Mod 14 - Policy DS15

We are extremely concerned at the proposals and disagree wholeheartedly with your findings for The EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES required by the National Planning Policy Framework to remove the land North of Milverton from the Green Belt. Having looked into this matter in detail, we have concluded that these "exceptional circumstances" have not been demonstrated by Warwick District Council simply because they do NOT exist.

Firstly, we understand that you have said that the proposed development is to support Coventry City Council's ("CCC") housing need. We do not agree that CCC's housing needs should be satisfied using land as far away from Coventry as Leamington Spa. Leamington Spa is NOT a suburb of Coventry and should not become one. It is a fact that there are sustainable sites closer to Coventry that should be used in preference to the land north of Milverton to reduce unnecessary commuting, inevitable congestion and further road construction.

In practice it is unlikely that people who want to live in Coventry will buy houses on land north of Milverton and therefore we fail to see how this development proposal will support Coventry's housing need.

Secondly, the release of land from the Green Belt requires the "value" of potential sites to the Green Belt to be taken into account and those with the least value to be removed from the Green Belt first. WDC, in cooperation with Coventry City Council, has assessed sites on the edge of Coventry as being of lower Green Belt value than the land north of Milverton but this has been overlooked.

Even if development at Milverton were acceptable as a sustainable location for development, there are other sites with a lower Green Belt value that should be used in preference to the land north of Milverton.

Finally, the beautiful "green lung" between Leamington and Kenilworth will be reduced to less than 1 mile and the picturesque northern gateway to the historic regency town of Royal Leamington Spa will be destroyed forever. By doing so, planners would be allowing Coventry to become a sprawling mass invading the Warwickshire countryside.

Furthermore, highly productive farming land will be lost together with long established wild life habitat.

If this land north of Milverton is released from the Green Belt, the residents of several local towns will be deprived of an area which is highly valued and sustainable for walking, running, cycling, riding, bird watching and is also used by local schools for educational walks. The Public Footpaths across this Green Belt land are used all day, every day and provide a valuable, tranquil area in which to exercise, relax and observe a rich and varied collection of wild animals and birdlife.

Additionally, in our view, the proposed park-and-ride scheme is unsustainable because:

1. The proposed site is too close to Leamington. It would be better if the site was focused on the A46 roundabout with the A452, which could form part of the Thickthorn development and provide for Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth and Warwick University.
2. Much of the traffic using the A452 crosses to the south of Leamington where there are the major employers
3. Shoppers are unlikely to use the park and ride when there is plenty of parking in Leamington

A railway station is not viable because the railway line is in a deep cutting in Old Milverton making construction impractical.

The park and ride scheme seems to me to be unsustainable. There is plenty of parking within Leamington town centre. There will be no dedicated buses - I can not believe that many people will check normal bus times to ensure they arrive at the park and ride in time to catch one. Park and ride schemes appear to take time to establish themselves and my understanding is that not many outside of major cities succeed. There are better sites further away from Milverton - the roundabout of the A46 and A452 would ensure that those coming into Leamington, Kenilworth, Coventry and Warwick University, have the choice to use a park and ride.
More concrete usually means more flooding. Something we are all seeing and experiencing more of. Why add to the issue when there are other ways to ensure the housing quota is met.
The Railway station would be impractical to build. The station at Milverton was closed not that many years ago probably due to lack of use. I have not seen any research as to whether a station is even viable.

I consider that Modification 14 is unsound because:
The EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES required by the National Planning Policy Framework to remove the land North of Milverton from the Green Belt have not been demonstrated by Warwick District Council.
The proposed development is to support Coventry City Council's housing need. There are sustainable sites closer to Coventry that should be used in preference to the land North of Milverton to reduce unnecessary commuting, inevitable congestion and further road construction.
In practice it is unlikely that people who want to live and work in Coventry will buy houses on land North of Milverton andtherefore this development proposal will not support Coventry's housing need.
Precedence for releasing land from the Green Belt requires the "value" of potential sites to the Green Belt to be taken into account and those with the least value to be removed from the Green Belt first. WDC, in cooperation with Coventry City Council, has assessed sites on the edge of Coventry as being of lower Green Belt value. Even if development at Old Milverton was acceptable as a sustainable location for development, there are sites with a lower Green Belt value that should be used in preference to the land north of Milverton.
The "green lung" between Leamington and Kenilworth will be reduced to less than 1 1/2 miles.
The picturesque northern gateway to the historic regency town of Royal Leamington Spa will be destroyed.
Highly productive farming land will be lost together with long established wild life habitat.
The residents of local towns will be deprived of an area which is highly valued and sustainable for walking, running,
cycling, riding, bird watching and is also used by local schools for educational walks.
The proposed park-and-ride scheme is unsustainable because:
 There will be no dedicated buses, so users will have to time visits to coincide with the bus timetable
 The site is too close to Leamington. It would be better if the site was focused on the A46 roundabout
with the A452, which could form part of the Thickthorn development, and provide for Leamington,
Warwick, Kenilworth, Warwick University and potentially Coventry.
 Much of the traffic using the A452 crosses to the south of Leamington where there are the major
employers
 Shoppers are unlikely to use the park and ride when there is plenty of parking in Leamington
 Oxford appears to have the only park and ride scheme in the country which really works and this is
because there is such limited parking in Oxford city centre.
 There are already a lot of car parks in this area of Green Belt with impervious surfaces all of which
reduce the areas ability to absorb rainfall and contribute to flooding
A railway station is unviable because the railway line is in a deep cutting in Old Milverton making construction impractical

The EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES required by the National Planning Policy Framework to remove the land North of Milverton from the Green Belt have not been demonstrated by Warwick District Council.
The proposed development is to support Coventry City Council's housing need. There are sustainable sites closer to Coventry that should be used in preference to the land North of Milverton to reduce unnecessary commuting, inevitable congestion and further road construction.
In practice it is unlikely that people who want to live and work in Coventry will buy houses on land North of Milverton and therefore this development proposal will not support Coventry's housing need.
Precedence for releasing land from the Green Belt requires the "value" of potential sites to the Green Belt to be taken into account and those with the least value to be removed from the Green Belt first. WDC, in cooperation with Coventry City Council, has assessed sites on the edge of Coventry as being of lower Green Belt value. Even if development at Old Milverton was acceptable as a sustainable location for development, there are sites with a lower Green Belt value that should be used in preference to the land north of Milverton.
The "green lung" between Leamington and Kenilworth will be reduced to less than 1 1⁄2 miles.
The picturesque northern gateway to the historic regency town of Royal Leamington Spa will be destroyed.
Highly productive farming land will be lost together with long established wild life habitat.
The residents of local towns will be deprived of an area which is highly valued and sustainable for walking, running, cycling, riding, bird watching and is also used by local schools for educational walks.
The proposed park-and-ride scheme is unsustainable because:
 There will be no dedicated buses, so users will have to time visits to coincide with the bus timetable
 The site is too close to Leamington. It would be better if the site was focused on the A46 roundabout
with the A452, which could form part of the Thickthorn development, and provide for Leamington,
Warwick, Kenilworth, Warwick University and potentially Coventry.
 Much of the traffic using the A452 crosses to the south of Leamington where there are the major
employers
 Shoppers are unlikely to use the park and ride when there is plenty of parking in Leamington
 Oxford appears to have the only park and ride scheme in the country which really works and this is
because there is such limited parking in Oxford city centre.
 There are already a lot of car parks in this area of Green Belt with impervious surfaces all of which
reduce the areas ability to absorb rainfall and contribute to flooding
A railway station is unviable because the railway line is in a deep cutting in Old Milverton making construction impractical

Park & Ride Scheme north of Leamington

Who would use such a scheme? there is plenty of parking already in Leamington, most of the employment is on business parks surrounding the town so where would the buses go to? You would be trying to get people to drive across the town to get a bus back into town, this simply wouldn't work. Where is the evidence that this would be needed and more importantly used? If the extra houses are for Coventry's demand the park and ride scheme is in the wrong location.

EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES required by the National Planning Policy Framework to remove land from the Green Belt have not been demonstrated.
The development is to support Coventry's housing needs. There are sustainable sites closer to Coventry.

Development will not support Coventry's housing need.

Sites on the edge of Coventry are of lower Green Belt value.The green belt between Leamington and Kenilworth will be reduced unacceptably.
Highly productive farming land will be lost together with long established wild life habitat.

The area is highly valued and sustainable for multiple activities,
including being used by local schools for educational purposes.

This land is to be used to support Coventry City Council's housing need.

* The "Exceptional Circumstances" needed to remove this land from the green belt do not exist. There are lower value green belt sites closer to Coventry which on the basis of planning precedent should be used in preference to the land in Old Milverton.

* The idea that Warwick District Council should promote commuting from Old Milverton to Coventry is ill conceived, irresponsible and bad planning.

* In practice people who want to live and work in Coventry will not buy houses in Old Milverton.

WDC have not demonstrated that EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES prevail. This proposed development is ONLY to support Coventry City Councils housing needs and not for the well-being of Leamingtonians. There are parcels of less pristine, less environmentally valuable land nearer Coventry, which will have less impact on those living around them, and would better support Coventry City Council. At present the traffic on Kenilworth Road is horrendous, total congestion - a nightmare for home owners trying to safely enter the traffic flow. There are NO speed cameras, NO traffic calming measures. At night the road is used as a race track. The existing pavement along Kenilworth Road is only 1.5 feet wide in places, difficult even now for pedestrians/cyclists to safely pass. The beauty of the Village of Old Milverton will be forever lost.
How will children from this proposed development safely be able to walk to North Leamington School?.
The beautiful views and incredible wildlife enjoyed by so many will be forever lost.

The new plan addresses housing issues in Coventry, which is not addressing local Warwickshire concerns. The greenbelt land identified is integral to promoting a clean and healthy environment for our future. There is no need for the land to be utilised in this way and not to satisfy a neighbouring council. The amount of houses (how many of which would be social housing?) would change the environment permanently and is not justified. Not to mention the amount of traffic which would further destruct the environment. The park and ride suggestion is a nonsense- there is no justification for this and in practice they are underused and expensive.

I feel the plan is unsound. Firstly, the housing allocation is for Coventry and there have been sites identified by Warwick District Council and Coventry City Council nearer to the City. This site demonstrates poor sustainability for Coventry workers and the idea of a park and ride is unnecessary as there is adequate parking in Leamington already.It has been demonstrated that park and ride systems are poorly used except in areas like Oxford where the parking availability is low. Furthermore, the local infrastructure, i.e. the already congested A452, will not support the added traffic.

Having spent some time reviewing and discussing the Local plan with family,
friends and neighbours I do not think that the exceptional circumstances
required by the National Planning Policy Framework, to remove the land
North of Milverton from the Green Belt, have been sufficiently demonstrated
by Warwick District Council.
My concerns for the plan are around a number of areas;
The housing proposal is to support Coventry City Council housing not
Leamington Spa or even Kenilworth. There are sustainable sites closer to
Coventry, that people who want to work and live near work can access,
rather than unnecessary commuting, increasing already congested access to
and from Leamington Spa, especially around peak times, and increasing road
construction. I also have concerns about increased volume of traffic
through a residential area, creating an increased safety risk for children
of all ages, getting to and from their school or local clubs.I have also been informed that WDC, in co-operation with Coventry City
Council, have assessed sites on the edge of Coventry as being of lower
green belt "value". I am lead to understand that when a Green belt site
is being put forward as a sustainable site, the green belt "value" is taken
into account, therefore surely these lower value green belt areas should be
considered before any development is proposed in the Green belt area north
of Milverton, as has already been done in other counties.
I would also highlight that the modification is unsound as it would result
in "green lung" between Leamington Spa and Kenilworth,to be reduced to only
1 1/2 miles.
I am also devastated to see the irreversible loss to wild life habitats and
highly productive farmland that this proposal would support. I teach young
children and it is getting harder and harder to find environments locally
that can be used to teach our children about wildlife, farming, seasons and
learning about the natural world by merely going on a walk. Alongside this
my family and I love to use the land for recreational walks, bike rides and
talking about nature.
I believe the protection of the Green Belt is
extremely important and I would urge this modification to be reconsidered

Coventry houses for Coventry people.
So why build them on Land North of Milverton adjoining Leamington Spa?
A ridiculous idea from a sustainability view point, specially when other Green Belt Land of lower value nearer Coventry has been assessed jointly by Warwick District Council and Coventry City Council as been suitable for development.
A Park and Ride on Land North of Milverton would be badly positioned.
Leamington has adequate parking.

I live in Kenilworth and regularly travel to Leamington. The road is horribly congested from early morning and later in the afternoon, but at least the journey is attractive with fields around and Leamington and Kenilworth are separate towns. Building along this route would spoil agricultural land and wildlife habitats.

I would not use a park and ride as I never have a problem parking in Leamington.

I can't understand why WDC would consider building houses for Coventry right on the edge of Leamington.This demonstrates extremely poor sustainability and will add to the congestion

I consider that Modification 14 - Allocation of land north of Milverton for development is unsound for the following reasons:
1. The EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES required by the National Planning Policy Framework to remove the land North of Milverton from the Green Belt have not been demonstrated by Warwick District Council.
2. Development is to support Coventry City Council's housing need. There are sites closer to Coventry more suitable considering infrastructure and damage/reclassification of Green Belt
3. The location of the proposed site is unlikely to attract people who want to live and work in Coventry. This will effectively result in housing not supporting Coventry's housing need.
4. There are more suitable green belt sites on the edge of Coventry considering 'value' of potential sites as assessed and determined by WDC in cooperation with Coventry City Council.
5. The Green Belt in question would effectively be reduced to less than 1 1/2 miles between Leamington and Kenilworth
6. The beautiful village of Old Milverton would now be integrated into Leamington Spa should the Green Belt be removed
7. From my experience the land is successfully farmed and this would be lost
8. From experience there is an abundance of wildlife in this area of Green Belt which would be lost
9. I personally, as do many other people in the area, regularly use this area of Green Belt for walking with my family and recreational purposes and as such consider it a valuable asset to the local community which is at risk of being lost.
10. The proposed park and ride scheme is unsustainable because:
a. There will be no dedicated buses so it would have to work with the bus timetable
b. The site is too close to Leamington Spa to provide the congestion relief a park-and-ride is supposed to achieve. Located a park-and-ride within a high congestion area makes no sense at all and suggests a badly thought out strategy
c. The more suitable infrastructure and major employers are located to the south of Leamington
d. I have lived and worked in Oxford and there the park-and-ride scheme is successful because there is no alternative but to use it due to parking and vehicle restrictions within the city. This is not planned for Leamington so the logic behind the scheme would appear to be lacking
e. The very action of destroying valuable green belt to provide car parking is illogical. Isn't one of the very reasons behind a park-and-ride scheme to protect the natural amenities, i.e. Green Belt, supporting local communities?
A railway station is not viable as the existing line is in a deep cutting in Old Milverton.

EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES required by the National Planning Policy
Framework to remove land from the Green Belt have not been demonstrated.
The development is to support Coventry's housing needs. There are
sustainable sites closer to Coventry.
Development will not support Coventry's housing need.
Sites on the edge of Coventry are of lower Green Belt value.
The 'green lung' between Leamington and Kenilworth will be reduced unacceptably.
Highly productive farming land will be lost together with long established wild life habitat.
The area is highly valued and sustainable for multiple activities, including being used by local schools for educational purposes.

An early report by WS Atkins and the DETR (published September 1998) studied the effects of Park and Ride systems in eight towns and cities, including Coventry. It showed that (at that time) the Coventry Park and Ride scheme called for a subsidy of £5.87 per intercepted car. Other reports indicate that the majority of permanent park and ride schemes have to be supported by funding from the local authority.
Whether Park and Ride will work is a highly complex question. The most successful applications seems to have been in historical cities, Oxford being the shining example of a successful Park and Ride scheme. Even there the scheme suffered financial difficulty in its early stages. According to a Loughborough University Survey (published 2008) its survival "can be attributed to some degree to the "strength of political will" in terms of financial support and a determination to succeed, which allowed the scheme to survive through an infancy of low patronage.... Policy-makers saw Park and Ride in Oxford as a component within a portfolio of measures that included bus priority, pedestrianisation and central parking controls".
The Loughborough survey concludes that, "for Park and Ride to be successful, it should be implemented in tandem with other supply-side measures and alongside sufficiently rigorous restraint instruments. ... Park and Ride should not be viewed as a standalone measure. It should be implemented as a component alongside an effective package of restraint measures on car use."
The present proposal to introduce Park and Ride for Leamington includes none of these, nor any assessment of the financial implications to the town to get it established. Without these and the assurance that they would be acceptable, it is too easy to think of reasons why it will fail and the proposal should not be in the Plan.

The plan is ill thought and not taken into considerations the existing environment for current residents .
How many people will use a park and ride!!!! Leamington town center is dying due to change in buying trends. Just look how many shops are vacant.

Exceptional circumstances required for removal of Land north of Milverton H44 have not been demonstrated by WDC.
Development in Milverton should not be used to support Coventry's housing need. There are better options closer at hand.
Sites with a lower green belt value are available in more appropriate locations which should be used in preference.
The green lung between Kenilworth and Leamington will be reduced to less than 1.5 miles.
Residents of the local towns will be deprived of an area which is highly valued, sustainable, safe and accessible for walking, running, cycling and riding, and supports wildlife activities for local residents and schoolchildren.

The building of a Park and ride is unnecessary and wouldn't be used as there is always enough parking in Leamington.These systems are vast empty carparks serving to undermine the the water drainage system and contribute to flooding in a low lying area of land.

There is no need for ANOTHER railway station between Kenilworth and Leamington, which are 5 minutes apart on a train as it is.

I question the sustainability issues of building houses for Coventry around Leamington.

An early report by WS Atkins and the DETR (published September 1998) studied the effects of Park and Ride systems in eight towns and cities, including Coventry. It showed that (at that time) the Coventry Park and Ride scheme called for a subsidy of £5.87 per intercepted car. Other reports indicate that the majority of permanent park and ride schemes have to be supported by funding from the local authority.
Whether Park and Ride will work is a highly complex question. The most successful applications seems to have been in historical cities, Oxford being the shining example of a successful Park and Ride scheme. Even there the scheme suffered financial difficulty in its early stages. According to a Loughborough University Survey (published 2008) its survival "can be attributed to some degree to the "strength of political will" in terms of financial support and a determination to succeed, which allowed the scheme to survive through an infancy of low patronage.... Policy-makers saw Park and Ride in Oxford as a component within a portfolio of measures that included bus priority, pedestrianisation and central parking controls".
The Loughborough survey concludes that, "for Park and Ride to be successful, it should be implemented in tandem with other supply-side measures and alongside sufficiently rigorous restraint instruments. ... Park and Ride should not be viewed as a standalone measure. It should be implemented as a component alongside an effective package of restraint measures on car use."
The present proposal to introduce Park and Ride for Leamington includes none of these, nor any assessment of the financial implications to the town to get it established. Without these and the assurance that they would be acceptable, it is too easy to think of reasons why it will fail and the proposal should not be in the Plan.

The reference of a search for a park-and-ride location indicates that WDC has not investigated the success and factors required to bring success, of other existing schemes.
Oxford park and ride is 1/4 mile from the A34 and is very well used because of that and because Oxford has almost no parking. Stratford south park and ride is almost empty most of the time. Who will use park-and-ride in Milverton when there is ample parking in Leamington?

Further to my previous objection I wish to raise 2 further points
Why has the redevelopment of the site of the old North Leamington school not been included in this plan as this area would surely added 90-120 homes?
And as the council seems intent on selling the current HQ which according to last weeks Observer would add a further 100 homes?

The same article also talks about the redevelopment of Covent Garden car park to provide 650 spaces (+104 space) allowing Chandos (146 spaces) redeveloped as providing sufficient parking going forward so why do we need a park and ride?

The EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES required by the National Planning Policy Framework to remove the land North of Milverton from the Green Belt have not been demonstrated by Warwick District Council.
The proposed development is to support Coventry City Council's housing need. There are sustainable sites closer to Coventry that should be used in preference to the land North of Milverton to reduce unnecessary commuting, inevitable congestion and further road construction.
In practice it is unlikely that people who want to live and work in Coventry will buy houses on land North of Milverton and therefore this development proposal will not support Coventry's housing need.
Precedence for releasing land from the Green Belt requires the "value" of potential sites to the Green Belt to be taken into account and those with the least value to be removed from the Green Belt first. WDC, in cooperation with Coventry City Council, has assessed sites on the edge of Coventry as being of lower Green Belt value. Even if development at Old Milverton was acceptable as a sustainable location for development, there are sites with a lower Green Belt value that should be used in preference to the land north of Milverton.
The "green lung" between Leamington and Kenilworth will be reduced to less than 1 1/2 miles.
The picturesque northern gateway to the historic regency town of Royal Leamington Spa will be destroyed.
Highly productive farming land will be lost together with long established wild life habitat.
The residents of local towns will be deprived of an area which is highly valued and sustainable for walking, running, cycling, riding, bird watching and is also used by local schools for educational walks.
The proposed park-and-ride scheme is unsustainable because:
 There will be no dedicated buses, so users will have to time visits to coincide with the bus timetable
 The site is too close to Leamington. It would be better if the site was focused on the A46 roundabout with the A452, which could form part of the Thickthorn development, and provide for Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth, Warwick University and potentially Coventry.
 Much of the traffic using the A452 crosses to the south of Leamington where there are the major employers
 Shoppers are unlikely to use the park and ride when there is plenty of parking in Leamington
 Oxford appears to have the only park and ride scheme in the country which really works and this is because there is such limited parking in Oxford city centre.
 There are already a lot of car parks in this area of Green Belt with impervious surfaces all of which reduce the areas ability to absorb rainfall and contribute to flooding
A railway station is unviable because the railway line is in a deep cutting in Old Milverton making construction impractical

Modification: Allocation of land north of Milverton for development
Mod Number: 14
Paragraph Number: Policy DS15
Mod. Policies Map Number: H44

I believe that Modification 14 is unsound because the exceptional circumstances required by the National Planning Policy Framework to remove the land North of Milverton from the Green Belt have not been demonstrated by Warwick District Council.
The proposed development is to support Coventry City Council's housing need. There are sustainable sites closer to Coventry that should be used in preference to the land North of Milverton to reduce unnecessary commuting, congestion and further road construction.
In practice it is unlikely that people who want to live and work in Coventry will buy houses on land North of Milverton and therefore this development proposal will not support Coventry's housing need.

The proposed park-and-ride scheme at Land North of Milverton is unsustainable because:
 There will be no dedicated buses, so users will have to time visits to coincide with the bus timetable
 The site is too close to Leamington. It would be better if the site was focused on the A46 roundabout
with the A452, which could form part of the Thickthorn development, and provide for Leamington,
Warwick, Kenilworth, Warwick University and potentially Coventry.
 Much of the traffic using the A452 crosses to the south of Leamington where there are the major
employers
 Shoppers are unlikely to use the park and ride when there is plenty of parking in Leamington
 Oxford appears to have the only park and ride scheme in the country which really works and this is
because there is such limited parking in Oxford city centre.
 There are already a lot of car parks in this area of Green Belt with impervious surfaces all of which
reduce the areas ability to absorb rainfall and contribute to flooding

see attachment

Any decision to lift Green Belt status on this land and agree planning permission for 425+ homes, initially with more in the future, allied to additional development in Burton Green & Cromwell Lane would be highly irresponsible unless and until substantial new provision was made to accommodate the increase traffic that would result.

Any policy makers should first visit the area and witness the traffic queues that already arise along Westwood Heath Road from Cromwell Lane to Kirby Corner roundabout on weekdays mornings as traffic attempts to access:
* Westwood Business Park
* Cannon Park and the A45
* Warwick University and the Kenilworth Road / A46
Likewise in the evenings, queues form back from Cromwell Lane down Westwood Heath Road as people make journeys back to Balsall Common, Kenilworth or Tile Hill.

You should fully take into account that the road across the University of Warwick campus is now restricted to 20 mph and the frequent stops made buses dropping up 80+ plus students at a time cause tail backs not only along Westwood Heath Road but back up to Cannon Park and the A45.

An alternative access route from Westwood to Kenilworth along Crackley Lane, which is already used a 'rat run' to avoid the University Campus is highly unsuited to an increase in traffic and already dangerous to both vehicular traffic and especially cyclists, due it's narrowness, sharp blind corners, and extensive pot holes especially along the verges that cause cyclists and vehicles to utilise the middle of road resulting in close misses, as I am frequently aware of as both a cyclist and driver.

Any development at Westwood would surely require the widening of Crackley Lane as an absolute minimum.

I would also suggest that the route across Warwick campus would need to be re-considered, removing the 20 mph limit, erecting barriers to protect pedestrians and construction walkways across the road instead of having students walking out in front of vehicles as they do today.

The University also now propose a new Sports complex near Kirby Corner which in itself will result in more traffic in the local area.

Furthermore you should be aware of the frequent instances of 'unlit' student cyclists around Westwood Heath, which would become even more of a danger with a rise in traffic. You may refer to the Police Liaison Team at the University to validate that issue / concern.

Finally I would invite the planners to visit the Banner brook development in Coventry and the surrounding roads where the Massey Ferguson plant once existed, on any weekday morning or evening to witness and experience the traffic congestion that has arisen following a similar large scale housing development with no foresight or appreciation of the impact on local traffic and residents. If residents aren't away from their properties by around 8 am and travelling to Westwood Park / Warwick Uni they might as well stay at home until past 9 am, or sit in a queue for an hour. The same fate would face residents of Westwood and Burton Green.

Yes we are told that new homes are required, but great thought and consideration as the infrastructure required to support such developments must be undertaken.

I wish to object to the new local plan on the following basis
1. The proposed modifications may address the shortcomings of the local plan which were identified by the Inspector in his letter dated June 2015 which followed his examination dealing primarily with the numbers of houses to be provided in the new plan. That examination did not deal with many other aspects of the plan to which objections were submitted, and the new plan does nothing to address these shortcomings which alone may be considered significant enough to make the plan unsound. Therefore, the original objections still stand and must not be omitted from any further examination of the plan.
2. The unaffordable transport proposals on which the plan was based were subject to serious objections as they were unworkable. The impact of the new development areas (including those permitted under recent planning consents) on transport plans has not been satisfactorily explained or exposed to public scrutiny and, hence, must still be regarded as unsound.
3. The inspector into the appeal against the proposed development at the Asps agreed the importance of ensuring there should be no new development adjoining the Banbury Road on the southern approach to Warwick because of its potential impact on the settings of the Grade 1 listed Warwick Castle Park, the Grade 1 listed Warwick Castle and the Warwick Conservation Area. In the event, the development was permitted by the Secretary of State who, despite accepting the Inspector's view of the importance of these factors, agreed to the development on the basis, principally, that (in the absence of an adopted local plan) satisfying the predicted demand for housing should take precedence. Now, however, the anticipated demand for housing can be met within the new plan and there is the opportunity to plan to safeguard the remaining important open areas from development. For this reason we object to the allocation for housing of the land west of Banbury Road and at the northern end of Gallows Hill, known as "The Strawberry Field." - which would be even more damaging and much of which is, in any case, liable to flooding.

I am writing to register my vehement opposition to Warwick District Council's proposed removal of the land north of Milverton from the green belt and development plans in the immediate area as sited in modifications 14 and 16(Policy DS15). As a long standing resident and tax payer of North Leamington I am proud to have such a special area of protected land in the green belt area around Milverton and Old Milverton and as a member of the congregation of St.James church in Old Milverton I find the peace and serenity to worship in such a setting a true blessing. As a keen nature lover I regularly frequent the village and surrounding fields in my free time for walking,bird watching and enjoying the beauty held there as I know many other individuals,families and school groups alike do. The land is also a site of highly productive farming and a long established wildlife habitat which we should all fight to preserve. Development would forever spoiling village life for those who have long lived and visited there . I do not believe that developing this land to produce housing would prove desirable or practical to provide the housing needs of those who want to live and work in Coventry and,if developed,the damage to this beauty and habitat would be irrevocable. I do not believe that the 'exceptional circumstances' required to remove the land north of Milverton from the Green Belt has been demonstrated by Warwick District Council and I feel that other sites assessed by WDC and Coventry City Council of a lower Green Belt value on the edge of Coventry would be not only wiser in terms of the lesser environmental and recreational value but also more practical in their proximity to Coventry,reducing the need for unnecessary commuting,inevitable congestion of an already heavily travelled route . Surely those sites with a lower Green Belt value should be used in preference to that North of Milverton! The green lung between Leamington and Kenilworth would be reduced to 1 1/2 miles were development be allowed and the picturesque northern gateway to regency Leamington Spa would be lost to urban sprawl.
In regards to the proposed park and ride scheme I believe that this would be unsustainable as there are no dedicated buses planned so users would have to time visits to coincide with the bus timetable,something which regular commuters would be less likely to do than casual visitors and the site planned is too close to Leamington and would create further gridlock near the town. It would be better sited near the A46 roundabout with the A452,which could form part of the Thickthorn Development,and provide for Leamington,Warwick,Kenilworth,Warwick University and,potentially Coventry. Much of the traffic using the A452 crosses to the south of Leamington where there are major employers. I also believe that shoppers are unlikely to use the park and ride scheme when there is plenty of existing parking in and around Leamington. Furthermore,there are already numerous car parks in the proposed area of Green Belt with impervious surfaces,all of which reduce the area's ability to absorb rainfall and contribute to flooding,something which is already a regular occurrence in heavy rainfall.
I cannot convey strongly enough my opposition to the proposed plans,both on a practical and emotional basis and hope that Warwick District Council will heed the views of its residents before making the mistake of causing irrevocable change and damage. Thank you for your consideration of my views.

Modification:Removal of land north of Milverton from the Green Belt

Mod Number: 16

Paragraph Number: 2.81

Mod. Policies Map Number: H44

Modification: Allocation of land north of Milverton for development
Modification: No 14-
Para: Policy DS15
Mod. Policies Map Number: H44

I have read the proposals in the WDC Draft Local Plan and would like to express my concerns and objections.


I would like to register a formal objection to the removal of land from the Green Belt north of Milverton, and the proposed building of 250 houses and park-and-ride scheme, followed by a further 1100 houses, railway station and commercial property within 5 years.

I believe that we must provide additional housing in South Warwickshire, but It is preposterous that this green belt land should be used to support Coventry City's housing need, and I cannot believe that this is sustainable.

Traffic congestion in the Leamington/Warwick area is already an enormous problem and whilst the suggestion of Park and Ride facilities are put forward I do not believe that residents of the proposed area will want to use the facility to travel into Coventry, and will certainly not use it for trips into Leamington Spa. They will use their cars.

The "Exceptional Circumstances" needed to remove this land from the green belt do not exist. There are lesser value sites closer to Coventry which on the basis of planning precedent should be used in preference to the land in Old Milverton. It is very far fetched to suggest that people living and working in Coventry will be interested in buying houses and living in Old Milverton.