5.6 District Wide Transport Mitigation Proposals

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I wish to object to the high number of proposals for additional housing to the south of Warwick and Leamington.

In addition to being in contravention to WDC's own guidelines and a number of environmental indicators, the concentration of so much growth in one huge area is likely to destroy the much vaunted character of the two towns. The existing north/south road corridors through both towns can barely cope with existing levels of traffic. The dualling of approach roads will simply lead to traffic reaching the "pinch points" i.e. Castle Bridge, Prince's Drive, Lower Avenue a few seconds quicker. The potential gridlock will not enhance Warwick as a tourist destination nor Leamington as a shopping and employment centre. There appear to be no proposals in the plan to alleviate this situation.

I would maintain that spreading development, if it is ever required at the scale proposed, across the WHOLE district would better enable existing road capacity to cope with additional demands.

I object to the local plan - Revised Development Strategy .

I believe the proposed plan is unsustainable on the following 3 points. Environmental, economic and social grounds.

Housing - Too many new house proposed as there are already thousands of empty houses in the area around Warwick which could be improved and sold on .

Car parking - More homes means more cars and there are not enough parking places already so more traffic will cause more parking problems this being followed by more safety problems.

Environment - The view from Warwick Castle will be greatly disturbed by such a plan and as the Castle is one of the main generators of income to the local economy suggest that what brings in a good income should not be disturbed in any way.

Gas emissions - As the emissions are already over the guidelines in certain areas of Warwick it seems unbelievable that they are going to be made worse if the plan goes ahead.

Traffic - More pressure on local services such as hospitals,social services, etc especially over the Avon Bridge near Bridge End and the Myton Road which is already horrific at certain times of the days with traffic queueing right back up the hill and out of sight round the bend on Banbury road.

Safety - The safety of all Pedestrians young, old and disabled will be greatly increased which seems contary to all the other counties in the country.

Conservation - Exremely important in many areas south of Warwick including Bridge End which is one of main beauty spots of the town and surrounding area.

Services - Greatly increased pressure on such services as the hospital,social services and education to name but a few.

In conclusion - The proposed plans will bring many more problems with them and much larger ones than we have at the moment so what is the point in making matters worse and not better.? Suggest it might be better to halve the number of houses, renovate the thousands of empty ones and to place some of the the remaining half equally distributed north, south, east and west around the area

Please acknowledge receipt of this email and confirm that it will be passed on to the appropriate authority who will be making the decisions.

Dear Sir or Madam

I wish to make the following comments on the Local Plan bearing in mind the significant development that has already taken place in Warwick over the last two decades, namely Hatton Park, Chase Meadows, Benfords site, Warwick Gates and Myton Road (old school site).

The local plan is suggesting significant further development of the town, which would potentially increase the size of Warwick by approximately 40% and yet little attention seems to have been taken into consideration the already poor air quality experienced in the town centre, which would be further adversely affected by the additional traffic generated by such development, which seems to suggest that traffic would be concentrated on the Castle Hill area of the town. The proposed changes to the infrastructure of the town seems to be based solely on providing additional traffic lights and by reducing access to a thoroughfare at the St John's end of Smith Street. The traffic congestion which already exists in the town, particularly at peak times is an issue now, let alone having potentially more traffic directed through the town in future years. I understand that a report is due shortly on the air quality of Warwick town centre, and so I think it regrettable that the District Council would put forward such development without having first knowledge of the outcome of that report.

Development on the scale proposed would have significant impact on services such as schools and hospitals. It was suggested at the public meeting held at Aylesford School that the District Council were in discussion with Warwick Hospital and the County Education Department about the provision of additional services. We have all read in the press about problems at Warwick Hospital A & E Department being able to cope with current demand, and as the hospital site has already been developed to its maximum potential, I fail to understand how it can be suggested that the hospital could cope with the impact of providing care for potentially a 40% increase in the size of the town and surrounding district. It was suggested at the Aylesford meeting that to cope with the additional demand for school places, that Myton could expand, and yet you only have to attempt to travel along the Myton Road now between the hours of 8.15 am and 9.00 am and 3.15 pm and 4.30 pm to see that the current road is frequently blocked with long tailbacks of traffic caused by school traffic both from Myton and Warwick Schools. Any such expansion of Myton School would have an impact on the infrastructure and yet this does not seem to have been taken into account.

With regard to the plan for the proposed traveler sites, it strikes me that all the proposed sites are predominantly around Warwick, and this seems an unfair distribution, bearing in mind that there is a long tradition of using the Thickthorn site in Kenilworth for the annual traveler horse fair. That site is close to transport links (A46), close to schools, doctors, shops etc and would appear to meet more of the criteria that a lot of the sites suggested for Warwick. I fail to understand why that area of land at Thickthorn would be designated for employment use, when there is no history of employment use in that part of Kenilworth, and there would not appear to be a demand for employment land in Kenilworth when you take into consideration the change of use around Common Lane, Priory Road, Kenilworth from employment to residential.

All in all I think the proposed local plan reflects badly on the Council as an ill-conceived document, and officers and Councillors need to go back to the drawing board and start again, and come back with proposals which residents of the area would find acceptable. It is clear from the local press that there is strong opposition to the plan, and as a democratic country, Officers and Councillors should respond in line with local wishes.

We have been advised to write to you regarding objections to the Revised Development Strategy Local Plan. Having studied documentation and attended meetings I wish to object to the overall plan to build the number of new homes suggested in Warwick district and in particular the 3420 planned in the south of Warwick (zone 6).

The whole basis for the homes is population growth nationally. The amount of employment land within the plan would not fulfil the amount of local unemployment and create enough for the amount of housing proposed. Imposing massive growth on an area with little expansion of employment would create greater numbers of people who would have to commute to work, much to the detriment of the area and a poor location of people.

Warwick District has already seen much development over recent years, much of it to accommodate those moving from the urban areas of Coventry and Birmingham into a less dense area. Many of those still commute into Birmingham or London and if people are prepared to work in London and commute from the Warwick district this will do nothing to help keep the prices affordable for the locals who want to continue living here.

Warwick District population has in fact increased by 12% since 2000, which is approximately 2x the rate of increase for Warwickshire; 2x the national average increase, and over 3x the increase for West Midlands.

Warwick has therefore already been subject to significant recent Urban Fringe development and population expansion, a large proportion being at Warwick Gates which is in South Warwick where the majority of further development is now proposed.

By only building the amount of houses currently required for Warwick district this will discourage migration from other areas as has happened with past developments.

As it stands, I wish to object specifically about the development zone 6 in the area of restraint to the west of Europa Way. This area was identified as an area of restraint at the time of the agreement of planning for the Warwick Technology Park. It was put forward as an untouchable green buffer zone to separate Warwick from Leamington Spa, to prevent the two towns becoming one urban sprawl.

There is likely to be considerable job creation towards Coventry, including up to 14,000 new jobs speculated at the Coventry Gateway scheme. Therefore several extra thousand people per day will want to drive through Warwick, morning and evening, which would lock up the highly congested

Myton Road, Banbury Road and Europa Way at peak times and also the road layout of historic Warwick.

The suggested improvement to the junction to the end of Myton Road and Banbury Road is redundant. The bottle neck of the narrow historic Avon Bridge, constrained road layout and traffic calming in the Town centre, means such provision would not ease the current backlog along Myton Road at peak times.

The proposal to create a dual carriageway along Europa Way to alleviate the traffic queuing off and onto the M40 will have the opposite effect at the eastern end of Myton Road. The alterations made to the roundabout with the addition of Morrisons has made some current improvement but will not be able to handle the extra traffic created by the number of dwellings proposed for zone 6.

Development of this particular site will have a profound impact on the area where the roads are already gridlocked for a considerable period every day during school term, not to mention the excessive pollution that would be caused. It is currently possible to queue from the M40 into Leamington and the length of Myton Road in both directions with queues heading down the Banbury Road and Gallows Hill. Narrow side roads off Myton Road, in particular Myton Crescent, are blocked by parking making it difficult to negotiate these roads as the schools come out.

There is no capacity on these roads for another 2-3000 cars to exit from this triangle at peak times and join the current traffic load plus, extra traffic from other proposed developments needing to use these routes at peak times. The access to Warwick and Leamington from the site would be queued back even at a fraction of the proposed development.

There is no capacity for extra cars at the stations in either Leamington or Warwick town centres for commuters. This means additional traffic driving through Warwick at peak times to Warwick Parkway.

Furthermore, the land West of Europa Way, the area of restraint, is an area of rich agricultural land which has been under the careful stewardship of the Oken and Henry VIII Trusts. There are wide green hedges providing habitats for many species including woodpeckers, buzzards, bats, foxes, the occasional deer, as well as newts, hedgehogs etc.

This is the type of area that should be being protected for recreation and education and healthy food to have a positive impact on the quality of people's lives with the traditional land-based activities such as agriculture, new tourism, leisure and recreational opportunities that require a countryside location. By building dwellings on this land, we will have no countryside left in the urban areas to make use of to support healthy lifestyles through ensuring sufficient land is made available to all for play, sport and recreation without travelling out of the area.

I ask, is developing the ASR a sustainable development? "Much rubbish is talked about sustainability, usually by developers. It does not mean that estates are built near to a bus stop or a primary school or a doctor's surgery; this is just moderately intelligent planning. To get to the correct definition it is necessary to go back to the source of the concept of sustainability which was the United Nations commission chaired by the Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland in the 1980s. This said that sustainable development is that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs; in more simple terms it means that we should not destroy something which future generations would find valuable." (www.stortfordcf.org.uk)

Surely if all this land is built on to the south there will be nowhere that the future generations can use in Warwick for recreation other than St Nicholas Park. If the land was made into recreational use, as it was designated to be, that would serve not only our generation but those of the future too.

Development on the area of restraint threatens the local houses with flooding. At present, during heavy rain, the runoff is slowed by the pasture and crops. It backs up by the Malins and is relieved into the Myton School playing fields. At these times both ends of Myton Crescent become flooded with the current drainage system being unable to cope.

Property in Myton Crescent was flooded when development was carried out on the Trinity School site. Developing the Myton side of the site would threaten all of the houses south of Myton Road.

The most disturbing consequence of the proposed development of zone 6 is the danger to Public Health as a result of exposure to dangerously high Nitrogen Dioxide (N02) levels. The Warwick District Air Quality action plan 2008 identified the entire road network within Warwick town centre as exceeding maximum NO2 levels as set out in the Air Quality Regulations (England) (Wales) 2000. In 2012, air quality remained in breach of these regulations, and will become toxically high with the increased traffic volume resulting from the Local Plan preferred options. Please see weblink: http://aqma.defra.gov.uk/action-plans/WDC%20AQAP%202008.pdf and particularly page 17:

Policy ER.2: Environmental Impact of Development
"The environmental impact of all proposed development on human beings, soil, fauna, flora, water, air, climate, the landscape, geology, cultural heritage and material assets must be thoroughly assessed, and measures secured to mitigate adverse environmental effects to acceptable levels. Local plans should include policies to ensure this takes place. The impact of existing sources of environmental pollution on the occupants of any proposed new development should also be taken into account. All assessment of environmental impact should take account of, and where possible seek to reduce, uncertainty over the implications of the proposed development. If adverse impacts cannot be mitigated to acceptable levels, development will not be permitted."

It was pointed out at a public meeting in 2009 that part of this area may not be needed for development in the future but we learnt at the recent Warwick Forum that 2,000 homes planned for Milverton had been transferred to zone 6, the worst area for infrastructural needs and more importantly the area of restraint.

This should, with immediate effect, be designated as the last site to be developed so as to protect this area until a viable alternative is found.

The further urban fringe development of Warwick is unsustainable with respect to saturated infrastructure, constrained historic town layout, and the existing Public Health danger that exists today as a consequence of high traffic volume.

Current infrastructure including town centre rail stations, schools, GP surgeries, sewage, water, drainage are at capacity with the current population, and will not sustain the proposed increased numbers within the proposed site at zone 6.

Numbers have reduced drastically in schools over the years with those such as Trinity and North Leamington moving to smaller sites and a number of primary schools having given over part of their accommodation for other uses, many having been 3 form entry 30 years ago now down to 1 form entry, whilst village schools have closed completely. This means that the schools in this area are oversubscribed, including Myton into whose catchment area the whole of that site would fall.

There are suggestions that schools would be expanded or new builds created but a new primary school was in the plans for Warwick Gates which never came into fruition.




Warwick hospital is completely surrounded by housing and has no capacity for expansion so how will they cope with another 25,000 people based on the figures of 2007 with 71% in a traditional family set up with 1.8 children.

Why do district councils have to accommodate a certain amount of housing? Should the government not just be looking for appropriate sites for building? At that same meeting in 2009 the suggestion of a perfect site around Gaydon was mentioned for a new town but the response was "It's not in Warwick District". Not only would road improvement be possible where air quality is not already in breach of regulation but this site is perfect for links to the M40 and there is also a rail station already at Kings Sutton on the main Birmingham to London line so commuting traffic would not be funnelled through Warwick's congested urban centre. To build one whole new site would be more cost effective in the long run.

Stratford District have now put this area forward as part of their Local Plan. Can District Councils not communicate with each other? To have this large area developed as well as the south of Warwick District will create even more stress on the road structure towards Warwick.

There is also the possibility of more use being made of the land around Warwick Parkway, which is in Warwick District and again perfect for rail and road links to both Birmingham and London.

So what can be done to accommodate the Local Plan?

How about looking at sites already within the towns and regeneration areas? The infrastructure is already in place and could take out a large number of the dwellings required. I know this would not be chosen as great big swathes are cheapest but not necessarily the best option.

Build student accommodation near Warwick University in Coventry and reclaim the hundreds of dwellings (including Station House, Union Court, Chapel Cross and The George) in the South Town of Leamington to private affordable starter flats, homes and family homes.

Villages could be given their communities back - expand them with affordable housing. Let those that grew up in the villages and wish to remain there, stay there. Let them support the village schools and shops, some of which have closed over the past few years due to lack of numbers or use.

Warwick District Council's original Strategy to 2026 stated that 90% of the population live in the urban areas and 10% in rural areas. The 90% of the district's population currently living in the urban areas occupy 10% of the district's land whilst the other 10% of the area's population live within the remaining 90% of the land.

The Core Strategy stated that there should be limited development within and adjoining villages so that they can be protected and the character of the villages kept. This is also the case within the towns. It is not that long ago that Whitnash was a village but is now a town along with Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth. These towns want to remain separate towns. They do not want to become joined and eventually become part of Coventry as the way Edgebaston, Hall Green, Moseley and Sparkhill are to Birmingham.

According to http://warwickdc.jdi-consult.net/ldf/readdoc.php?docid=15&chapter=4 the Preferred Vision for Warwick District to 2026 will be

"Warwick District in 2026 will be renowned for being:
1. A mix of historic towns and villages set within an attractive rural landscape of open farmland and parklands, that have developed and grown in a way which has protected their individual characteristics and identities, contributed towards creating high quality safe environments with

low levels of waste and pollution, and made a meaningful contribution to addressing the causes and potential impacts of climate change;"

If this building work is allowed to go ahead as it stands, it will be far from that.

The Core Strategy also pointed out that the development should be directed towards the south of the urban area and this has been carried forward into the Local Plan apparently to avoid incursion into the West Midlands Green Belt area and hence becoming part of Coventry. What this is in fact doing is encouraging the joining of the towns of Leamington, Warwick and Whitnash, making it one urban sprawl.

If Green Belt land was taken to the north of Leamington and south of Kenilworth, to the east and west, to build the bulk of the houses required for Warwick District and included a supermarket for the residents of north Leamington, Lillington and Cubbington this would alleviate the need for them to travel to the south of Leamington or Warwick to shop and would not cause incursion into the West Midlands and Coventry or encroach on the current residents of those areas.

This Green Belt land could then be reclaimed to the south of Warwick and Whitnash and residents of the new dwellings would be a more central position for employment in Warwick, Leamington, Kenilworth and Coventry.

I urge Warwick District Council to revise the whole plan taking into consideration the views of the residents of Warwick, not allowing any further planning applications to be passed on land within the Local Plan until it is fully agreed and finally to consider the overwhelming number of objections received from Warwick residents at previous consultations.

We have been advised to write to you regarding objections to the Revised Development Strategy Local Plan. Having studied documentation and attended meetings I wish to object to the overall plan to build the number of new homes suggested in Warwick district and in particular the 3420 planned in the south of Warwick (zone 6).

The whole basis for the homes is population growth nationally. The amount of employment land within the plan would not fulfil the amount of local unemployment and create enough for the amount of housing proposed. Imposing massive growth on an area with little expansion of employment would create greater numbers of people who would have to commute to work, much to the detriment of the area and a poor location of people.

Warwick District has already seen much development over recent years, much of it to accommodate those moving from the urban areas of Coventry and Birmingham into a less dense area. Many of those still commute into Birmingham or London and if people are prepared to work in London and commute from the Warwick district this will do nothing to help keep the prices affordable for the locals who want to continue living here.

Warwick District population has in fact increased by 12% since 2000, which is approximately 2x the rate of increase for Warwickshire; 2x the national average increase, and over 3x the increase for West Midlands.

Warwick has therefore already been subject to significant recent Urban Fringe development and population expansion, a large proportion being at Warwick Gates which is in South Warwick where the majority of further development is now proposed.

By only building the amount of houses currently required for Warwick district this will discourage migration from other areas as has happened with past developments.

As it stands, I wish to object specifically about the development zone 6 in the area of restraint to the west of Europa Way. This area was identified as an area of restraint at the time of the agreement of planning for the Warwick Technology Park. It was put forward as an untouchable green buffer zone to separate Warwick from Leamington Spa, to prevent the two towns becoming one urban sprawl.

There is likely to be considerable job creation towards Coventry, including up to 14,000 new jobs speculated at the Coventry Gateway scheme. Therefore several extra thousand people per day will want to drive through Warwick, morning and evening, which would lock up the highly congested

Myton Road, Banbury Road and Europa Way at peak times and also the road layout of historic Warwick.

The suggested improvement to the junction to the end of Myton Road and Banbury Road is redundant. The bottle neck of the narrow historic Avon Bridge, constrained road layout and traffic calming in the Town centre, means such provision would not ease the current backlog along Myton Road at peak times.

The proposal to create a dual carriageway along Europa Way to alleviate the traffic queuing off and onto the M40 will have the opposite effect at the eastern end of Myton Road. The alterations made to the roundabout with the addition of Morrisons has made some current improvement but will not be able to handle the extra traffic created by the number of dwellings proposed for zone 6.

Development of this particular site will have a profound impact on the area where the roads are already gridlocked for a considerable period every day during school term, not to mention the excessive pollution that would be caused. It is currently possible to queue from the M40 into Leamington and the length of Myton Road in both directions with queues heading down the Banbury Road and Gallows Hill. Narrow side roads off Myton Road, in particular Myton Crescent, are blocked by parking making it difficult to negotiate these roads as the schools come out.

There is no capacity on these roads for another 2-3000 cars to exit from this triangle at peak times and join the current traffic load plus, extra traffic from other proposed developments needing to use these routes at peak times. The access to Warwick and Leamington from the site would be queued back even at a fraction of the proposed development.

There is no capacity for extra cars at the stations in either Leamington or Warwick town centres for commuters. This means additional traffic driving through Warwick at peak times to Warwick Parkway.

Furthermore, the land West of Europa Way, the area of restraint, is an area of rich agricultural land which has been under the careful stewardship of the Oken and Henry VIII Trusts. There are wide green hedges providing habitats for many species including woodpeckers, buzzards, bats, foxes, the occasional deer, as well as newts, hedgehogs etc.

This is the type of area that should be being protected for recreation and education and healthy food to have a positive impact on the quality of people's lives with the traditional land-based activities such as agriculture, new tourism, leisure and recreational opportunities that require a countryside location. By building dwellings on this land, we will have no countryside left in the urban areas to make use of to support healthy lifestyles through ensuring sufficient land is made available to all for play, sport and recreation without travelling out of the area.

I ask, is developing the ASR a sustainable development? "Much rubbish is talked about sustainability, usually by developers. It does not mean that estates are built near to a bus stop or a primary school or a doctor's surgery; this is just moderately intelligent planning. To get to the correct definition it is necessary to go back to the source of the concept of sustainability which was the United Nations commission chaired by the Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland in the 1980s. This said that sustainable development is that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs; in more simple terms it means that we should not destroy something which future generations would find valuable." (www.stortfordcf.org.uk)

Surely if all this land is built on to the south there will be nowhere that the future generations can use in Warwick for recreation other than St Nicholas Park. If the land was made into recreational use, as it was designated to be, that would serve not only our generation but those of the future too.

Development on the area of restraint threatens the local houses with flooding. At present, during heavy rain, the runoff is slowed by the pasture and crops. It backs up by the Malins and is relieved into the Myton School playing fields. At these times both ends of Myton Crescent become flooded with the current drainage system being unable to cope.

Property in Myton Crescent was flooded when development was carried out on the Trinity School site. Developing the Myton side of the site would threaten all of the houses south of Myton Road.

The most disturbing consequence of the proposed development of zone 6 is the danger to Public Health as a result of exposure to dangerously high Nitrogen Dioxide (N02) levels. The Warwick District Air Quality action plan 2008 identified the entire road network within Warwick town centre as exceeding maximum NO2 levels as set out in the Air Quality Regulations (England) (Wales) 2000. In 2012, air quality remained in breach of these regulations, and will become toxically high with the increased traffic volume resulting from the Local Plan preferred options. Please see weblink: http://aqma.defra.gov.uk/action-plans/WDC%20AQAP%202008.pdf and particularly page 17:

Policy ER.2: Environmental Impact of Development
"The environmental impact of all proposed development on human beings, soil, fauna, flora, water, air, climate, the landscape, geology, cultural heritage and material assets must be thoroughly assessed, and measures secured to mitigate adverse environmental effects to acceptable levels. Local plans should include policies to ensure this takes place. The impact of existing sources of environmental pollution on the occupants of any proposed new development should also be taken into account. All assessment of environmental impact should take account of, and where possible seek to reduce, uncertainty over the implications of the proposed development. If adverse impacts cannot be mitigated to acceptable levels, development will not be permitted."

It was pointed out at a public meeting in 2009 that part of this area may not be needed for development in the future but we learnt at the recent Warwick Forum that 2,000 homes planned for Milverton had been transferred to zone 6, the worst area for infrastructural needs and more importantly the area of restraint.

This should, with immediate effect, be designated as the last site to be developed so as to protect this area until a viable alternative is found.

The further urban fringe development of Warwick is unsustainable with respect to saturated infrastructure, constrained historic town layout, and the existing Public Health danger that exists today as a consequence of high traffic volume.

Current infrastructure including town centre rail stations, schools, GP surgeries, sewage, water, drainage are at capacity with the current population, and will not sustain the proposed increased numbers within the proposed site at zone 6.

Numbers have reduced drastically in schools over the years with those such as Trinity and North Leamington moving to smaller sites and a number of primary schools having given over part of their accommodation for other uses, many having been 3 form entry 30 years ago now down to 1 form entry, whilst village schools have closed completely. This means that the schools in this area are oversubscribed, including Myton into whose catchment area the whole of that site would fall.

There are suggestions that schools would be expanded or new builds created but a new primary school was in the plans for Warwick Gates which never came into fruition.




Warwick hospital is completely surrounded by housing and has no capacity for expansion so how will they cope with another 25,000 people based on the figures of 2007 with 71% in a traditional family set up with 1.8 children.

Why do district councils have to accommodate a certain amount of housing? Should the government not just be looking for appropriate sites for building? At that same meeting in 2009 the suggestion of a perfect site around Gaydon was mentioned for a new town but the response was "It's not in Warwick District". Not only would road improvement be possible where air quality is not already in breach of regulation but this site is perfect for links to the M40 and there is also a rail station already at Kings Sutton on the main Birmingham to London line so commuting traffic would not be funnelled through Warwick's congested urban centre. To build one whole new site would be more cost effective in the long run.

Stratford District have now put this area forward as part of their Local Plan. Can District Councils not communicate with each other? To have this large area developed as well as the south of Warwick District will create even more stress on the road structure towards Warwick.

There is also the possibility of more use being made of the land around Warwick Parkway, which is in Warwick District and again perfect for rail and road links to both Birmingham and London.

So what can be done to accommodate the Local Plan?

How about looking at sites already within the towns and regeneration areas? The infrastructure is already in place and could take out a large number of the dwellings required. I know this would not be chosen as great big swathes are cheapest but not necessarily the best option.

Build student accommodation near Warwick University in Coventry and reclaim the hundreds of dwellings (including Station House, Union Court, Chapel Cross and The George) in the South Town of Leamington to private affordable starter flats, homes and family homes.

Villages could be given their communities back - expand them with affordable housing. Let those that grew up in the villages and wish to remain there, stay there. Let them support the village schools and shops, some of which have closed over the past few years due to lack of numbers or use.

Warwick District Council's original Strategy to 2026 stated that 90% of the population live in the urban areas and 10% in rural areas. The 90% of the district's population currently living in the urban areas occupy 10% of the district's land whilst the other 10% of the area's population live within the remaining 90% of the land.

The Core Strategy stated that there should be limited development within and adjoining villages so that they can be protected and the character of the villages kept. This is also the case within the towns. It is not that long ago that Whitnash was a village but is now a town along with Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth. These towns want to remain separate towns. They do not want to become joined and eventually become part of Coventry as the way Edgebaston, Hall Green, Moseley and Sparkhill are to Birmingham.

According to http://warwickdc.jdi-consult.net/ldf/readdoc.php?docid=15&chapter=4 the Preferred Vision for Warwick District to 2026 will be

"Warwick District in 2026 will be renowned for being:
1. A mix of historic towns and villages set within an attractive rural landscape of open farmland and parklands, that have developed and grown in a way which has protected their individual characteristics and identities, contributed towards creating high quality safe environments with

low levels of waste and pollution, and made a meaningful contribution to addressing the causes and potential impacts of climate change;"

If this building work is allowed to go ahead as it stands, it will be far from that.

The Core Strategy also pointed out that the development should be directed towards the south of the urban area and this has been carried forward into the Local Plan apparently to avoid incursion into the West Midlands Green Belt area and hence becoming part of Coventry. What this is in fact doing is encouraging the joining of the towns of Leamington, Warwick and Whitnash, making it one urban sprawl.

If Green Belt land was taken to the north of Leamington and south of Kenilworth, to the east and west, to build the bulk of the houses required for Warwick District and included a supermarket for the residents of north Leamington, Lillington and Cubbington this would alleviate the need for them to travel to the south of Leamington or Warwick to shop and would not cause incursion into the West Midlands and Coventry or encroach on the current residents of those areas.

This Green Belt land could then be reclaimed to the south of Warwick and Whitnash and residents of the new dwellings would be a more central position for employment in Warwick, Leamington, Kenilworth and Coventry.

I urge Warwick District Councillors to join with your Conservative MP, Chris White, and ask for the Local Plan to be completely revised and also to consider the overwhelming number of objections received from Warwick residents at previous consultations.

Dear Mr Barber

LOCAL PLAN - REVISED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Please take this as an objection to the Revised Development Strategy Local Plan.

Having studied documentation and attended meetings I wish to object to the overall plan to build the number of new homes suggested in Warwick district and in particular the 3420 planned in the south of Warwick (zone 6).

The whole basis for the homes is population growth nationally. The amount of employment land within the plan would not fulfil the amount of local unemployment and create enough for the amount of housing proposed. Imposing massive growth on an area with little expansion of employment would create greater numbers of people who would have to commute to work, much to the detriment of the area and a poor location of people.

Warwick District has already seen much development recently, much of it to accommodate those moving from the urban areas of Coventry and Birmingham into a less dense area. Many of those still commute into Birmingham or London and if people are prepared to work in London and commute from the Warwick district this will do nothing to help keep the prices affordable for the locals who want to continue living here.

Warwick District population has in fact increased by 12% since 2000, which is approximately 2x the rate of increase for Warwickshire; 2x the national average increase, and over 3x the increase for West Midlands.

Warwick has therefore already been subject to significant recent Urban Fringe development and population expansion, a large proportion at Warwick Gates which is in South Warwick where the majority of further development is now proposed.

By only building the amount of houses currently required for Warwick district this will discourage migration from other areas as has happened with past developments.

As it stands, I wish to object specifically about the development zone 6 in the area of restraint to the west of Europa Way. This area was identified as an area of restraint at the time of the agreement of planning for the Warwick Technology Park. It was put forward as an untouchable green buffer zone to separate Warwick from Leamington Spa, to prevent the two towns becoming one urban sprawl.

There is likely to be considerable job creation towards Coventry, including up to 14,000 new jobs at the Coventry Gateway scheme. Therefore several extra thousand people per day will want to drive
through Warwick, morning and evening, which would lock up the highly congested Myton Road, Banbury Road and Europa Way at peak times and also the road layout of historic Warwick.
The suggested improvement to the junction to the end of Myton Road and Banbury Road is redundant. The bottle neck of the narrow historic Avon Bridge, constrained road layout and traffic calming in the Town centre, means such provision would not ease the current backlog along Myton Road at peak times.

The proposal to create a dual carriageway along Europa Way to alleviate the traffic queuing off and onto the M40 will have the opposite effect at the eastern end of Myton Road. The alterations made to the roundabout with the addition of Morrisons has made some current improvement but will not be able to handle the extra traffic created by the number of dwellings proposed for zone 6.

Development of this particular site will have a profound impact on the area where the roads are already gridlocked for a considerable period every day during school term, not to mention the excessive pollution that would be caused. It is currently possible to queue from the M40 into Leamington and the length of Myton Road in both directions with queues heading down the Banbury Road and Gallows Hill. Narrow side roads off Myton Road, in particular Myton Crescent, are blocked by parking making it difficult to negotiate these roads as the schools come out.

There is no capacity on these roads for another 2-3000 cars to exit from this triangle at peak times and join the current traffic load plus, extra traffic from other proposed developments needing to use these routes at peak times. The access to Warwick and Leamington from the site would be queued back even at a fraction of the proposed development.

There is no capacity for extra cars at the stations in either Leamington or Warwick town centres for commuters. This means additional traffic driving through Warwick at peak times to Warwick Parkway.

Furthermore, the land West of Europa Way, the area of restraint, is an area of rich agricultural land which has been under the careful stewardship of the Oken and Henry VIII Trusts. There are wide green hedges providing habitats for many species including woodpeckers, buzzards, bats, foxes, the occasional deer, as well as newts, hedgehogs etc.

This is the type of area that should be being protected for recreation and education and healthy food to have a positive impact on the quality of people's lives with the traditional land-based activities such as agriculture, new tourism, leisure and recreational opportunities that require a countryside location. By building dwellings on this land, we will have no countryside left in the urban areas to make use of to support healthy lifestyles through ensuring sufficient land is made available to all for play, sport and recreation without travelling out of the area.

I ask, is developing the ASR a sustainable development? "Much rubbish is talked about sustainability, usually by developers. It does not mean that estates are built near to a bus stop or a primary school or a doctor's surgery; this is just moderately intelligent planning. To get to the correct definition it is necessary to go back to the source of the concept of sustainability which was the United Nations commission chaired by the Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland in the 1980s. This said that sustainable development is that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs; in more simple terms it means that we should not destroy something which future generations would find valuable." (www.stortfordcf.org.uk)

Surely if all this land is built on to the south there will be nowhere that the future generations can use in Warwick for recreation other than St Nicholas Park. If the land was made into recreational use, as it was designated to be, that would serve not only our generation but those of the future too.

Development on the area of restraint threatens the local houses with flooding. At present, during heavy rain, the runoff is slowed by the pasture and crops. It backs up by the Malins and is relieved into the Myton School playing fields. At these times both ends of Myton Crescent become flooded with the current drainage system being unable to cope.

Property in Myton Crescent was flooded when development was carried out on the Trinity School site. Developing the Myton side of the site would threaten all of the houses south of Myton Road.

The most disturbing consequence of the proposed development of zone 6 is the danger to Public Health as a result of exposure to dangerously high Nitrogen Dioxide (N02) levels. The Warwick District Air Quality action plan 2008 identified the entire road network within Warwick town centre as exceeding maximum NO2 levels as set out in the Air Quality Regulations (England) (Wales) 2000. In 2012, air quality remained in breach of these regulations, and will become toxically high with the increased traffic volume resulting from the Local Plan preferred options. Please see weblink: http://aqma.defra.gov.uk/action-plans/WDC%20AQAP%202008.pdf and particularly page 17:

Policy ER.2: Environmental Impact of Development
"The environmental impact of all proposed development on human beings, soil, fauna, flora, water, air, climate, the landscape, geology, cultural heritage and material assets must be thoroughly assessed, and measures secured to mitigate adverse environmental effects to acceptable levels. Local plans should include policies to ensure this takes place. The impact of existing sources of environmental pollution on the occupants of any proposed new development should also be taken into account. All assessment of environmental impact should take account of, and where possible seek to reduce, uncertainty over the implications of the proposed development. If adverse impacts cannot be mitigated to acceptable levels, development will not be permitted."

It was pointed out at a public meeting in 2009 that part of this area may not be needed for development in the future but we learnt at the recent Warwick Forum that 2,000 homes planned for Milverton had been transferred to zone 6, the worst area for infrastructural needs and more importantly the area of restraint.

This should, with immediate effect, be designated as the last site to be developed so as to protect this area until a viable alternative is found.

The further urban fringe development of Warwick is unsustainable with respect to saturated infrastructure, constrained historic town layout, and the existing Public Health danger that exists today as a consequence of high traffic volume.

Current infrastructure including town centre rail stations, schools, GP surgeries, sewage, water, drainage are at capacity with the current population, and will not sustain the proposed increased numbers within the proposed site at zone 6.

Numbers have reduced drastically in schools over the years with those such as Trinity and North Leamington moving to smaller sites and a number of primary schools having given over part of their accommodation for other uses, many having been 3 form entry 30 years ago now down to 1 form entry, whilst village schools have closed completely. This means that the schools in this area are oversubscribed, including Myton into whose catchment area the whole of that site would fall.

There are suggestions that schools would be expanded or new builds created but a new primary school was in the plans for Warwick Gates which never came into fruition.

Warwick hospital is completely surrounded by housing and has no capacity for expansion so how will they cope with another 25,000 people based on the figures of 2007 with 71% in a traditional family set up with 1.8 children.

Why do district councils have to accommodate a certain amount of housing? Should the government not just be looking for appropriate sites for building? At that same meeting in 2009 the suggestion of a perfect site around Gaydon was mentioned for a new town but the response was "It's not in Warwick District". Not only would road improvement be possible where air quality is not already in breach of regulation but this site is perfect for links to the M40 and there is also a rail station already at Kings Sutton on the main Birmingham to London line so commuting traffic would not be funnelled through Warwick's congested urban centre. To build one whole new site would be more cost effective in the long run. There is also the possibility of more use being made of the land around Warwick Parkway, which is in Warwick District and again perfect for rail and road links to both Birmingham and London.

Stratford District have now put this area forward as part of their Local Plan. Can District Councils not communicate with each other? To have this large area developed as well as the south of Warwick District will create even more stress on the road structure towards Warwick.

So what can be done to accommodate the Local Plan?

How about looking at sites already within the towns and regeneration areas? The infrastructure is already in place and could take out a large number of the dwellings required. I know this would not be chosen as great big swathes are cheapest but not necessarily the best option.

Build student accommodation near Warwick University in Coventry and reclaim the hundreds of dwellings (including Station House, Union Court, Chapel Cross and The George, as well as an infill site on George Street itself) in the South Town of Leamington to private affordable starter flats, homes and family homes.

Villages could be given their communities back - expand them with affordable housing. Let those that grew up in the villages and wish to remain there, stay there. Let them support the village schools and shops, some of which have closed over the past few years due to lack of numbers or use.

Warwick District Council's original Strategy to 2026 stated that 90% of the population live in the urban areas and 10% in rural areas. The 90% of the district's population currently living in the urban areas occupy 10% of the district's land whilst the other 10% of the area's population live within the remaining 90% of the land.

The Core Strategy stated that there should be limited development within and adjoining villages so that they can be protected and the character of the villages kept. This is also the case within the towns. It is not that long ago that Whitnash was a village but is now a town along with Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth. These towns want to remain separate towns. They do not want to become joined and eventually become part of Coventry as the way Edgebaston, Hall Green, Moseley and Sparkhill are to Birmingham.

According to http://warwickdc.jdi-consult.net/ldf/readdoc.php?docid=15&chapter=4 the Preferred Vision for Warwick District to 2026 will be

"Warwick District in 2026 will be renowned for being:
1. A mix of historic towns and villages set within an attractive rural landscape of open farmland and parklands, that have developed and grown in a way which has protected their individual characteristics and identities, contributed towards creating high quality safe environments with low levels of waste and pollution, and made a meaningful contribution to addressing the causes and potential impacts of climate change;"

If this building work is allowed to go ahead as it stands, this vision will never be achieved.

The Core Strategy also pointed out that the development should be directed towards the south of the urban area and this has been carried forward into the Local Plan apparently to avoid incursion into the West Midlands Green Belt area and hence becoming part of Coventry. What this is in fact doing is encouraging the joining of the towns of Leamington, Warwick and Whitnash, making it one urban sprawl.

If Green Belt land was taken to the north of Leamington and south of Kenilworth to the east and west to build the bulk of the houses required for Warwick District and included a supermarket for the residents of north Leamington, Lillington and Cubbington this would alleviate the need for them to travel to the south of Leamington or Warwick to shop and would not cause incursion into the West Midlands and Coventry or encroach on the current residents of those areas.

This Green Belt land could then be reclaimed to the south of Warwick and Whitnash and residents would be a more central position for employment in Warwick, Leamington, Kenilworth and Coventry.

I urge Warwick District Councillors to join with your Conservative MP, Chris White, and ask for the Local Plan to be completely revised and also to consider the overwhelming number of objections received from Warwick residents at previous consultations.

I am writing to object to several aspects of the current version of the Local Plan. The points set out below are not necessarily interdependent, but in the context of the south of Warwick and the impact on Warwick itself are additive.

The number of homes put forward is far too great. 12,300 is a drastic increase from the number in the previous draft / version of the plan. There is evidence in the paper from Ray Bullen Dipl Arch RIBA that 5,400 homes would satisfy the likely demand.

The location of the vast bulk of the homes south of Warwick is drastically unbalanced and inappropriate, and would have damaging effects on Warwick and also Leamington, for quality of life, traffic, pollution and tourism.

In respect of balance, the previous plan used land north of Leamington, albeit in the Green Belt. This should be reinstated; the location of the Green Belt many years ago is no longer appropriate, especially given the ridiculous situation that 80% of this district is designated as Green Belt. It is inappropriate both to expect the District to take a full District's worth of new housing and to attempt to cram the new housing into the remaining 20% of the District.

The location of the housing is also inappropriate. The new developments by Coventry Airport, as well as the economic centre of gravity north and northwest of Warwick will attract travel north from Warwick and Leamington, so putting homes south of those towns would generate traffic trying to go through them both, making both towns busier.

The concept that economic development near Gallows Hill and the increasingly inappropriately named "Science Park" will be attractive to businesses and provide employment for people in the new developments is not credible, and has already been disproved by District Planning officials and the Committee at the meeting on 23rd July. The justification for granting permission to Application W13/0607 to build houses on the land north of Harbury Lane was that there was not sufficient demand for the economic use which had been promised when Warwick Gates was built. People from that development already have to travel into and through Warwick (and Leamington) for work and other purposes, adding to the volume of traffic.

One gets the impression that the plan has put housing where developers want to build to maximise profit, not where it is best for the district.

The District Council's report by RMA consultants states re land south of Gallows Hill & The Asps that "The largest part of the study area is prominent in approaches to Warwick, is valuable in the setting of the town and provides the historic context for Castle Park. The recommendation remains that this area should be protected from development."

The concentration of houses south of Warwick would not only increase pressure on sewerage but also increase the risk of flooding. In the last two or three years since further development in the area a new occasional pond / lake has appeared in the field at bottom of Gallows Hill. The effect of replacing more earth with concrete and tarmac and of concentrating rainwater run-off could only to be exacerbate this situation and put the area at the bottom of the hill heading north into Warwick at greater risk of flooding.

The impact of increased travel in the plan, particularly motor but also other forms (albeit not adequately provided for), has been significantly understated. The modelling shown is just not credible. The current experience is much worse than shown in the misleading Ove Arup diagram, which covers future flows "AM" and shows an average of 40mph from the Asps. In the rush hours nowadays the traffic jam starts at The Asps and continue right down to the Warwick Bridge, along Europa way and the road to it from junction 14 of the M40.

The word "Mitigation" is an almost Orwellian misnomer. It does not do what it says - it just tempts traffic into Warwick and spoils the quality of life for those living near the new busy routes. Evidence for this is in the paper from Dennis Crips.

Not should also be taken of the probable increase in vehicle pollution in Warwick, which is already at illegal levels.

The increased volume of traffic and the traffic measures proposed to speed more traffic through Warwick would make the quality of life much worse for people living on or near the roads affected, and would lessen the attractiveness of Warwick as a destination for tourism, shopping and dining, damaging the economy of the town.

There are already massive traffic bottlenecks between Warwick and Leamington and the south - the bridges over the Avon; Warwick Bridge, Prince's Drive, and Leamington Town Bridge. They are already struggling with the volume of traffic from housing south of the towns, total overload if development happens. The Warwick Bridge is historically important, narrow, and increasingly busy. There are already frequent illegally heavy loads using the bridge; these would increase, and are already going to cause a serious problem when the bridge is damaged and will be out of action for a significant time.

The whole road system of Warwick and also Leamington becomes gridlocked now if there is any problem on either A46 or M40. The situation would be even worse with more traffic needing to use it.

Relief via Longbridge roundabout is unlikely. It is already jammed at busy times - rush hour and schools.

The plans show a lack of provision for pedestrians and other forms of transport - especially cycles. Removing pedestrian crossings on the Banbury road may speed traffic, but would increase accidents to pedestrians and schoolchildren.

see attached

Re: Revised Development Plan for new homes and travellers sites

We object to this new local plan on the following grounds:

* The National Planning Policy Framework requires sustainable development which meets an established housing need. Local builders and developers already have around 5000 homes in the pipe line and are not developing them as they see a chance to get their hands on even more sites through this plan. 12300 new homes easily exceeds the demand for this area and to give approval of this plan would mean that even more Greenfield land would be lost to the local agricultural businesses. We are told that there are currently around 5000 unoccupied homes in the district that could be taken over, refurbished and returned to the housing market.

* The suggested sites are mainly to the south of Warwick and Leamington. This is unacceptable as both towns have a river running through which means bridges have to be crossed when travelling North to South and vice versa. The road infrastructure cannot take the extra traffic from all these homes. There are suggested improvements to Europa Way and Banbury Road but you can make them dual carriageways for all their length but you cannot change what is at the end of them i.e. the river bridge over the Avon at Warwick followed by The Butts, the narrowest road in Warwick, where two cars cannot pass at the same time. (Not mentioned in the traffic assessment!) Moving East to Europa Way again a dual carriageway would only mean shorter queues but two of them instead of one. What faces them? Princes Drive with the narrow railway bridge. (Again not mentioned in the traffic assessment) The recent so called improvements have made no difference to the traffic flow. You have provided 3 lanes at exits of Europa Way, Myton Road, and Old Warwick Road and 2 lane entrances for each making a total of 5 lanes at these points but this reduces to a total of 3 lanes at the railway bridge so the 'pinch point' has not changed. The single lane from Park Drive towards Myton Road is too narrow for buses and lorries. They have to straddle the lane markings to avoid hitting the bridge with their mirrors. The decision to stop traffic exiting Park Drive from turning right into Princes Drive or going straight ahead into the Recycling Centre and making them travel up to the island at Myton Road and then go full circle around to get back into Princes Drive is just stupid. It has added extra traffic to the Myton Road island which makes things even worse. (Again not included in the traffic assessment) Moving further East you come to Tachbrook Road. An already very busy single carriageway road that leads to Lower Avenue and the railway bridge. (Funny this was also missing from the traffic assessment) This cannot be improved at all. The other problem with this is that through traffic here has to meet up with through traffic from Princes Drive. The considerable extra volume of traffic cannot be absorbed with the suggested 'improvements'. The traffic assessment only states that there are highway land problems in the Princes Drive and Warwick New Road areas. (Another railway bridge in Warwick New Road)

* There was previously a way around Warwick and Leamington by using the A452 but the section from Greys Mallory to the Longbridge island was taken over by the M40 motorway. This meant that traffic now had to go onto the M40 and immediately come off at the next junction, the Longbridge island. This is ridiculous and is the reason for the significant increase in traffic congestion on Banbury Road and Europa Way. The M40 is extremely busy at this junction, so much so that proposals are in place to utilise the hard shoulder as a normal traffic lane with improved lane management. To add even more traffic for just a short stretch of road is not on. The missing stretch of road must be replaced before the towns come to a complete halt.

* To make things worse for the Banbury Road entrance to Warwick is the proposal by Stratford upon Avon District Council for a new village of 4800 homes in the Gaydon and Lighthorne area. Where is this? Why on the Banbury Road! This will add considerable extra traffic onto the Banbury Road approach to Warwick and the Europa Way approach to Leamington. This proposal must be taken into account when considering the revised local plan. They cannot be taken into account separately.

* The largest number of proposed new homes are all South of the rivers yet all emergency services are to the North i.e. Police, Fire, Ambulance, Hospital so all would have to cross the river bridges on roads that cannot cope. People would die waiting for these emergency services especially at rush hour times. When Warwick Fire Station was being considered for closure we said that Warwick residents living in the Myton Road area would suffer we were told that a fire engine would reach us from Leamington fire station in 6 minutes! Only by helicopter was our reply yet it was still closed. This was on the advice of consultants who admitted that they had only used national figures and had not looked at the local picture! Warwick Hospital would not be big enough to cater for another 24000 local people and it cannot expand further as it is built on an enclosed site. This means that more emergency patients would have to be taken to Coventry with significant danger of death.

* All sites South of Warwick and Leamington are on Greenfield land. This is productive farmland and produces food that is wanted by this country. We cannot continue to remove farmland as the country's food needs for the future will be even higher than at present. We cannot rely on importing food as there have been big changes in the global food market particularly from Asia with China buying ever more supplies from some of our traditional suppliers. There is a proposal for a 'Country Park' but this will be used the same way as the present 'areas of restraint' off Myton Road. What is the value of these as they are simply ignored when a suggestion of new homes comes along. When the next allocation of homes is required we know that this country park will disappear. This Greenfield land is just as important as the green belt to the North of Warwick and Leamington. It should have been green belt anyway.

* At present the air pollution in the centre of Warwick exceeds the legal limit so how can any new homes be allowed. How can we get this air pollution problem solved? We do not know the answers but surely the health of the residents must be given priority over any further damage caused by around 18000 more cars locating to the area. Warwick District Council is legally required to reduce air pollution to improve air quality. How can you even consider these development plans which can only make things worse? The suggested town centre initiative for road improvements includes a ban on parking in Smith Street followed by a ban on turning right into St Nicholas Church Street. That would speed traffic flow along Smith Street but would kill off all the shops and restaurants there. What good would that do to the town? If you cannot turn right at the end of Smith Street how would you get back to the Banbury Road for residents South of the River? Turn round in the small Sainsbury's car park or at the Wharf Street junction? Or use the road in front of the St John's shops and turn onto Coventry Road?

* Drainage could be a big problem to the residents in the Myton Road areas. When the new Round Oak School was built the first time we had heavy rain a number of properties in Myton Crescent were flooded. Extensive land drains and ditches had to be installed. So imagine what would happen with 1150 houses built on the slope up to Gallows Hill. Where would all the surface water go? Downhill to the existing houses that's where.

* The prospect of significant expansion in employment in this area is very small. Certainly not enough to accommodate families in 12300 homes. The only area of supposed new employment is the Gateway scheme (on green belt land!) by Coventry Airport. They say that up to 12000 jobs will be created. We do not feel that it would be anywhere near that figure. Anyone living in the proposed developments south of the river would add to the commuting through Warwick or Leamington or add more traffic onto the M40. An area of designated employment land at Warwick Gates has just been given planning permission to build houses on as 'there is no demand for employment land as the developer could not get anyone to move there'.

* Regarding gypsy and travellers sites we believe that the Council should stand up to the government and say no to these sites. Gypsies and travellers are not British; make no contributions to society in the form of National Insurance; pay no Tax; cost local authorities thousands of pounds to clear up their mess left behind so we should not be made to cater for them.

In summary

We object to this plan on the grounds of the unnecessary number of new homes, inadequate road network for the unfair placing of the majority of these homes south of Warwick and Leamington Spa, increases in air pollution, inadequate provision of emergency services, taking away good farm land and destroying the valuable beautiful environment of this district.

see attached

I object to latest local plan for published by WDC for the following reasons...
We need a plan which accurately reflects the population growth and demand within the district taking into account the latest data from the `Office of National Statistics`. I believe that the current plan massively overstates the demand.
The situation has been made worse in South Leamington and Whitnash by the `immigration` of students from Warwick University.......which is 10-15 miles away, dependent on route - and in Coventry! Many `low-cost` properties suitable for `first time buyers` have been taken up by students (including new build).
Whitnash also currently takes a higher level of Immigration compared to other areas.
The healthcare and education provision is already virtually to capacity.
Transport - at times the roads in this area are exceedingly busy and hazardous around schools especially. If the schools are extended any further then the roads will be impassable at certain times of the day especially Golf Lane, Coppice Road and Morris Drive around Briar Hill and St. Margaret`s schools. The potential developer of the Fieldgate Lane area admitted that their traffic survey failed to measure the traffic at the peak time of day i.e when parents are all arriving to collect their children at the same time - around 3pm.
The plan shows an focus on the area south of the river. The `green belt` argument used to limit development to the north of Leamington is artificial. `Green belt` status is man-made, created some years ago to meet the needs of the time and should be varied when circumstances change. A more even and fair distribution across the district is needed.
There is still much `brown field land` in the wider area e.g Baginton, Ryton and do we need another fuel filling station at the new Morrisons store.
I object specifically to the proposed development of the Fieldgate Lane / Golf Lane field for the following reasons:-
Drainage / potential flooding
We have evidence of the flood risk status of Fieldgate Lane which shows that we are within 250m of an area prone to flooding (zone 3).
The drainage channel in Fieldgate Lane connects directly to the Whitnash brook in the flood zone.
The normal flow in the Fieldgate Lane drainage channel is negligible but several times a year at times of heavy rainfall the water level reaches within a few centimetres of overflowing the channel. On several occasions water has come over the top, flowed along Fieldgate Lane, down driveways and has reached as far as garage doors.
The slope of the field and loss of the water soakaway due to development must result in additional water in the drainage channel at peak times.
I have already had house insurance declined by one company on the grounds of flood risk.
We also have the situation several times during a normal winter when the ground is waterlogged to the point where we can have several centimetres of water standing across our gardens and this can take a considerable time to drain away. Fieldgate Lane also often floods with running rain water to part way up the kerbs for short periods during heavy rain. These are actual events seen by local residents.
Currently the field regularly floods in the north-west corner and along its north edge several times a year during heavy rain. Development of roads and hard standing on this sloping site will inevitably result in more runoff towards the Fieldgate Lane drainage channel and will make the current situation much worse.
Traffic hazards
The entrance to Golf Lane from Heathcote Road has long been considered a hazard and, I believe, has formerly been the prime reason for not allowing further development. The main issues are :-
... this part of Golf Lane is on a steep slope and is relatively narrow.
....visibility to the right is restricted when exiting Golf Lane.
....the junction with Home Farm Crescent is at the bottom of the slope, on a bend and visibility is again restricted when turning right into Home Farm Crescent.
The junctions at Morris Drive/Golf Lane, Golf Club entrance/Golf Lane, Golf Lane/ Fieldgate Lane corner and Mullard Drive / Fieldgate Lane are all areas which residents consider hazardous. At all of these junctions the issues are the same in that many drivers come through them not expecting to meet other traffic. It is not just strangers who don`t know the roads, but local drivers who only expect traffic from a particular direction. I am aware of the hazards and usually drive through these junctions at around 15mph but regularly have near misses. Many local drivers ignore the road signs and markings and residents can quote daily incidents.
At school times the traffic situation in Coppice Road, Golf Lane and Morris Drive is hazardous and Police are regularly in attendance. Children already have significant difficulty in crossing the roads through parked and moving traffic. We are aware of at least 2 serious incidents outside the schools.
Traffic lights at Heathcote Road / Tachbrook road are already at capacity at certain times of the day with traffic often queuing back several hundred metres.
Traffic flows have recently been measured as part of a development application for the Fieldgate Lane field but this failed to measure the traffic at school closing time as it was not considered to be a busy time of day. In fact this is the most hazardous time of day and additional traffic from this proposed site will make it worse.
Schools
It is common knowledge locally that the local schools have been at capacity since the advent of Warwick Gates. There are regularly comments in the local newspapers about the issues. Additional housing locally will make the situation worse.
Ecology and wildlife
Bats - there are numerous bats of several species which feed around the local houses and over the Fieldgate Lane field every night during the summer months and sometimes at other times of the year. The roost sites are not known but are certainly local.
Birds - many species of birds use the hedgerows and field throughout the year. I have records of 47 species using the hedgerows and fields in Fieldgate Lane alone including Tawny Owls, Herons, Lapwing, Snipe, Buzzards, Sparrow Hawks, Woodpeckers, Bullfinches,
Mammals - the field is used by deer, fox, hedgehogs (a declining species) and several species of small rodents.
Ridge and Furrow system - the field is a rare and disappearing example of the medieval ridge and furrow system of historic importance and should be preserved.
General
Formerly, the Fieldgate Lane site has been considered unsuitable because of the slope and its contribution to potential flooding. The slope of the field will also mean that the view from Fieldgate Lane will be of a succession of house ends and roofs increasing in height up the hill, particularly in winter.
The site is an `Area of Restraint` in the current local plan - for many of the reasons quoted.
A current planning application shows the access road immediately opposite our property in Fieldgate Lane This would result in major disruption to access to our property, parking and our way of life for several years. The slope of the land will mean that, at night, headlights will shine directly at our living room and bedroom windows.

Objections to Development of South Sites (areas south of Warwick)
Since there is a proposal for 'a major sub-regional employment site in the North East of the district' it appears very odd to site 3,195 houses South of Warwick, which almost inevitably will create huge volumes of traffic - the plan for which appears to be to direct it along the Banbury Road over the Avon Bridge through the town and out along the Coventry Road, presumably heading to the 'sub-regional employment site in the North East'.
It appears that the proposals regarding roads are to the benefit of traffic - easing as much through the town centre as possible...the document refers to 'a more attractive route to vehicles'.
An audit of current pavement usage? What about the current users of the pavements? Has the Local Plan taken into consideration the current numbers of pedestrians, cyclists, dog walkers, joggers, parents with prams and toddlers in tow, tourists photographing the castle, school children walking in groups to and from all three Warwick Foundation Schools and Myton School at key points during the day.
St Nick's park is really well used. Rowers and various boat users on the river Avon, walkers, joggers and children. Sea Scouts is based in the park. One of Warwick's most beautiful spots is the iconic view from Avon Bridge across to the castle. It's simply stunning. Lots of tourists congregate on the bridge to take photos; it is not a road that could/should take large volumes of traffic.
The Banbury Road needs to keep the pedestrian crossings. Numerous children cross there daily to get to school. There also seems to be a trend for office workers from Heathcote Industrial Estate to take a healthy walk around Bridge End at lunchtimes. People currently enjoy living and working in Warwick.
Traffic Noise/Pollution Warwick Prep School Playground for the youngest pupils is next to the Banbury Road (pollution levels? Noise in classrooms?) The Avon Bridge, St Nick's Park (which is extremely well used and visited), the Myton Road with its 3 schools, are not areas to try to increase the volume/speed of traffic. A Left filter turn into Myton Rd seems particularly worrying- a school girl broke her leg being hit by a car there around Easter time. To have a filter lane - which encourages continual movement - by a very large school seems absurd. A left lane filter would remove an area that is currently pavement and landscape and a buffer between school children and the numerous coaches and cars that turn there during school hours.
Green Belt Vs Historic Buildings? It appears that some previous plans did not progress due to concern for the Green Belt north of Leamington. The traffic will be increased in parts of historic Warwick, especially over the grade II listed Avon Bridge. Bridge End is a conservation area, the route along the Banbury Road is landscaped which is meant to reflect the tradition of Warwick Castle Park. The impact of additional signage and traffic lights on the historic vistas through the town centre would be detrimental.
If there is to be some increased housing in Warwick, such as that of the Myton Road, surely the priority is to ensure that children living in those houses can cycle to Myton/Warwick school and allow their parents to walk or cycle to work in Warwick/Leamington town centres. Therefore increased cycle lanes would be paramount to any green plan for the area.
There's nothing in the plan to benefit those people with shops and businesses in Warwick. The town centre needs a better parking plan. There is nothing to encourage the volumes of traffic to be directed through the town to stop and enjoy the things that Warwick has to offer.
Misguided traffic proposals. The idea to block one entrance of Bridge End is unworkable. Cars are invariably parked on both sides of the length of Bridge End and there are already occasional problems with deliveries. This conservation area needs to keep access for emergency vehicles, refuse collection and deliveries.
All traffic should be directed out of the centre of Warwick - not through the middle of it! It is imperative that any new houses based south of Warwick should have major road access to the by-pass/motorway or other links to major employment areas. The roads and buildings in Warwick are such that there will always be a maximum capacity however much tinkering goes on to 'improve traffic flow'. The town environment and historic nature of the area deserves much better than to make its roads the main priority.

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Dear Sir/Madam


I write in support of the Revised Local Plan Strategy for Warwick District.

Having studied the internet documentation on the 2013 Revised Local Plan, and attended several Consultation Meetings, I consider that planners have addressed a very difficult task with objectivity and professionalism enabling significant changes which render the revised Local Plan, sound and fit for purpose.

The Revised Plan is evidence based on information supplied for the 2012 Local Plan, together with new evidence derived from assessments made subsequently.

The objective evidence obtained from the assessments and conclusions, is particularly welcome from independent studies based on the Landscape, the Employment Land Review and the 2012/13 updated Strategic Transport Assessment.

The Local Plan now complies with The National Planning Policy Framework. The Strategic Transport Assessment Review evidence, refutes on traffic grounds, any justification for building north of Leamington. It is accepted that there are no 'exceptional circumstances' for building on the Green Belt north of Leamington.

It is vital to preserve this limited green space between Leamington and Kenilworth (which will suffer erosion from the proposed Thickthorne and Coventry Gateway developments). I consider it vital that merging with the West Midlands conurbation is avoided, indeed prevented to retain the essential identity of Kenilworth, Leamington and Warwick.

The Revised Development Strategy has removed the proposal to build 2000 houses on North Leamington Green Belt and through better use of existing brownfield sites, only 325 more houses are proposed on Greenfield (not Greenbelt Land) land to the south of the town.

The Revised Development Strategy, proposes that in keeping with the 2012 Plan, a substantial proportion of new development is located close to employment opportunities (south of Leamington and Warwick), thus reducing travel and avoidable exhaust pollution, whilst offering the benefits from acres of greenfield space before the nearest town to the South Banbury.

The traffic surveys show that road improvements will allow the network to cope with more development. The Revised Development Strategy provides both the finance and opportunity, for the essential road network improvement south of Leamington to take place. It will relieve the existing congestion and exhaust fumes whilst servicing the new development. However, it is important that these improvements are well-designed and carried out as part of the coordinated plan.

The Revised Development Strategy makes provision for schools and other infrastructure to support the new development.

I would urge the council to keep the number of houses to a minimum and not accept more. It looks as though the legal requirement to liaise with Coventry and other surrounding towns, does not extend to a legal requirement to agree to their developing land within Warwick District. Perhaps if necessary, Stratford would build houses for Coventry as I understand their proposed settlement site near Gaydon is larger than the present requirements.

The Revised Development strategy has a fair distribution of development throughout the district. The planners are to be congratulated on their success in achieving this, in view of the obvious difficulties faced when trying to plan meaningful development in established areas. Much of the development is in the south of the town, for good planning reasons, which are essential to secure a sound plan.

It is disappointing that a handful of vociferous Community Leaders, have made a less than constructive attack on the Local Plan in its Revised form at Consultation Meetings, and have found the Courier a ready outlet week after week for their adverse publicity. The reporting has been less than objective, and failed to present a balanced view. I trust the legitimate concerns of those living in the affected area can be addressed but more than this, I sincerely hope Planners and Councillors will not be bullied into bad decisions as a result of this.

In summary, planners are to be congratulated on the improvements they have achieved in the 2013 Revised Plan based on objectivity and sound evidence. It is sustainable, complies with the NPPF, is in the best interest of the community, businesses and significantly, the prosperity of the district. I trust that on this basis, Warwick District Council will adopt this Revised Local Plan.

1) I am not aware of the STIRR campaign flows for 1971. However we do monitor flows at WCC and have reliable records using Automatic Traffic Count equipment. I have attached a plan showing site locations and the flow data which shows the peak period has remained fairly static but the shoulder peaks(0700-0800,0900-100,1600-1700 and 1800-1900) have grown, in some cases significantly. As the road network continues to become more congested this growth in the shoulder peaks will continue to occur at an increasing rate. I would also expect that the growth in housing provision during the period presented in this peak spreading evidence to be less than that proposed in the new Local Plan, WDC would have to confirm this. There may not have been material change in the traditional peak, due to the finite capacity of the road network in central Warwick. However this does not mean that there is the same level of congestion and impact on journey times. There is an increased demand for road space and this is spilling over into the shoulder peak periods, the requirement to cater for other road users through provision of crossing facilities at signals compounds this issue.

2) The areas identified as suffering from delay are the same areas that suffer today. I have not seen the document produced by the Warwick Society. However I do know that the WCC/ARUP Strategic Transport Assessment compared Local Plan growth against 2028 Reference Conditions (i.e. DfT Growth levels are applied proportionally across the network rather that allocated to certain areas, as is recognised practice in this type of assessment) and therefore a comparison is not made against today's conditions. It should be noted that the delay does increase in the peak as a result of the growth but maybe not to the extent that the public fear due to the finite capacity of the road network and the public's propensity to re-time there journey, avoid journeys and use alternative modes. It is the shoulder peak periods which we experience the most significant growth. MS002 plot included in the latest Strategic Transport Assessment on the WDC website which shows predictions for the 2028 Ref Case this will help in a comparison, in the town centre there doesn't appear to be a substantial worsening of conditions. I have also attached modelled and observed congestion data taken form 2011 (Observed based on DfT NI 167 data derived from satellite navigation devices) which highlight the existing congestion hotspots.

3) This is correct in terms of flow for the traditional 0800-0900 and 1700-1800 peak periods but not congestion for the aforementioned reasons. i.e. peak spreading resulting in growth at other times, meaning a higher total delay over a longer period which has a knock on impact on the overall levels of congestion - delay and journey times, compounded by the provision for pedestrian movements at signals and crossing. Furthermore, the propensity for some trips to travel within the peak hour is inevitable and, as such there will undoubtedly be an impact within the traditional peak hours. This growth is almost inevitable regardless of the approach to the allocation of development across the district. The delivery of the mitigation schemes in the area of the town centre is intended to alleviate some of the impacts of these trips which, if not successfully mitigated, could have the potential to cause severe impacts within the town centre. The purpose of the proposed schemes is to minimise the potential for these impacts to occur.

4) I do not have figures on how air pollution has changed over the years in Warwick, this is not my area of expertise. Air pollution is attributable to both traffic levels and the speed at which the traffic moves. During the peak period traffic is moving slower but levels may not have increased significantly, this trend continues through the local plan period. Additionally the growth in traffic flows and levels of delay in the shoulder peak periods does grow significantly and this will also add to the pollution issues within the AQMA. Again, public perception may well be that the impacts will be greater than the evidence suggests. One point worth noting is that without the improvements in Warwick Town Centre outlined within the STA, the impacts on delay are significantly worse, as such the air pollution will be considerably more. The potential for congestion levels to get much worse is limited during the peak period since the congestion itself is an indicator of a section of network reaching capacity. Growth in traffic will worsen conditions in the AQMA to a point and then the network will be saturated and air quality will decline substantially. The introduction of schemes reduces the rate at which the decline in air quality is occurring. Furthermore, as cars improve and become more environmentally friendly it could be argued that the quality of the environment within the AQMA is likely to be as much a function of the vehicle fleet therein as it is the levels of growth.

1) I am not aware of the STIRR campaign flows for 1971. However we do monitor flows at WCC and have reliable records using Automatic Traffic Count equipment. I have attached a plan showing site locations and the flow data which shows the peak period has remained fairly static but the shoulder peaks(0700-0800,0900-100,1600-1700 and 1800-1900) have grown, in some cases significantly. As the road network continues to become more congested this growth in the shoulder peaks will continue to occur at an increasing rate. I would also expect that the growth in housing provision during the period presented in this peak spreading evidence to be less than that proposed in the new Local Plan, WDC would have to confirm this. There may not have been material change in the traditional peak, due to the finite capacity of the road network in central Warwick. However this does not mean that there is the same level of congestion and impact on journey times. There is an increased demand for road space and this is spilling over into the shoulder peak periods, the requirement to cater for other road users through provision of crossing facilities at signals compounds this issue.

2) The areas identified as suffering from delay are the same areas that suffer today. I have not seen the document produced by the Warwick Society. However I do know that the WCC/ARUP Strategic Transport Assessment compared Local Plan growth against 2028 Reference Conditions (i.e. DfT Growth levels are applied proportionally across the network rather that allocated to certain areas, as is recognised practice in this type of assessment) and therefore a comparison is not made against today's conditions. It should be noted that the delay does increase in the peak as a result of the growth but maybe not to the extent that the public fear due to the finite capacity of the road network and the public's propensity to re-time there journey, avoid journeys and use alternative modes. It is the shoulder peak periods which we experience the most significant growth. MS002 plot included in the latest Strategic Transport Assessment on the WDC website which shows predictions for the 2028 Ref Case this will help in a comparison, in the town centre there doesn't appear to be a substantial worsening of conditions. I have also attached modelled and observed congestion data taken form 2011 (Observed based on DfT NI 167 data derived from satellite navigation devices) which highlight the existing congestion hotspots.

3) This is correct in terms of flow for the traditional 0800-0900 and 1700-1800 peak periods but not congestion for the aforementioned reasons. i.e. peak spreading resulting in growth at other times, meaning a higher total delay over a longer period which has a knock on impact on the overall levels of congestion - delay and journey times, compounded by the provision for pedestrian movements at signals and crossing. Furthermore, the propensity for some trips to travel within the peak hour is inevitable and, as such there will undoubtedly be an impact within the traditional peak hours. This growth is almost inevitable regardless of the approach to the allocation of development across the district. The delivery of the mitigation schemes in the area of the town centre is intended to alleviate some of the impacts of these trips which, if not successfully mitigated, could have the potential to cause severe impacts within the town centre. The purpose of the proposed schemes is to minimise the potential for these impacts to occur.

4) I do not have figures on how air pollution has changed over the years in Warwick, this is not my area of expertise. Air pollution is attributable to both traffic levels and the speed at which the traffic moves. During the peak period traffic is moving slower but levels may not have increased significantly, this trend continues through the local plan period. Additionally the growth in traffic flows and levels of delay in the shoulder peak periods does grow significantly and this will also add to the pollution issues within the AQMA. Again, public perception may well be that the impacts will be greater than the evidence suggests. One point worth noting is that without the improvements in Warwick Town Centre outlined within the STA, the impacts on delay are significantly worse, as such the air pollution will be considerably more. The potential for congestion levels to get much worse is limited during the peak period since the congestion itself is an indicator of a section of network reaching capacity. Growth in traffic will worsen conditions in the AQMA to a point and then the network will be saturated and air quality will decline substantially. The introduction of schemes reduces the rate at which the decline in air quality is occurring. Furthermore, as cars improve and become more environmentally friendly it could be argued that the quality of the environment within the AQMA is likely to be as much a function of the vehicle fleet therein as it is the levels of growth.

Dear Sir,
LOCAL PLAN REVISED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY:
CONSULTATION 14th JUNE TO 29th JULY 2013
We write in response to the consultation exercise for the Revised Development Strategy for
the emerging Warwick District Local Plan published on 14th June 2013 ("the Revised
Development Strategy"). Old Milverton and Blackdown Joint Parish Council ("the Parish
Council") make comments on this emerging strategy in order to help provide a vision for new
development and shape the District in an appropriate manner that delivers sustainable
development and accords with the national planning policy objectives.
The Parish Council recognises the enormity of the task that faces Warwick District Council
("the Council") in providing new growth whilst balancing environmental, planning and other
objectives. It welcomes a Local Plan that is based on sound principles and robust evidence to
ensure that it provides a solid framework upon which to guide future development.
The Parish Council does not seek to challenge the number of new houses included in the
Revised Development Strategy. We understand that the Council has estimated future housing
need in accordance with guidance issued by the coalition Government and that if the Local
Plan contains too few houses there is a risk that it will be found unsafe at Public Enquiry.
The Parish Council simply asks the Council to keep the housing requirement to a minimum.
A Joint Strategic Housing Needs Analysis is being performed with Coventry City Council.
Should this review identify that it is necessary to increase the housing numbers above those
included in the Revised Development Strategy, the Parish Council believe that there is
sufficient non Green Belt land to accommodate this additional development.
The Parish Council believes that the Preferred Options for the New Local Plan published in
June 2012 do not comply with the National Planning Policy Framework and that as a
consequence a Local Plan based on the Preferred Options would be found unsound at Public
Enquiry. The Parish Council is, therefore, pleased that the Council has recognised that the
Exceptional Circumstances to develop the Green Belt to the North of Leamington do not exist
and that as a consequence the risks of the Local Plan being found unsound at public enquiry
are reduced.
The Parish Council believes that the Green Belt in Old Milverton and Blackdown serves all of
the 5 purposes set out for Green Belt in the National Planning Policy Framework ("NPPF") in
that it:
* prevents the urban sprawl of built up areas from Leamington,
* prevents neighbouring towns (Leamington, Kenilworth and Coventry )from merging,
* protects the country side from encroachment from Leamington,
2 of 3
* preserves the setting and special character of the historic towns of Royal Leamington
Spa, Warwick and Kenilworth; and
* assists urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of urban land.
It is vital to preserve the limited green space between Leamington and Kenilworth. Otherwise
there is a real risk Leamington and Warwick will merge with the West Midlands Conurbation.
The Revised Development Strategy considers Old Milverton to be a "Smaller and Feeder
Village". The population of Old Milverton Parish is small, 319 residents and 119 households
(Source: Office for National Statistics March 2011). Nearly half of the population of Old
Milverton Parish (126 adult residents (source: Electoral Register)) live on a modern housing
estate which we understand will be transferred to Milverton Parish when the Parish
Boundaries are reviewed in 2014. There are probably less than 50 adults living in the
settlement of Old Milverton. Given its small and decreasing size, the Parish Council believes
that Old Milverton should be regarded as a "Very Small Village and Hamlet".
The Parish Council believes that new development should be concentrated where there are
existing employment opportunities and infrastructure to support the development. It also
believes it is essential for new development to be properly planned and controlled, and where
necessary there is adequate investment in new roads and other infrastructure to support that
development.
The Revised Development Strategy proposes that a substantial proportion of the new
development is located close to where there are employment opportunities (to the South of
Leamington & Warwick) providing an opportunity for people to live close to their place of
work, reducing or eliminating commuting for many people, with a consequential positive
impact on the environment and their quality of life. Furthermore there is almost unlimited
green space to the south of Leamington where the nearest town is Banbury.
The Council is to be congratulated for preparing a Revised Development Strategy which,
whilst providing a similar number of new houses for the District, removes the proposal to
build 2,000 houses on the North Leamington Green Belt and, through the better use of
Brownfield sites, results in only 325 further houses on Greenfield land South of Leamington.
The prospect of access to a good local workforce will help to encourage more businesses to
set up and relocate to the area, helping to generate more jobs and prosperity for the local
community.
The Revised Development Strategy provides for improvement to the road network South of
Leamington to relieve the existing congestion and to cater for the new development. It is
important that these road improvements are carried out as part of a coordinated plan. Traffic
surveys show that road improvements can cope with the planned new development and that
locating the majority of the development South of Leamington will reduce traffic movements,
ease congestion and reduce pollution.
The Revised Development Strategy provides for the necessary schools and other infrastructure
to support the new development.
The Revised Development Strategy has a fair distribution of new housing across the District.
16% of the new houses will be in the Green Belt North of Leamington, at Thickthorn and
Lillington. 15% of the proposed development will be in Warwickshire Villages.
Although cycleways are mentioned in each phase of the Revised Development Strategy, detail
is lacking for such a key proposal for components of traffic
management, environmental improvement and recreation. The cycle ways need linking
3 of 3
together and cycleways to larger places of Work and Educational institutions ought to be
detailed and feature prominently.
The outline for the proposed development South of Leamington includes a new country park.
If the country park is sited next to the existing houses with new housing beyond it, the result
would be to make the park more accessible, reduce impact of further development on the
existing houses; it could be crossed by cycle-ways and would act as a green-lung to reduce air
pollution.
Conclusion
For the reasons set out above, with the exception of the classification of Old Milverton as a
"Feeder Village" and improvement to the cycleways, the Parish Council supports the Revised
Development Strategy.

Dear Sir,
LOCAL PLAN REVISED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY:
CONSULTATION 14th JUNE TO 29th JULY 2013
We write in response to the consultation exercise for the Revised Development Strategy for
the emerging Warwick District Local Plan published on 14th June 2013 ("the Revised
Development Strategy"). Old Milverton and Blackdown Joint Parish Council ("the Parish
Council") make comments on this emerging strategy in order to help provide a vision for new
development and shape the District in an appropriate manner that delivers sustainable
development and accords with the national planning policy objectives.
The Parish Council recognises the enormity of the task that faces Warwick District Council
("the Council") in providing new growth whilst balancing environmental, planning and other
objectives. It welcomes a Local Plan that is based on sound principles and robust evidence to
ensure that it provides a solid framework upon which to guide future development.
The Parish Council does not seek to challenge the number of new houses included in the
Revised Development Strategy. We understand that the Council has estimated future housing
need in accordance with guidance issued by the coalition Government and that if the Local
Plan contains too few houses there is a risk that it will be found unsafe at Public Enquiry.
The Parish Council simply asks the Council to keep the housing requirement to a minimum.
A Joint Strategic Housing Needs Analysis is being performed with Coventry City Council.
Should this review identify that it is necessary to increase the housing numbers above those
included in the Revised Development Strategy, the Parish Council believe that there is
sufficient non Green Belt land to accommodate this additional development.
The Parish Council believes that the Preferred Options for the New Local Plan published in
June 2012 do not comply with the National Planning Policy Framework and that as a
consequence a Local Plan based on the Preferred Options would be found unsound at Public
Enquiry. The Parish Council is, therefore, pleased that the Council has recognised that the
Exceptional Circumstances to develop the Green Belt to the North of Leamington do not exist
and that as a consequence the risks of the Local Plan being found unsound at public enquiry
are reduced.
The Parish Council believes that the Green Belt in Old Milverton and Blackdown serves all of
the 5 purposes set out for Green Belt in the National Planning Policy Framework ("NPPF") in
that it:
* prevents the urban sprawl of built up areas from Leamington,
* prevents neighbouring towns (Leamington, Kenilworth and Coventry )from merging,
* protects the country side from encroachment from Leamington,
2 of 3
* preserves the setting and special character of the historic towns of Royal Leamington
Spa, Warwick and Kenilworth; and
* assists urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of urban land.
It is vital to preserve the limited green space between Leamington and Kenilworth. Otherwise
there is a real risk Leamington and Warwick will merge with the West Midlands Conurbation.
The Revised Development Strategy considers Old Milverton to be a "Smaller and Feeder
Village". The population of Old Milverton Parish is small, 319 residents and 119 households
(Source: Office for National Statistics March 2011). Nearly half of the population of Old
Milverton Parish (126 adult residents (source: Electoral Register)) live on a modern housing
estate which we understand will be transferred to Milverton Parish when the Parish
Boundaries are reviewed in 2014. There are probably less than 50 adults living in the
settlement of Old Milverton. Given its small and decreasing size, the Parish Council believes
that Old Milverton should be regarded as a "Very Small Village and Hamlet".
The Parish Council believes that new development should be concentrated where there are
existing employment opportunities and infrastructure to support the development. It also
believes it is essential for new development to be properly planned and controlled, and where
necessary there is adequate investment in new roads and other infrastructure to support that
development.
The Revised Development Strategy proposes that a substantial proportion of the new
development is located close to where there are employment opportunities (to the South of
Leamington & Warwick) providing an opportunity for people to live close to their place of
work, reducing or eliminating commuting for many people, with a consequential positive
impact on the environment and their quality of life. Furthermore there is almost unlimited
green space to the south of Leamington where the nearest town is Banbury.
The Council is to be congratulated for preparing a Revised Development Strategy which,
whilst providing a similar number of new houses for the District, removes the proposal to
build 2,000 houses on the North Leamington Green Belt and, through the better use of
Brownfield sites, results in only 325 further houses on Greenfield land South of Leamington.
The prospect of access to a good local workforce will help to encourage more businesses to
set up and relocate to the area, helping to generate more jobs and prosperity for the local
community.
The Revised Development Strategy provides for improvement to the road network South of
Leamington to relieve the existing congestion and to cater for the new development. It is
important that these road improvements are carried out as part of a coordinated plan. Traffic
surveys show that road improvements can cope with the planned new development and that
locating the majority of the development South of Leamington will reduce traffic movements,
ease congestion and reduce pollution.
The Revised Development Strategy provides for the necessary schools and other infrastructure
to support the new development.
The Revised Development Strategy has a fair distribution of new housing across the District.
16% of the new houses will be in the Green Belt North of Leamington, at Thickthorn and
Lillington. 15% of the proposed development will be in Warwickshire Villages.
Although cycleways are mentioned in each phase of the Revised Development Strategy, detail
is lacking for such a key proposal for components of traffic
management, environmental improvement and recreation. The cycle ways need linking
3 of 3
together and cycleways to larger places of Work and Educational institutions ought to be
detailed and feature prominently.
The outline for the proposed development South of Leamington includes a new country park.
If the country park is sited next to the existing houses with new housing beyond it, the result
would be to make the park more accessible, reduce impact of further development on the
existing houses; it could be crossed by cycle-ways and would act as a green-lung to reduce air
pollution.
Conclusion
For the reasons set out above, with the exception of the classification of Old Milverton as a
"Feeder Village" and improvement to the cycleways, the Parish Council supports the Revised
Development Strategy.