection to the 2013 Local Plan, and the many planning applications that are associated with it - those that are currently under consideration, and those that are undoubtedly yet to come.

This revised local plan unfairly places the bulk of the proposed housing in one concentration to the south of Warwick/Leamington and around Whitnash.

Scale and proportion

* massive long term coalescence of settlements,
* loss of significant open space,
* loss of local countryside,
* loss of agricultural land,
* lead to significant urban sprawl.
* excessive bulk and scale,
* significant over development of the area

The effect of these potential developments on the existing local communities and infrastructure will be devastating, and we believe have been grossly underestimated by both Warwick DC and the developers.

Effect on local road traffic/infrastructure

The road infrastructure south of Warwick/Leamington and around Whitnash is already stretched.

* 2 or more cars per household,
* 9000 extra vehicles using the local road network.
* the local road infrastructure is inadequate. (e.g congestion on various local roads)
* traffic heading towards the town centres is already a major problem,
* gridlock, increased pollution etc.
* congestion on rural roads outside the town at peak times is also already a problem
* traffic noise,
* potential increased danger to pedestrians and children.

The National Planning Policy Framework, Policy DC7 states:
"Policy DC7 goes onto highlight that development will not be permitted where it generates significant road traffic movements, unless mitigation measures are used to avoid adverse impacts."

These developments will generate significant road traffic movements, and we do not believe that mitigation measures will alleviate the problem, certainly on a local level. If all the developments in the area are given the go ahead as part of the Local Plan, the situation will become untenable.

Effect of local services/amenities

The National Planning Policy Framework, Policy DP2 states:
"that development will not be permitted where it has an unacceptable adverse impact on the amenity of nearby uses and residents and/or does not provide acceptable standards of amenity for future users / occupiers of the development."

* pressure on local schools
* primary schools already oversubscribed year on year
* increased pressure on the local secondary schools
* effect on catchment areas
* effect on applications from siblings of children already in one school
* new schools not "guaranteed" to be built as part of the developments
* limited access to doctors and dentists surgeries in the Whitnash and Warwick Gates and Myton areas already
* effect on increased numbers on the local hospitals

Flood Risk

* already flood issues in Whitnash and Warwick Gates
* potential to create flood issues on Myton Road were currently none exist
* scale and density of proposed housing,
* large areas of paved/concreted or tarmac surface etc,

Alternatives to the Local Plan

There are many reasons why the Local Plan represents a disaster for the whole of the South Warwick/Leamington/Whitnash areas, predominantly because of the sheer concentration of most of the districts proposed new housing in one relatively small area.

Alternatives that should be considered include:

* Identifying existing housing that is derelict or currently unoccupied,
* Identifying empty industrial units with a view to use the land for brownfield site housing.
* Identifying an area in the surrounding countryside to use to build an entirely "new town".
* Spreading the numbers of new homes evenly around the district, with lots more much smaller developments.
* Smaller developments given to local builders rather than large national firms, thus helping the local economy.

Applications have already been submitted for land that is earmarked to be part of the Local Plan, before the Local Plan has been fully agreed and approved is unacceptable. Such applications should not even be considered until such time as the Local Plan has been clarified and the public consultation completed.

Therefore, we hope you listen to the concerns and suggestions of the residents of your district, and act accordingly. This Local Plan cannot be allowed to come to fruition, and we hope Warwick DC come realize that, withdraw it, and refuse all the various planning applications relating to it, namely:

W/13/0776 - 280 homes at Woodside Farm fields
W/13/0606 - 720 homes on Lower Heathcote Farm land, south of Harbury Lane
W/13/0603 - 370 homes on land west of Europa Way/South of Gallows Hill
W/13/0607 - 220 homes on Hawkes Farm fields
W/13/0036 - 200 homes on Grove Farm fields (application on hold)
W/13/0464 - large Retirement Community development on Gallagher Land near Heathcote
W/13/0858 - upto 100 homes at Fieldgate Lane/Golf Lane, Whitnash

We hope Warwick DC would also refuse any new applications relating to the following:

Myton Garden Suburb - upto 1250 homes
Further development South of Gallows Hill - upto 260 homes
Former Severn Trent Sewage Works - 225 homes
Further development at Grove Farm - 375 homes
Whitnash East/South of Sydenham - 500 homes

Pushing these planning applications through before the consultation process is complete was grossly irresponsible and incompetent; and ultimately will lead to costing local tax payers more. Keeping these developments quiet until the last possible moment and then rushing the consultation helps neither local resident, developers or future residents if the end result is not a 'garden suburb' but a 'traffic hell'.

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Ref: The Warwick DC Local Plan
I write to raise my strongest objection to the 2013 Local Plan, and the many planning applications that are associated with it - those that are currently under consideration, and those that are undoubtedly yet to come.
This revised local plan unfairly places the bulk of the proposed housing in one concentration to the south of Warwick/Leamington and around Whitnash.
Scale and proportion
 Keeping Bishop's Tachbrook as a village  massive long term coalescence of settlements,  loss of significant open space,  loss of local countryside,  loss of agricultural land,  lead to significant urban sprawl.  excessive bulk and scale,  significant overdevelopment of the area
The effect of these potential developments on the existing local communities and infrastructure will be devastating, and I believe have been grossly underestimated by both Warwick DC and the developers. How many more homes need to be built before Bishop's Tachbrook is no longer a village and is absorbed into Whitnash and Warwick gates. We pay a premium to live in a village, house hold bills are higher and in our home in Holt Avenue which backs onto a field where you wish to put new homes we will hear an increase in traffic volume and pollution. We suffer already in the summer with low water pressure and this has affected my home twice in the last week alone with the warmer weather.
Effect on local road traffic/infrastructure
The road infrastructure south of Warwick/Leamington and around Whitnash is already stretched.
 2 or more cars per household,  9000 extra vehicles using the local road network.  The local road infrastructure is inadequate. (e.g congestion on various local roads)  traffic heading towards the town centers is already a major problem,  Gridlock, increased pollution etc.  congestion on rural roads outside the town at peak times is also already a problem  traffic noise,  Potential increased danger to pedestrians and children.
The National Planning Policy Framework, Policy DC7 states: "Policy DC7 goes onto highlight that development will not be permitted where it generates significant road traffic movements, unless mitigation measures are used to avoid adverse impacts."
These developments will generate significant road traffic movements, and I do not believe that mitigation measures will alleviate the problem, certainly on a local level. If all the developments in the area are given the go ahead as part of the Local Plan, the situation will become untenable.
Effect of local services/amenities
The National Planning Policy Framework, Policy DP2 states: "That development will not be permitted where it has an unacceptable adverse impact on the amenity of nearby uses and residents and/or does not provide acceptable standards of amenity for future users / occupiers of the development."
 pressure on local schools/teachers  primary schools already oversubscribed year on year  increased pressure on the local secondary schools  effect on catchment areas  effect on applications from siblings of children already in one school  new schools not "guaranteed" to be built as part of the developments  limited access if any to doctors and dentists surgeries in Bishop's Tachbrook,Whitnash, Warwick Gates and Myton areas already  effect on increased numbers on the local hospitals
Flood Risk
 Field backing onto Holt Avenue floods on a regular basis like my own back garden  already flood issues in Whitnash and Warwick Gates  scale and density of proposed housing,  large areas of paved/concreted or tarmac surface etc,
Alternatives to the Local Plan
There are many reasons why the Local Plan represents a disaster for the whole of the South Warwick/Bishop's Tachbrook/Leamington/Whitnash areas, predominantly because of the sheer concentration of most of the districts proposed new housing in one relatively small area.
Alternatives that should be considered include:
 Identifying existing housing that is derelict or currently unoccupied,  Identifying empty industrial units with a view to use the land for brownfield site housing.  Identifying an area in the surrounding countryside to use to build an entirely "new town".  Spreading the numbers of new homes evenly around the district, with lots more much smaller developments.  Smaller developments given to local builders rather than large national firms, thus helping the local economy.
Applications have already been submitted for land that is earmarked to be part of the Local Plan, before the Local Plan has been fully agreed and approved is unacceptable. Such applications should not even be considered until such time as the Local Plan has been clarified and the public consultation completed.
Therefore, I hope you listen to the concerns and suggestions of the residents of your district, and act accordingly. This Local Plan cannot be allowed to come to fruition, and I hope Warwick DC come realize that, withdraw it, and refuse all the various planning applications relating to it, namely:
W/13/0776 - 280 homes at Woodside Farm fields W/13/0606 - 720 homes on Lower Heathcote Farm land, south of Harbury Lane W/13/0603 - 370 homes on land west of Europa Way/South of Gallows Hill W/13/0607 - 220 homes on Hawkes Farm fields W/13/0036 - 200 homes on Grove Farm fields (application on hold) W/13/0464 - large Retirement Community development on Gallagher Land near Heathcote W/13/0858 - upto 100 homes at Fieldgate Lane/Golf Lane, Whitnash
I hope Warwick DC would also refuse any new applications relating to the following:
Myton Garden Suburb - upto 1250 homes Further development South of Gallows Hill - upto 260 homes Former Severn Trent Sewage Works - 225 homes Further development at Grove Farm - 375 homes Whitnash East/South of Sydenham - 500 homes

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Dear Sir/Madam,

The Local Plan 2013 will see the end of life as it is currently known in the South Leamington Area. I am writing to object in the strongest terms to the 2013 Local Plan, and the many planning applications that are associated with it - those that are currently under consideration, and those that are undoubtedly yet to come.

It is totally inappropriate that applications have already been submitted for land that is earmarked to be part of the Local Plan, before the Local Plan has been fully agreed and approved. This is unacceptable. Such applications should not even be considered until such time as the Local Plan has been clarified and the public consultation completed. I would like the Council to explain why this is occurring.

The council is claiming that 12,300 new homes need to be built. This figure is being strongly contested by many objectors to the Local Plan. Where is the evidence that we need this many new homes? I am aware that a local councilor is working hard to get to the truth of this figure and that 5,400 over the next 15 years is a far more appropriate number for local needs. Which brings me to the point 'Local Needs' is a key phrase. It is my belief that this excessive housing has nothing to do with local needs but the desire for developers to tempt people, who are not local to move to Leamington. This will only add further to the burden currently being inflicted on pressure points on the roads in Warwick & Leamington & all its infrastructure. This is development for developments sake & it does nothing to aid affordable housing . Warwick Gates is a prime example of this, where many of the people living there are commuting long distances, and the vast majority of houses are privately owned and are not affordable to most first time buyers. Far better to build the houses where the jobs are. This would be a far more sustainable solution.
Therefore can the council please tell me where the 12,300 jobs are in South Leamington?

The council mentions in its proposals that 22.5 hectares are being set aside for new employment land. Can the Council please provide me with the name(s)of the business(s) & type of employment likely to be offered.

WDC does not have the right to ask that people only object to sites adjacent to their homes, this is an issue for the community and not just those closest to the sites as the impact will affect all of us. I strongly request that the council explains itself. Clearly the council fears the amount of responses it is going to receive, if the council cannot cope than this plan is unsustainable and should be rejected.


This revised local plan unfairly places the bulk of the proposed housing in one concentration to the south of Warwick/Leamington and around Whitnash. When it was seen for the first time in public it has appeared as a statement of intent and not as a suggestion with alternatives.

Scale and proportion

* massive long term coalescence of settlements,
* loss of significant open space,
* loss of local countryside,
* loss of agricultural land,
* lead to significant urban sprawl.
* excessive bulk and scale,
* significant overdevelopment of the area

The effect of these potential developments on the existing local communities and infrastructure will be devastating, and I believe have been grossly underestimated by both Warwick DC and the developers.

Effect on local road traffic/infrastructure

The road infrastructure south of Warwick/Leamington and around Whitnash is already stretched.

* 2 or more cars per household,
* 9000 extra vehicles using the local road network.
* the local road infrastructure is inadequate. (e.g congestion on various local roads)
* traffic heading towards the town centres is already a major problem,
* gridlock, increased pollution etc.
* congestion on rural roads outside the town at peak times is also already a problem
* traffic noise,
* potential increased danger to pedestrians and children.

The National Planning Policy Framework, Policy DC7 states:
"Policy DC7 goes onto highlight that development will not be permitted where it generates significant road traffic movements, unless mitigation measures are used to avoid adverse impacts."

These developments will generate significant road traffic movements, and I do not believe that mitigation measures will alleviate the problem, certainly on a local level. If all the developments in the area are given the go ahead as part of the Local Plan, the situation will become untenable.

Effect of local services/amenities

The National Planning Policy Framework, Policy DP2 states:
"that development will not be permitted where it has an unacceptable adverse impact on the amenity of nearby uses and residents and/or does not provide acceptable standards of amenity for future users / occupiers of the development."

* pressure on local schools
* primary schools already oversubscribed year on year
* increased pressure on the local secondary schools
* effect on catchment areas
* effect on applications from siblings of children already in one school
* new schools not "guaranteed" to be built as part of the developments
* limited access to doctors and dentists surgeries in the Whitnash and Warwick Gates and Myton areas already
* effect on increased numbers on the local hospitals

Flood Risk

* already flood issues in Whitnash and Warwick Gates
* scale and density of proposed housing,
* large areas of paved/concreted or tarmac surface etc,

Alternatives to the Local Plan

There are many reasons why the Local Plan represents a disaster for the whole of the South Warwick/Leamington/Whitnash areas, predominantly because of the sheer concentration of most of the districts proposed new housing in one relatively small area.

Alternatives that should be considered include:

* Identifying existing housing that is derelict or currently unoccupied,
* Identifying empty industrial units with a view to use the land for brownfield site housing.
* Identifying an area in the surrounding countryside to use to build an entirely "new town".
* Spreading the numbers of new homes evenly around the district, with lots more much smaller developments.
* Smaller developments given to local builders rather than large national firms, thus helping the local economy.

Applications have already been submitted for land that is earmarked to be part of the Local Plan, before the Local Plan has been fully agreed and approved is unacceptable. Such applications should not even be considered until such time as the Local Plan has been clarified and the public consultation completed.

Therefore, I hope you listen to the concerns and suggestions of the residents of your district, and act accordingly. This Local Plan cannot be allowed to come to fruition, and I hope Warwick DC come realize that, withdraw it, and refuse all the various planning applications relating to it, namely:

W/13/0776 - 280 homes at Woodside Farm fields
W/13/0606 - 720 homes on Lower Heathcote Farm land, south of Harbury Lane
W/13/0603 - 370 homes on land west of Europa Way/South of Gallows Hill
W/13/0607 - 220 homes on Hawkes Farm fields
W/13/0036 - 200 homes on Grove Farm fields (application on hold)
W/13/0464 - large Retirement Community development on Gallagher Land near Heathcote
W/13/0858 - upto 100 homes at Fieldgate Lane/Golf Lane, Whitnash

I hope Warwick DC would also refuse any new applications relating to the following:

Myton Garden Suburb - upto 1250 homes
Further development South of Gallows Hill - upto 260 homes
Former Severn Trent Sewage Works - 225 homes
Further development at Grove Farm - 375 homes
Whitnash East/South of Sydenham - 500 homes

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For the attention of the Development Policy Manager

Having looked at the Local Plan and attended recent public meetings I am writing to you to indicate my many concerns and total dissatisfaction with the revised development strategy for the Local Plan.

Air Quality

In particular, the air quality issue is of great concern. I understand that air quality in Warwick and Leamington is already above the legal limit. The District Council is required to improve air quality. The scale of planned houses will make it worse. I also note that Stratford Council have their own plans for even more houses south of Warwick, has this development been taken into consideration?

Transport

I believe the strategy is car based and will push even more congestion onto the existing road network. It is obvious that building a dual carriageway to the river Avon bridge will just bring increased traffic to a halt. Also the current bridge was not built to take the potential amount of traffic. Parking in Warwick is already difficult enough, this plan will make matters far worse. As for traffic at the Morrisons roundabout on the Myton Road, I shudder to think of the implications there.

Projected Housing

The projected 12,300 homes are extremely high and I understand that less than half that number would meet local needs. also, there are a large number of empty houses in Warwick and Leamington, could these be used to house people instead of just building more new ones?

Could we not build on brownfield and infill sites already within each towns infrastructure.

Should there not be a slower phasing in of housing based on estimated local demand releasing land as demand grows rather than an optimistic estimate so far into the future?

Historic Environment

There is no doubt that the plans will ruin the visual look of Warwick forever. The increase of traffic and people will drive visitors away. We need to conserve the beauty of Warwick not plan to destroy it.

Funding

With the current and projected Government cutbacks, will Warwick District Council have the funding to expand the needed infrastructure to support 12,300 homes?

National Planning Policy

From the meetings I attended it appears that a realistic forecast of need would mean that we already have the required five year supply of sites when you balance housing with employment growth forecasts vs the housing market. Why has this not been taken into consideration in the local plan?

Gypsy Sites

They seem to have all been crammed into the same area. Could they not have been spread out more fairly within the area?

Consultation Process

I was most concerned to hear at the meeting that these plans had been pushed through by councillors who do not live in the area and that politics were possibly involved in the decision making?

I would be most grateful if you would note my constructive dissatisfaction which is based on my fear that our beautiful town of Warwick will be destroyed in the future.

COMMENTS ON THE REVISED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OF THE WARWICK DISTRICT LOCAL PLAN - 2013
INTRODUCTION:
Because of having to be away from Warwick for the latter part of June and into early July it was only at the presentation at Aylesford School on 15/07/2013 that I was able to find out more about the "Revised" proposals. Unfortunately the presentation by WDC personnel on that night was less than impressive, the acoustics were bad resulting in part of the presentation not being fully audible and the attitude seemed to be, "this is what you are going to get so you will have to put up with it". It was certainly not a "consultation" process. However, having now been able to read the documents issued I will at least comment on the "revised" plan and the potential problems it will create if implemented. Also, as the forms provided for comment do not seem to give enough space to fully comment I am using this format to cover a range of points.
HOUSING PROJECTION AND LOCATION:
The projected figure of an additional 6.600 new houses seems excessively high and with a very large concentration of the same in the area immediately south of Warwick. That, in turn will produce problems with congestion and transport. Also, there does not seem to be any mention in the "Revised Plan" of those sites which have previously had planning permission but have not been developed. (There are a number in Warwick still not started). Nor is there any mention of the number of empty houses available for sale or for rent. Until all those numbers are included in the figures the true need for "new Build" cannot be fully assessed.
Also, it has been reported that Stratford District Council have approved a "draft" strategy to build a new 4000 home "town" in the Lighthorne area just south of Warwick. If that goes ahead it would also have some effect on the infrastructure requirements, (as mentioned below), within the Warwick Local Plan; yet no mention is made of that scheme has been taken into account when preparing the Warwick Local Plan.
ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE:
Much is made in the plan of the proposed improvements to road junctions, new traffic lights, etc. to enable traffic to move faster into Warwick & Leamington, but no solution is given to the problems caused when the cars reach the towns. Warwick has natural "bottlenecks" in The Butts, Jury St., High St., Smith St., Nicholas Church St. Friars St., Hampton St., and Theatre St. etc. etc. Unless those roads are widened, (by demolishing listed buildings!), or a new road around the town is built, there will be a massive congestion problem, (there already is). No solution to this is offered in the "Plan" and needs to be prior to any approval for new houses.
AIR POLLUTION:
Where we live at present, (on Friars St. and by Hampton St.), is already at, or above, the recommended levels, as is parts of the Warwick Town Centre. The revised Plan does not address this problem.
HEALTH:
Apart from the additional health problems that can be caused by any increased traffic congestion there is no mention of the capacity of Warwick Hospital to cope with a massive increase in population. The present hospital is surrounded by housing and cannot expand, can it cope with such an increase as is projected by the "Plan"?
SITES FOR GYPSIES & TRAVELLERS:
The need for such sites is recognised and the concept supported. Indeed it is needed to stop the current problems that occur when car parks and public parks are used unofficially and left in a mess. However, even a casual glance at the Plan shows a marked imbalance of the distribution of the possible sites over the whole of the District. Of the 20 possible sites listed only four are in the northern part of the District with the remaining 16 in the southern part, with the biggest cluster just south of Warwick. This should be re-examined to ensure a more equitable spread of the burden on the residents of the District.
CLOSING OBSERVATIONS:
The above points are general rather that specific but clearly indicate a need for a more "in-depth" approach to what the District as a whole needs. From the information provided the people who have drawn up the Plan do not seem to have considered all the facts nor how to overcome, or at least alleviate, the problems that will be created by placing the bulk of the predicted new dwellings into one main location. To gain the support and the trust of the residents of Warwick District more openness and consultation than in the past is now required. In addition, serious consideration should be given to giving equal protection to open land to the south of Warwick and Leamington as that given to the "green belt" area located to the north of the towns so that all the open "greenfield" sites can be considered equally and the load spread more equitably throughout the District.

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