Revised Development Strategy
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Revised Development Strategy
RDS3: The Council's Preferred Option for the broad location of development is to:
Representation ID: 55268
Received: 28/07/2013
Respondent: Warwick Chamber of Trade and Commerce
The Chamber of Trade objects to the Local Plan in its present form as consider it will have a very detrimental effect on the town and economy of Warwick:
* recognises the need for more housing but on a scale and geographical spread that benefits all the towns in the district not discriminating against one.
* The strategy says it "will facilitate the growth of the local economy" but this will not apply to Warwick.
* The level of housing proposed for the Southern Site is unrealistic and we feel that amount of housing is unjustified in proportion to the jobs being created.
* The 7-8 hectares of employment land on that site may yield 2000 jobs but that will not be enough to satisfy the number needed for that level of housing. If the other jobs being created are at the proposed Coventry Gateway then the houses should be built there otherwise any claim to building sustainable developments is false.
* Whilst appreciating that more people in the vicinity mean more potential customers ,those customers have to be able to access the town centre.
Traffic:
* This plan admits that the level of traffic will increase and the narrow streets of Warwick will see much more congestion which will only serve to send our customers elsewhere.
* The traffic mitigation measures involving traffic lights everywhere will ruin our beautiful town.
* The proposal to stop the right turn at the bottom of Smith Street into St Nicholas Church Street will be a disaster for the traders in Smith Street and the rest of the town. It will be difficult for visitors to navigate.
* The proposals for improvements to public transport do not favour Warwick and not convinced they will be funded.
* There is little likelihood of any park and ride scheme being developed as there will be inadequate funding and other local schemes have not proved to be sustainable.
Air Quality:
The levels of pollution in the centre of Warwick are already at above the permitted levels. These proposals will only worsen that situation. WDC has a legal obligation to reduce those levels and is difficult to see how that can be achieved by the development proposed in this plan.
The Chamber of Trade objects to the Local Plan in its present form as we feel this will have a very detrimental effect on the town and economy of Warwick.
The strategy says it "will facilitate the growth of the local economy" but this will not apply to Warwick.
The level of housing proposed for the Southern Site is unrealistic and we feel that amount of housing is unjustified in proportion to the jobs being created.The 7-8 hectares of employment land on that site may yield 2000 jobs but that will not be enough to satisfy the number needed for that level of housing. If the other jobs being created are at the proposed Coventry Gateway then the houses should be built there otherwise any claim to building sustainable developments is false.
Whilst appreciating that more people in the vicinity mean more potential customers ,those customers have to be able to access the town centre. This plan admits that the level of traffic will increase and the narrow streets of Warwick will see much more congestion which will only serve to send our customers elsewhere.The traffic mitigation measures involving traffic lights everywhere will ruin our beautiful town. The proposal to stop the right turn at the bottom of Smith Street into St Nicholas Church Street will be a disaster for the traders in Smith Street and the rest of the town. If you are a stranger in the town and find yourself going down Smith Street and want to get back into the centre where do you turn round? Or do you give up and go elsewhere.
The proposals for improvements to public transport do not favour Warwick and we are not convinced they will be funded. We know there is little likelihood of any park and ride scheme being developed as there will be inadequate funding and other local schemes have not proved to be sustainable.
The levels of pollution in the centre of Warwick are already at above the permitted levels.These proposals will only worsen that situation. WDC has a legal obligation to reduce those levels,it is difficult to see how that can be achieved by the development proposed in this plan.
The Chamber of Trade recognises the need for more housing but on a scale and geographical spread that benefits all the towns in the district not discriminating against one.
