1) Burrow Hill Nursery

Burton Green
I am writing in favour of the Preferred option. Site 1 Burrow Hill Nursery. It will be an excellent site for the position of the new village hall and will provide extra facilities for the school.

However I feel that 70 houses is far to many for that site due to traffic congestion near the school. I would particularly fear the extra traffic should the site for Levan become a reality as this could create around 100 dwellings in that area.

I would therefore suggest that some development takes place at site 2 as this has less visual impact on current residents, has a easier access and would allow some traffic to be spread to the other end of the village.

Further to discussion between Dr Peter Stanworth and my mother Betty Woodward, where he said the late representations could be made from this area, I wish to object to the fill in estate type proposals. Anything other than a small amount of ribbon development will change the character of Burton Green and would go against the principle of the green belt that has protected the village and its atmosphere for many years.
The village is also blighted enough with the threat of Hs2 and some of the proposed developments appear quite close to the proposed route this does not seem sensible to undertake further construction in this affected zone.

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Having carefully studied the proposals for Burton Green Village, I agree that the preferred option No. 1 Burrow Hill Nursery is by far the best option as it will be built on open land having a ready made entrance and will not encroach upon any other properties in the area.
An alternative is to continue with ribbon development as in sites 3 and 4, which is the way the village, has evolved over the years it has been in existence. As there are existing houses opposite these sites, it would be appropriate for this type of development.

I am very much against 'back garden development' as stated in sites 2,5,6 and 7. As it stands at present it is within the green belt and has been appreciated and enjoyed by residents in Burton Green for over fifty years. Should the green belt order be amended it will cause a great deal of anguish, intrusion and most importantly a devaluation of property.

Part C - Commenting on the Indicative Settlement Boundaries.

Burton Green Settlement.

As the Burton Green boundary has been extended down Red Lane almost to Clinton Lane, I fail to understand why this area has not been taken into consideration for housing. It is far enough away from the proposed HS2 railway line and has extensive open countryside.

Burton Green Village Hall Committee would like to express the views below on the consultation:

Village Housing Options

The Village Hall Committee support in principle the need for more housing in Burton Green to ensure there is continued support for the hall and may also ease some of our concerns about people leaving Burton Green because of HS2 which could dramatically affect the number of hall users. However, when first presented the WDC Local Plan proposed 50-80 houses in the village. The latest version the number of proposed properties has grown to 70- 90 properties, which as a committee we feel is too large and do not understand the increase in number. It is also not clear if this number is replacing any houses taken by HS2 or is additional? We therefore feel the number of houses should be on the lower scale but would like to see housing for younger people including starter homes, homes suitable for families and those looking to downsize but stay in the Village which would greatly benefit the Hall and ensure our feed of local users is continued.

Equally the existing nature of the village has to be maintained with any development that takes place to ensure our open aspect and rural views are protected. We therefore believe smaller developments or multiple developments would be preferable to a large estate type of development and the design of any new property should be in keeping with the diverse designs of current property.

Burton Green should also remain a village with an independent identity to ensure Burton Green is not absorbed into Coventry or Solihull.

We are greatly supportive of plans that encompass a new village hall but do strongly suggest the village hall committee is consulted on this which to date has not happened by any of the parties involved in the Local Plan. Our need is for a much larger footprint of land than we have at present to allow a larger more practical new build hall to take place to meet the needs of our users. We also need assurances of sufficient parking space allowance as the current provision is inadequate. Creating recreational and open space next to the new hall site would also be preferable and suggestions of linking this with the school would seem beneficial. Most crucially for the Committee with the threat of HS2 we will need the new hall to be built and fully accessible before any work on HS2 commences and this needs to be taken into consideration in planning applications.

We also have a strong view as the Village Hall Committee that we would also like to be located as near to the nucleus of the village as possible so many of our users could walk to the hall meaning a greater number of more mature residents, particularly those who do not drive, could still be able to use the facility and we could therefore expand our service provision to those people.

We also believe that the impact of the Local Plan, HS2 developments and local needs are considered holistically. As the main public facility within the village we should be given priority in planning any new development.

Greenbelt alignment

The Village Hall Committee has the following comments regarding the realignment of Greenbelt:

As a committee we strongly believe in protecting the rural and open character of the village and would like to see as much greenbelt as possible protected through the Local Plan.

At present there is no real consideration for HS2, any development that is needed to address the housing need arising from HS2 demolitions, including the Village Hall, needs to be completed before HS2 work starts. Also as this plan is for the long term it needs to address land released by HS2 post construction. For example, there should be consideration given to using the land above the tunnel to provide green space, such as community orchards, allotments, skate parks or nature reserves which are some of the suggestions from the Parish Plan.

Regarding the greenbelt realignment we are happy that the majority of the village remains in greenbelt, as this helps maintain the essential rural and open character of the village. We note that the village boundary shows a relaxation of the green belt that includes back gardens. We are therefore concerned that this may lead to planning applications for back garden developments that would be out of character for the village.

In summary, we broadly support the Local Plan but are concerned about:
* The number of properties proposed for the village.
* Getting the location of the new village hall right in terms of being centrally located in the most dense part of the developments
* The Local plan team and developers should consult with the Village Hall Committee as a priority and not make any decisions without our involvement
* Interaction and coordination with HS2 needs to be achieved to ensure the Village Hall gets the best deal possible in terms of increased building footprint, location, sufficient parking to meet our needs and linked facilities such as recreational and green space
* Greenbelt should be protected at all costs

I understand from Peter Stanworth that the deadline for responses to this part of the new local plan consultation has been extended to midnight 24 January.

I have now had the opportunity of reading the local plan report and have a number of comments on the proposals to develop the Burrow Hill Nursery site in Burton Green.

Although I am in favour of some development in the area, and have a personal interest in such, as my family wish to purchase a house in the village if possible (we are currently in rented accommodation), I have a number of reservations about the scale of the proposed development.

The proposed development of 75 new houses would incresae the size of the village by nearly 30%. This seems totally disproportionate and would have a significantly detrimental effect on the character of the area. The village itself and the area around the proposed site particularly is characterised by open landscape and a rural and tranquil setting. Clearly, concentrating 75 new houses in 2.51 ha would be very damaging. The setting is on an elevated position and such a large development would clearly have a significant visual impact on the landscape. It is difficult to understand why this is the preferred location given that other areas, such as along Red Lane have been discounted due to the high landscape impact.

Other concerns due to the size of the development include the impact on services in the area. The access from the development would be on to Red Lane, which is a poor road in particular in relation to the lack of visibility due to the incline and blind bends at the top end of the road, near to the proposed site. As well as the fact that increasing traffic on this road could endanger road users, including cyclists and pedestrians, there is also the extra congestion that would be caused by such a large development on local roads, particularly Cromwell Lane, which suffers significant traffic at rush hour in particular. The consultation document is also misleading in its description of local transport connections. Burton Green is a linear village, and whereas it is true that it is 0.4 miles from Tile Hill station, this is only in relation to the north end of the village; the majority of the dwellings are at a significantly greater distance of up to 1.5 miles. This includes the proposed site and as a result most people who use the rail network use their car to access the station or, as is preferred by many, drive to the mainline station in Coventry.

The proposal also relies on the fact that the village has a school. However, it is a very small village school and does not have the capacity to accommodate a significant increase in the population which it serves, without substantial consequent investment. A significant increase in the size of the school would again have a detrimental impact on the character of the area and its amenities.

Finally, the area of Burton Green currently experiences significant disruption to its water supply with loss of pressure/supply featuring regularly due to the booster being unable to cope. Extra demand on the service would only exacerbate the considerable inconvenience this causes.

Most of these issues would not be a significant problem if the scale of the development proposed was in proportion to the size of the existing village and the amenities it has. A serious review of the proposal needs to be undertaken to ensure that it is a sustainable development and not one that damages the character of the area and the quality of life of its residents. For these reasons, I object to the proposal as it currently stands.

Warwick District Council Local Plan
Village Housing Options and Settlement Boundaries Consultation

We believe the following are important considerations that need to be taken into account when determining the Local Plan for Burton Green.

* The existing nature of the village needs to be maintained at all costs i.e. open aspect, rural views, low density housing.
* Burton Green should remain a village with an independent identity and that Coventry or Solihull developments do not spread into the Parish boundary i.e the 'Crackley Gap' is maintained.
* That the village is enhanced by any future development and that development should add to the long term sustainability of the community; such as a new improved village hall, homes for young families and those looking to down size but remain in Burton Green, improved parking at the school and creating recreational and open spaces.
* That the impact of the Local Plan, HS2 developments and local needs are considered holistically not separately.

We agree that Greenbelt needs to be maintained as much as possible to retain the rural and open aspect of the village. The proposed boundaries look about right, provided it does not allow back garden developments that would be out of character to the rest of the village.

Any new development should be low density and include a mixture of housing to encourage young families to the village and bungalows for elderly residents to down size to.

We believe the preferred site (Burrow Hill Nurseries) is the most suitable location for new development providing it contains a new improved village hall linking it with the school and recreational space - irrespective of HS2 the current hall is running out of capacity and does not have sufficient open space or parking. Also the development should have rural building density not urban levels as presently proposed. 75 houses is too high for the site to retain the rural nature of Burton Green. Also the development should be used as an opportunity to provide an improvement to the pavements in Red Lane which are too narrow and in a poor state of repair, hindering access for Red Lane residents to the centre of the village and school.

In order to spread housing development across the village we believe site 2 (behind the Peeping Tom) would be suitable for a small additional development, we do not however, believe this site is suitable for the village hall as it would move the centre of the village too far towards Coventry and alienate further residents in Hob Lane and Red Lane and potentially set the village on a pathway to joining with Coventry. We would like to see any development creating a new centrally located heart of the village that will make a more cohesive and inclusive environment for all to share including green/play space with links to the school and potential new village hall.

We are aware of a proposal by local land owners for site 7 as presented at the Parish Council meeting 20th January. We believe this to be a wholly unsuitable site. Apart from it being out of character to the village, residents on Hodgetts Lane would be effectively surrounded by HS2 construction to the front of their properties and this construction to the rear, what a miserable position to be in! It also has only a single access point close to the existing junction with Hodgetts Lane, creating difficulties for emergency services and additional congestion around the two junctions.

We do not believe sites 5 & 6 are suitable as they would start to close the 'Crackley Gap'.

We do not believe sites 3 or 4 are suitable as they would be out of character with Red Lane and would be a hazard on the already narrow stretches of Red lane.

Land that will be sterilised until after HS2 construction, e.g the existing village hall site and land above the green tunnel, should be earmarked for new village facilities such as wildlife area, skate park, exercise area etc.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on these proposals.

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Since there seems to be no online system this is my response re Burton Green.

1. The housing should not be all in the preferred area. 75 units is far too dense and would be out of character.
2. WDC should also consider the area off Hodgetts Lane so we move to be more of a separate village and less of a ribbon settlement linked to Coventry.
3. There should be affordable housing in the mix.

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I have tried unsuccessfully to respond using the electronic consultation system. It said it recognises my email address - reason unknown - but I have no password. Hence a response by email.

VILLAGE HOUSING OPTIONS

I am responding to the whole of the document but particularly that part of the Local Plan referring to Burton Green, especially pages 40 and 41.
Page 41 shows a plan of Burton Green with a hatched area across the page. I am told that this corresponds to the proposed track of the HS2 railway. It is not defined in the index. It does not show the portals of the tunnel and the land generated over it.
The following are my opinions:
General
The village at present is in turmoil with the prospect of the construction of the HS2 railway. During the construction phase life is likely to become very unpleasant with disruption in all aspects. It is very unlikely that future residents will wish to move to Burton Green with this in mind. This has not been discussed in the Local Plan.
I suggest that no decision about future housing in Burton Green is taken until the decision has been made to start work on the HS2 project.
Concentration of housing (75 dwellings) in one plot as the preferred option at plot 1 is not acceptable.
* It is inappropriate and out of character with the ribbon development of the village
* It is the highest part of Burton Green and therefore has the most visual impact
* It is not central to the village with only a few houses down one side of the plot
* It will cause major traffic congestion in the Red Lane area (an additional 100+ cars)
* Such a concentration of new residents in one isolated area will result in lack of integration into the village and loss of cohesion as a whole.
* The proposed site will receive the blast of passing trains emerging and entering the south portal of the tunnel should HS2 go ahead.
I do not understood why an expansion of ribbon development is detrimental. The position of the houses in the village is the reason for many people coming to live in Burton Green.

Number of extra houses required.
WDC has proposed an increase of 75 houses. This is an increase of 28% of the housing stock in the village, the largest in Warwickshire. Burton Green has few amenities. It thus seems out of proportion. It seems unreasonable that Ashow for example is not expected to accept more houses.
The number of proposed houses should be much reduced. I would suggest that 60 houses could be readily absorbed throughout the whole village with little disturbance of character (see below).

Suggestions
In my opinion 60 new houses should be spread fairly and equally throughout the village by using plots 1 to 7. Land generated by the HS2 tunnel could well be used to provide a central area for some housing (The HS2 photomontage shows a new house built on the tunnel).
This would:
* Be in keeping with the character of the village
* Produce least visual impact
* Produce least traffic congestion
* Allow integration of new residents more readily into the village
* Would be easily deliverable using a variety of developers
Access has been stated as a problem to some plots. Access is readily obtained by purchasing the necessary property as is already taking place on one plot.
I know the Council is concerned about spread between Coventry and Kenilworth but development on plots 5 and 6 is limited by Lodge Farm and surrounding buildings.
A Village Hall (funding agreed by HS2) and playing fields can be incorporated into any of the plots.
If 5 houses were built on Plot1 along Hob Lane this would provide the connectivity that is mentioned with the remainder of the Lane.
INDICATIVE SETTLEMENT BOUNDARIES
I do not understood why the area shown on the plan does not include the whole of the village in Red Lane. The whole of Red Lane within the village should be included.
The line should be drawn just beyond the building edge to prevent garden development in the gardens.
GENERAL
No plan will satisfy all residents within the village but the above appears a reasonable compromise without a major alteration in the character of the village.

I am responding to the above consultation by email as, despite the consultation period being extended to Friday 24 January, the website consultation process was shut down on 20 January and I am not, therefore able to use that mechanism which would have been my preferred mechanism. Also as a result I have no information on the questions that the council are seeking consultation on and I have therefore responded in a free form fashion.

1. the plans seem to place great emphasis on the fact that the demographics of the rural community are both different from the urban community and have changed over the period 2001-2011. I do not disagree with this but I note that this has been the case since the mid 18th century in England and can not, therefore, be a logical and rationale basis for basing housing proposals on.
2. the plans refer to concerns about the impact of developments on local infrastructure but, certainly for Burton Green, contain no practical proposals to resolve these issues; this increases the likeyhood of development such as that in Balsall Common a few years ago where local medical and dental facilities were overwhelmed and remain wholly inadequate.
3. the plans also refer to the impact on infrastructure, such as roads, drainage and sewage but, again, have no concrete proposals to deal with these issues. For example effectively covering the 2.51 hectare Burrows Nursery site will dramatically increase run off down Red Lane which, as you will be aware from work you had to carry out to alleviate flooding to my property, is already particularly vulnerable to this type of flooding. Additionally, as you will, also be aware from your own traffic statistics, Red Lane is already heavily trafficked (for what should be a rural lane) because of traffic heading for Warwick University and business park and suffers from a high accident rate for such a road. Development such as that proposed would require a complete rebuild and reconfiguration of Red Lane and very substantial related flood alleviation works but this does not seem to be addressed in the proposals.
4. the proposals do, quite correctly in my view, place a considerable value on landscape; unfortunately the proposed development would be on one of the highest points of Burton Green and, consistent with other comments in the overall proposals, this would have a very high landscape value which does not appear to have been factored into the decision to choose this particular site.
5. assuming that the development would be of typical modern build properties, they would be wholly out of character with the rest of the village and the development would be in danger of becoming a ghetto separate from the rest of the village. If there is to be development in Burton Green, which I am not opposed to as a matter of principle (subject to my other comments above), it should be small scale developments in a wide variety of locations in the village to enable new residents to integrate as quickly as possible into the existing community instead of looking at a single site to meet the requirements. This would have the added benefit that those sites currently discarded for access reasons, in particular, could again be suitable development sites.
6.the proposals do mention HS2 in passing but , assuming that this development goes ahead where it is currently planned, it will be very heavily affected during the construction phase and once complete; this alone would call into question, in my mind, its suitability for development.

You will, I am sure, gather from the foregoing that, while, as I say above, not opposed to development in Burton Green per se, the current proposal seems to me to be poorly thought through and wholly unsuitable

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I have read various comments on possible new building in Burton Green.

I represent Westwood Ward, which abuts Burton Green, but never make specific comments on developments in Warwickshire. I hope, however, that any discussion will take into account the effect on my Ward, including over traffic, which is already dangerous, not least in Cromwell Lane and Westwood Heath Road.

I am in constant touch with our excellent West Midlands Police and Coventry City Council planning officers, but the underlying problem is that so many drivers totally ignore the law, driving far above the speed limit, often using mobile telephones, etc.

I assume that any discussion will also take into account new nearby building; Banner Lane; Cromwell Lane; the Warwick University campus, etc. I have also just seen new proposals from Solihull MBC which, if eventually agreed, could add to the mix.

And no doubt the dreaded HS2 will be remembered. I am probably the City Councillor most adamantly opposed, on grounds of destruction of residents' lives, the phenomenal cost, the possibility of technical failure and terrorist attack. I may be at present a voice crying in the wilderness, but that will not stop me crying.

This is copied to some local residents. Best wishes.

Burton Green Parish Council (BGPC) notes the timing of the Local Plan and response date is running out of synch with the work being undertaken by BGPC in developing a Neighbourhood Plan. The Neighbourhood plan will include a full consultation with the community on the potential housing options and the 'planning environment' within Burton Green. As the outcome of the Neighbourhood Plan process will not be delivered until after this Local Plan consultation closes, this response is an interim response based on evidence collected via the Parish Plan and housing Needs Survey's collected in 2013. BGPC will continue to engage with WDC over the Local Plan through the Neighbourhood Plan process and present further evidence following the Neighbourhood plan event in February.

Key themes that arose from the Parish Plan questionnaire were that residents valued the rural location, open views and pleasant location. Residents are also concerned by the impact of HS2 on the sustainability of the village and in particular are concerned that it could drive families away leading to the closure of the school. Most people did not want development at all in the village and those that did preferred schemes which did not intrude on the principles set out below. See extracts from Parish Plan appendix 1 attached.


Taking the above points into account, criteria that the BGPC believe is important to Burton Green:

* The existing nature of the village is maintained i.e. open aspect, rural views, low density housing.
* Burton Green remains a village/independent identity and that Coventry developments do not spread. i.e the 'Crackley Gap' is maintained.
* That the village is enhanced by any future development and that it adds to the long term sustainability of the community; such as a new improved village hall, improving parking at the school and creating recreational and open space.
* That the impact of the Local Plan, HS2 developments and local needs are considered holistically.


To this end we have the following comments:

Theme: Scale of development

Burton Green is a ribbon development consisting of 387 properties. When first presented the WDC Local Plan proposed 50-80 houses in the village, which at the time we considered a significant increase. With the latest version the number of proposed properties has grown to 70- 90 properties, which has an even more significant impact on the village targeting nearly 25% growth, and BGPC has a concern that development of that scale would alter the linear nature of the village as it is unlikely that those properties could be accommodated within the current ribbon development as evidenced by the sites highlighted in the Local Plan document. Also the proposed numbers were to take into account properties destroyed by HS2, current HS2 proposals have a much smaller number of properties impacted than previously thought. Therefore any new developments should be below or at the lower end of the scale proposed.

Theme: Environmental and Character impact

The existing rural and open character of the village needs to be maintained as this is highly prized by current residents. Therefore, maintaining as much as the current greenbelt is paramount, which the Local Plan appears to do.

Within the original Local Plan draft a peri-urban park was proposed, which would have ensured an important green space between Burton Green and Coventry and enhanced the local environment and habitats. We are therefore disappointed that the wildlife corridor plans appear to have been shelved, as we believe it is imperative to retain a green corridor to prevent the urbanisation and the coalescence of settlements and in some way redress the damage of HS2.

As noted above residents favour developments which would help to maintain the character of the village. None of the 7 options considered totally achieve this objective.

However, having heard from representatives in relation to sites numbered 1, 2 and 7 as set out in the Council's Consultative document we can see advantages in site number 1
It could create a new heart for the village by bringing the school, village hall and a village green together whilst avoiding urbanisation with Coventry. It would also alleviate to some degree parking problems associated with the school and the greenway. However we would argue for a smaller development, than the 75 properties proposed. This would ensure low density housing to maintain the rural village nature and minimise the impact on the local views and amenities. Within such a development there is a need for low cost housing to encourage young families to support the school, bungalows to allow elder residents to downsize, and there is an opportunity to provide housing to replace the existing almshouses that are likely to be demolished by HS2. Our main concerns about the preferred site other than the number of properties are the interaction with HS2 construction which will require careful planning and coordination, safe access off Red Lane and sufficient screening off the site and throughout it to maintain the rural feel.

By restricting the number of houses on the preferred site further smaller developments could also be progressed over time if the right land is put forward. Sites 2 and 7 though smaller than any proposed on development site 1 cannot in our view create a village centre, that is a hall, playing field/village green and parking, and provide housing at the same time. We expect to have more information on this following the Neighbourhood Plan consultation.

At present there is no real consideration for HS2, any development that is needed to address the housing need arising from HS2 demolitions, including the Village Hall, needs to be completed before HS2 work starts. Also as this plan is for the long term it needs to address land released by HS2 post construction. For example, there should be consideration given to using the land above the tunnel to provide green space, such as community orchards, allotments, skate parks or nature reserves which are some of the suggestions from the Parish Plan.

In summary, we broadly support the Local Plan but are concerned about:
* The number of properties proposed for the village.
* Getting the development right on the preferred site.
* Interaction and coordination with HS2.
* Capturing Neighbourhood plan input into the process


It is also the view of the Council that within Burton Green the green belt should extend to cover gardens associated with dwellinghouses to deter a development of those gardens on a piecemeal basis.

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