Preferred Options

COMMENT

King Henry VIII Endowed Trust generally supports the District Council's decision to plan for a hierarchy of growth in the rural area however we believe that Policy PO3 would benefit from some re-wording, particularly to be clear regarding the scale of growth which will be appropriate for the Category 1, 2 and 3 villages defined in Policy PO4.

We therefore recommend that Policy PO3 is reworded to read:
It is the Council's Preferred Option to....
* allow for growth across the rural area of the District, based on a hierarchy include:
- a higher level of growth within and/or on the edge of named Category 1 and 2 villages i.e. those villages with a broad range of services and public transport to the towns, and
- a lower level of growth on brownfield land within named Category 3 villages in order to meet local need and help support existing services.

This re-wording will help to link policies PO3 and PO4.

King Henry VIII Endowed Trust supports the identification of Hampton Magna as a Category 1 Village, including the proposed development of 100 dwellings at the settlement over the period 2011-2029 within Policy PO4. This level of growth is considered appropriate, having regard to the spatial strategy, the village's existing range of service provision and supporting infrastructure, as well as its sustainability as a location for new development (e.g. proximity to Warwick Parkway and strong public transport links). In addition, it is our considered view that suitably scaled development at this location can help sustain and enhance local services, community facilities, businesses (e.g. Budbrooke Primary School, Post Office, local shop and café) and public transport.

We note that under Policy PO4, the District Council intends to work with Budbrooke Parish Council to redefine the village boundary and remove land from the Green Belt. The Trust would be keen to work with the respective Councils as part of this Green Belt review process given that its 6 hectare landholding south of Arras Boulevard is considered a suitable site for development in the District Council's Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA, May 2012 - site ref. R74).

The site is deliverable, being within the single ownership of the Trust, and available for development now. As a responsible local landowner the Trust is committed to working with key stakeholders including the local community, Budbrooke Parish Council and Warwick District Council to help realise the opportunities presented by this important site at Hampton Magna

COMMENT

The delivery of affordable housing is a key Government objective aimed at enabling everyone to have a decent home that they can afford. However, through the new Local Plan we believe the provision of affordable housing - linked to open market housing development - must be realistic with regard to economic viability and at the same time flexible to variations between sites and changes in market conditions over the plan period. Until the full costs of infrastructure required to deliver the Plan, and thus the CIL rate(s) the Council intends to charge remain unknown, we consider that it is prepamture for the Council to require any specific affordable housing requirement.

King Henry VIII Endowed Trust supports the Council's aspiration to apply garden city principles to new developments in the District. Many of the garden city principles accord with the Trust's own ambitions for the kind of development we wish to bring forward at Hampton Magna.

King Henry VIII Endowed Trust supports the objective of focussing new housing close to a range of key facilities in order to minimise the need to travel and to promote sustainable forms of transport (walking, cycling and public transport). The Trust's site at Hampton Magna (Land South of Arras Boulevard) is in a highly sustainable location, with very good public transport links being in close proximity to Warwick Parkway (rail) and the x17 bus service linking the village with Warwick, Leamington, Kenilworth and Coventry. In addition, a number of key facilities are within walking distance of the site, including Budbrooke Medical Centre, Budbrooke Primary School, Post Office and local shop, café and community centre. This is why the Council has rightly identified Hampton Magna as a Category 1 village suitable for new development 2011-2029 under policy PO4: Distribution of Housing.

Policy PO16: Green Belt complements P04: Distribution of Housing and allows for the review of Hampton Magna's Green Belt boundary. For the reasons set out in our response to PO4, King Henry VIII Endowed Trust supports PO16 and would be keen to work with the District Council and Budbrooke Parish Council as part of the Green Belt review process.

COMMENT

In developing the Preferred Option, the Council states (para 7.8) that it has had regard to a number of documents including the findings of the latest Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA, May 2012). Having reviewed the SHLAA we note that land located on the western edge of Warwick, and under the ownership of the King Henry VIII Endowed Trust, has been put forward by the District Council and assessed as a "potentially suitable" site for housing "subject to a willing landowner and relocation of the racecourse track" (Site Ref W35). Whilst we did not put the site forward for consideration under the SHLAA, the Trustees recognise the difficulties faced by the Council in identifying suitable sites for meeting the District's development needs over the Plan period, in particular sites which lie outside of the Green Belt and/or are in sustainable locations. For these reasons the Trustees would be willing to consider releasing its landholding west of Warwick for development if either required and/or favoured over current alternatives to ensure the new Local Plan is found "sound" at Examination. The Trustees similarly would also be happy to discuss this matter further with the Council and other key stakeholders (e.g. owners of Warwick Racecourse and WTC) if that would be helpful.

The site measures approximately 36.5 hectares, is located outside the Green Belt and considered well located to Warwick town centre and to existing and proposed social and community infrastructure, including facilities at South West Warwick.

COMMENT

The King Henry VIII Endowed Trust support the Council's decision to concentrate most development on the edge of the main uban areas within the District but consider suitably located non-Green Belt land should be allocated and released before Green Belt land and sites in less sustainable locations.

Land under the Trust's ownership (SHLAA site ref W35) is located outside the Green Belt and considered well located to Warwick town centre and to existing and proposed social and community infrastructure, including facilities at South West Warwick. The site measures approximately 36.5 hectares and could be brought forward in later phases of plan (i.e. Phases 2 and 3). As a responsible local landowner the Trust would be happy to work with key stakeholders including the District and Town Councils to help realise this development opportunity if favoured over current alternatives in the Preferred Options.

The King Henry VIII Endowed Trust broadly supports Policy PO15. We recognise the importance of well designed Green Infrastructure in contributing to inclusive and sustainable open spaces which can offer a variety of functions including recreation within easy access of new and existing residents of the District. Similarly we recognise the importance of GI in creating habitat linkages and reducing habitat and species fragmentation and isolation.
Under the same policy we also support the initiative to identify and protect a number of "green wedges" within the District, which are considered "important for their ecological, landscape and/or access functions in the setting of different urban areas and urban fringes". However, we do not believe that land west of Warwick Racecourse accords with the stated purpose and should not be designated as a 'Green Wedge'.
Any proposed Green Wedge designation will, by the time of the examination in to the Plan, need to be justified and supported by an appropriate, transparent and robust evidence base.