5) Informal car park, Warwickshire Golf and Country Club

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As residents of Leek Wootton (Tremayne, Hill Wootton Road) we make the following comments related to the new local plan proposals:-

* The insetting of the villager settlement boundary is not appropriate as it could encourage over-development or excessive 'infilling' in the future. The village should not lose its Green Belt status as surely this gives some control of future development and growth options.

* The increase of village dwellings by 22% appears too high compared with other villages.

* Preferred sites 2 and 3 are far too small to accommodate the proposed dwellings unless, of course, high density housing is being proposed.

* Developing preferred sites 1, 2, 3 and 4 will give major access problems. With a very poor bus service (one an hour) most residents will require cars. Official estimates of 6 vehicular movements per day per dwelling could amount to 380 movements down a single narrow lane to an extremely dangerous junction by the Anchor public house every single day.

* The high proportion of affordable housing in the proposal (40 %?) would suggest an additional number of children of primary school age. The school is currently full. Has any consideration been made of extra classrooms and facilities? Also car parking which is a big problem especially if proposed site 5 is developed. (There is an unofficial arrangement for the parents to use this car park to transport children 'safely' to and from school).

* The village does not have a good range of services and facilities. It does have a primary school, church, public house and a village hall. But having no shop, apart from a wool shop and massage clinic can hardly be described as a good range of facilities.

* The hourly bus service can hardly be described as good accessibility to public transport. The possible reliance on this limited service by a large number of new residents, in affordable housing, would give major problems.

We know that additional housing should be provided in the village but bearing in mind the above points, we feel that the proposed scale is far too large for the village to sustain.

PART B - COMMENTING ON THE VILLAGE HOUSING OPTIONS

LEEK WOOTTON -Page 54 & 55

OBJECTION -1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Preferred options

* VERY BITTY PREFERRED OPTIONS -why leave the police playing field out of the option?
*
* MANY OTHER ITEMS TO CONSIDER - SEWERAGE, ROADS, PATHS, TRAFFIC, ETC.
*
* WOODCOTE & IT'S GROUNDS WOULD BE SPOILT
*
* POLICE AUTHORITY IN CHARGE OF SELLING OFF THEIR LAND HAVE CHANGED THE PLANS MANY TIMES OVER A LONG PERIOD. I'm sure the millions could be found to move the communications building.
*
It would be good to go with the planning consent and make that a retirement area.


SUPPORT

* THAT WE HAVE TO BUILD HOUSES IN LEEK WOOTTON AS ORDERED BY GOVERNMENT NATIONAL & LOCAL
SO

* I WOULD SUPPORT BUILDING ON DISCOUNTED OPTION 7 ONLY



We came to Leek Wootton 40 years ago and at that time developers had started to build about 90 properties to add to the small development of Tidmarsh Road & The Hamlet, expanding The Hamlet to include Croft Road and The Meadows.

I agree we do not want houses to join up with Kenilworth, we would lose our village status & identity.

Building houses at Discounted Option 7 would be more suitable and looking at the map appear a preferable area for construction, it would be a more balanced view.

LOCAL PLAN - LEEK WOOTTON -Page 54 & 55

PART C - COMMENTING ON THE INDICATIVE SETTLEMENT BOUNDARIES

I FAIL TO SEE WHY SO MANY OF THE PROPERTIES HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED

IF DISCOUTED OPTION 7 WERE INCLUDED FOR HOUSING IT WOULD MAKE A FAR MORE BALANCED VIEW OF OUR VILLAGE.

IN ITS PRESENT FORMAT POLICE HQ STANDS OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB!

I agree, in the main, with the Warwick District Council Local Plan, with respect to my own village, Leek Wootton, with the following exceptions:-
1. The number of additional dwellings proposed is very substantial, in comparison with the existing number of houses in the village of Leek Wootton, and whilst this is a not unreasonable target over a ten year period, the building of more than 15 houses in a single calendar year would have a very negative effective on the 'balance'; physical and social; of the village and I would therefore recommend this limit.
2. There is a substantial need for social housing in the village and I would suggest that Warwickshire District council insist that any developer building in the village must provide the Warwick district council section 106 target of 20%.
3. The document produced to not specifically identify that the building of ANY additional housing stock in the Village of Leek Wootton will require investment in the existing infrastructure to deal with access, this is especially the case for construction taking place to the west of the Warwick road. I would respectively suggest that the access/transportation infrastructure be agree before any new build works commence and that the costs of the necessary improvement be apportioned across all the new builds. This will culminate in appropriate infrastructure being in place once the large number of additional dwellings has be constructed without the burden of cost being undertaken by the Council. Specifically:- (a) Woodcote Lane/Warwick Road Junction requires traffic Lights, with a crossing point, and a safe crossing point for pedestrians on Woodcote Lane approaching this junction and (b) A cycle path between Leek Wootton and Kenilworth is required. There is plenty of physical space to build one. This is already required for the students attending Kenilworth Schools for the Village as the road is very narrow and this would provide a safe/health/environmentally friendly way for young people to attend school.

- This 'informal carpark' area provides a much needed overspill car park for the school. Clearly the parking arrangements at the school are inadequate and without this area, lives will be at risk as parents are forced to park there vehicles on the main road through Leek Wootton. This would prevent a serious safety to both pedestrians and other road users.

- The area also provides additional carparking for the church and visitors to the village, wanting to enjoy the area surrounding Leek Wootton. Without an area to park, the numbers of walkers and visitors are likely to decline.

I wish to STRONGLY OBJECT to the proposed 75 dwellings on the Woodcote Estate, formerly the Warwickshire Police Headquarters.

The Woodcote Estate and Grade 2 listed Manor House.

I understand that the Warwickshire Police have now withdrawn areas 2 and 4 and have submitted a SHLAA on 26th November 2013 for 90 dwellings on 5.24Ha which comprises area 1 and land currently used as a playing field. They also wish to still include area 3 for dwellings.

Both the local plan scheme and the subsequent SHLAA within the grounds of the Woodcote Estate will remove parkland, playing fields and encroach on the grade 2 listed building Woodcote House.

The Woodcote Estate is currently a locally listed historic park and garden. In January 2012 a tree preservation order (TPO448) was placed on the whole Woodcote estate. During correspondence with WDC in a letter dated 31st January 2012 from Chris Hastie (representing WDC tree subcommittee) he refers to "the historic landscape that forms the setting of the Grade 2 listed building" and that Broome House "is clearly connected both visually and historically with Woodcote and continue to form part of the landscape setting of Woodcote" He also confirmed that the whole estate is a locally listed Parkland and Garden.

If as recently as 2012 WDC policy was that the Woodcote Estate needed protecting why do WDC now consider 75 dwellings, or possibly 90 dwellings, on the estate acceptable? A clear decision was made and for consistency WDC should discount areas 1-4 and reject the latest SHLAA for 90 dwellings.


Existing Planning Consents on the Woodcote Estate.

Currently Warwickshire police have existing planning consents for a variety of schemes within the Woodcote Estate. The main permissions being modifications to the "Communications Building" REF W/12/0688, and the redevelopment of existing buildings, including the grade 2 listed Woodcote Manor House, to create a Care Home Village REF W/11/1166.

From the planning statement supporting W/11/1166 this scheme would potentially create a 60 bed nursing home, 65 close care apartments/cottages and 9 care ready cottages. Add to this the suggested Local Plan options 1-4 and/or the Police SHLAA the Woodcote estate would all but disappear with potentially in excess of 150 dwellings with a small open area between the SHLAA development and the Care Village. This is clearly over development, will have a major impact on the immediate area, village infrastructure and should not be allowed.

It would appear Warwickshire Police at the moment are unable to make any definite decisions on how they intend to proceed with these consented applications. Uncertainty has been ongoing from early 2011 when the intension to dispose of the Woodcote Estate was first announced by the Chief Constable. Now with the potential merger with West Mercia, and the added complications to any decision process this adds, it seems unlikely any decision will be made in the near future.

Until such time as Warwickshire Police can confirm their intentions with the whole of the Woodcote Estate it should be removed from the local plan. When they can make a decision it should be put forward to the planners for consideration by a planning application.

Access to proposed development.

The main access to Woodcote is via Woodcote Drive with a tree lined secondary single track service entrance by North Lodge. Both are part of the estate and un-adopted. The only other access, possibly via a new entrance off Woodcote Lane, is not possible as adequate visibility splays are not available (as set out in site appraisal preferred option 1 appendix 6). It would also have a high landscape impact as would the whole development.

The current preferred option sites 1-4 and the SHLAA would therefore have to be accessed via Woodcote Drive and is shown as the primary access on the page 55 of the Local Plan publication. If sites 1-4 and/or the SHLAA area are allowed, the Care Village built and the Police Communications Centre stay Woodcote Drive could potentially have in excess of 1000 traffic movements per day. With just 75 new dwellings and the existing 14 residential properties based on 7 movements per dwelling per day movements of 600+ could occur, many concentrated around rush hour.


This is clearly not possible or acceptable for reasons listed here:

* Woodcote Drive is barely wide enough for two cars to pass (4.5m wide at most) and has no footpath. Assuming new residents would have children wishing to walk to the village school a footpath would have to be provided which is not possible due to the proximity of mature trees with a TPO. This would also have a major impact on the main entrance to Woodcote and the Manor House.
* Several concealed driveways already exist.
* The existing main decorative gate on Woodcote Lane is 3.1m wide. Is in the village conservation area and probably listed being within the curtilage of a Grade 2 listed building.


Impact on surrounding area and Woodcote Lane.

The junction of Woodcote Lane and Warwick Road is considered by Leek Wootton residents as very dangerous. By some, the site of a fatal accident waiting to happen. Even with the recent introduction of improved speed restriction signage vehicles still speed through the village and near misses happen on a regular basis. Any attempt to turn in the direction of Warwick is taken in trepidation.

Any development that increases traffic at the junction will increase the possibility of accidents occurring.

Woodcote Lane narrows by the Anchor pub and it is difficult for cars to pass safely and impossible if commercial vehicles meet requiring them to mount the narrow footpath to pass. It is impossible for any widening of the road or footpaths to take place at this point due to the proximity of buildings, most of which are listed.

Woodcote Lane heading towards Rouncil Lane is in a poor state of repair and has been for many years. The narrow bridge is also a cause for concern as is again, the lack of footpaths and lighting.


Conclusion.

For these many reasons I strongly oppose the proposed development of the Woodcote Estate and suggest that sites with better access and smaller impact would be the way forward. For example, option 5 and discounted option 7, land at the Warwickshire Golf Club entrance, has excellent access, is close to the school and would have no more impact visually than the Woodcote development from Woodcote Lane. Probably a high proportion of traffic from here would not come through the village and head to the A46 Warwick bypass. This site could take a large proportion of the suggested required allocation of dwellings for Leek Wootton and I would support its inclusion in the local plan and subsequent development.

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