Publication Draft

Comment

Representation ID: 6929

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Bishops Tachbrook Parish Council

Town Centres
The Parish Council does not think that the Council has identified all reasonable options. Contrary to the approach taken in the development of the Preferred Option Paper for housing and employment land, there is no strategy provided as to how the town centres should evolve over the term. There is conflict between development of town centres to promote their vitality and viability and conservation desire to maintain the centres as they were. Conservation should be reserved for buildings or areas which are good examples of their kind and need refurbishment to keep them economically viable but not where to do so would impair the vitality and attractiveness that could otherwise be achieved. This is a particular problem in Leamington and Warwick which is made more difficult by the mixing of traffic with shops, arising from the town layout designed before the invention of motor vehicles. Resolving this issue needs a bold strategy to change current principles.
If 45,000 sq m is said to be required for office floorspace within or on the edge of Leamington town centre, has the need for the 4,500 or so jobs that would arise to fill that area been identified in terms of businesses looking to open or expand in this location? It could only work if adequate roads for the traffic generated and the parking that is essential for workers and customers is created to attract businesses into the town.
The Parish Council does not think that the Council has correctly determined the hierarchy of the town centres. The strategy for Leamington town centre needs to be clearer on its approach to dealing with the underperformance and should set out the options more clearly for sites for retail development. The underuse of shops in Leamington and Warwick may well arise from the introduction of internet shopping as well as impediments to customers from poor parking arrangements and charges. Before any ambitious plans are embarked on, customer satisfaction studies need to establish whether any new developments can be sustained.

Object

Representation ID: 6930

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Bishops Tachbrook Parish Council

Tourism
The Parish Council don‟t believe that the Council has identified all the reasonable alternatives. With tourism being such an important part of the local economy and yet with significant untapped potential, The Parish Council is very concerned that the limit of the recommendations within the core strategy document is the proposal to protect tourist accommodation. To support tourism it is essential to keep and enhance the Warwickshire countryside. Although the historic parts are important, the rolling landscape is totally attractive including the way that it rolls up to the sharp change at urban boundaries. To allow Leamington to sprawl southwards and spoil views from Warwick Castle Towers will not enhance the visitor experience.
With respect to the Preferred Option, the Parish Council is disappointed that this is the only strategy being proposed.

Object

Representation ID: 6931

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Bishops Tachbrook Parish Council

Tourism
The Parish Council don‟t believe that the Council has identified all the reasonable alternatives. With tourism being such an important part of the local economy and yet with significant untapped potential, The Parish Council is very concerned that the limit of the recommendations within the core strategy document is the proposal to protect tourist accommodation. To support tourism it is essential to keep and enhance the Warwickshire countryside. Although the historic parts are important, the rolling landscape is totally attractive including the way that it rolls up to the sharp change at urban boundaries. To allow Leamington to sprawl southwards and spoil views from Warwick Castle Towers will not enhance the visitor experience.
With respect to the Preferred Option, the Parish Council is disappointed that this is the only strategy being proposed.

Comment

Representation ID: 6932

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Bishops Tachbrook Parish Council

Regeneration
The Parish Council believes that there has been insufficient focus on our deprived areas. The preferred option document seems to be saying that "we don‟t know what to do about it and really we are not particularly concerned". Development of community facilities, educational resources, starter business units, attractive locations and better housing mixes, including comprehensive redevelopment of poorly served areas could well be brought into the mix.

Object

Representation ID: 6933

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Bishops Tachbrook Parish Council

The Parish Council objects to the Preferred Option for Regeneration. Significantly more definition needs to be given to developing a strategy to deal with deprived areas. Further detail needs to be given on the possibilities for linking regeneration with the requirement to meet new housing and employment allocations.

Comment

Representation ID: 6934

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Bishops Tachbrook Parish Council

Rural Communities
The Preferred Options Paper should be more prescriptive in it‟s dealing with employment and in particular with the diversification of activities undertaken within the farming communities. We wonder how rural buildings can be re-used for economic purposes such as tourism. Since most buildings are asbestos cement roofed barns do we put ramblers and hikers up overnight? But there could be opportunities for one or two nationally marketed leisure breaks in former mansions enlarged to provide attractive leisure facilities, with an imaginative approach to conservation as being the next stage in the life of that building complex similar to Walton Hall and others. It is however too small an initiative to rate being included in the core strategy.

Support

Representation ID: 6935

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Bishops Tachbrook Parish Council

The Parish Council supports the Preferred Option for Rural Housing. However the term "local needs" should be defined to mean for those already living within the parish or who have dependents living in the parish. The "local need" must also be determined by the Parish Council through a Parish Plan or Housing need survey.

Object

Representation ID: 6936

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Bishops Tachbrook Parish Council

Housing
The Parish council considers that the preferred option identifies sites that should NOT be used for housing and fails to identify sites that could be suitable. In addition where sites have been identified that are suitable, the density of homes/ha is much lower than need be - particularly in urban contexts. An analysis of the preferred option shows that only 11 sites have been selected from the initial list of 151 taking a total area of 381.94ha. Of this, only 16.63ha is Brownfield. But 339.32ha is Grade2 Agricultural land with other Greenfield of 25.99. Only 525 homes are planned for Brownfield sites with 5000 homes on Greenfield. The 2575 windfall homes would be on a mix of brown and green but this is not determined by the option.
This preferred option contravenes PPS1: Delivering Sustainable Development - this requires local planning authorities to give protection to the wider countryside and take account of the impact of development on landscape quality, the conservation and enhancement of wildlife species and habitats and the promotion of biodiversity.
It also contravenes PPS7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas = this requires local planning authorities to include criteria-based policies to protect locally valued landscapes, supported by landscape character assessments: as the landscape character assessments are poorly completed. The landscape occupied by Lower Heathcote Farm, between Harbury Lane and the Tach Brook, is naturally beautiful. Even so, the Landscape report states that as farmland too it has a high value; it is categorized as the second highest grade of farmland Far too much valuable farmland is proposed for development.
In addition, it contravenes the Regional Planning Policy which requires local planning authorities to conserve, enhance and restore the quality, diversity and distinctiveness of the landscape character of the region...
Para 6 of the Executive summary of the preferred options document sets out how WDC intends to meet current and future housing needs. This includes
1. Make effective use of existing housing stock eg vacant properties a typical week 5.6.09 of Courier ads gave 767 for sale and 403 to let total 1170 - but add students to halls and recover 1000 family homes to housing stock, and refurbishment programmes to bring flats over shops back into attractive use;
2. Make effective and efficient use of land by using a range of densities. Proposed densities for the proposed town centre sites are too low and can include mixed use employment space and this does not appear in the preferred options at all. Opportunities exist at a number of sites for comprehensive redevelopment to improve poor parts of the town including the Ford Foundry-Station approach and railway triangle; Wise Street and Court Street in the Tachbrook road, Canal and Railway triangle to rescue Old Town from an ignominious death
3. Reuse brownfield land before Greenfield. The preferred option only identifies 525 homes out of 8,100 on brownfield sites. The preferred option uses a toal of 381.94ha of which 340ha is Grade2 agricultural land
Bishop's Tachbrook Parish Council
Response to WDC Core Strategy Preferred Option
14 of 46 pages
The evidence base used by WDC to identify the preferred option contains insufficient analysis to make a judgment. A better analysis of the 151 sites shows that 51 sites could contribute to the option, some in part rather than whole and using more acceptable densities show where 10694 homes could be sited. We think that 47 ha of brownfield sites could provide 1998 homes. This option would utilize 368ha of which only 250ha is ALC2. But it would not be sensible to build this number as the impact of roads and infrastructure would be excessive. Choices could be made from this shortlist to achieve the 8,100 homes required and if ALC2 land is used last, it would only be necessary to take 150ha. Overall, the sites taken would amount to 268ha.
The study also identified 2 sites that would be suitable for a retirement village, one in Kenilworth and one in Leamington. The concept is that the elderly could maintain their independence in an apartment or bungalow, some with garden plots others with views, with care and social facility backup and access to shops and entertainment on the lines of Lovat Fields in Milton Keynes. Based on 250 homes for 1 or 2 persons, the applicants would trade down, releasing their family home into the market. Agencies for benefit applicants could beneficially purchase apartments for a proportion of the scheme.

Comment

Representation ID: 6937

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Bishops Tachbrook Parish Council

Land at Former Ford Foundry & Land at Station Approach
The Parish Council‟s independent analysis shows that this site L08 should be linked with L28 & L35 to give a comprehensive development site. By amending the ratio of housing to other uses from 20%:80% to a mixed use of 65% residential, 20% office based employment & 15% recreational, with an average dph of 50, the number of homes could increase from 225 to 350.

Support

Representation ID: 6938

Received: 25/09/2009

Respondent: Bishops Tachbrook Parish Council

Land at Warwickshire College
We agree with the preferred option at 300 homes.