Revised Development Strategy

Object

Representation ID: 55462

Received: 29/07/2013

Respondent: Warwickshire County Council Physical Assets Business Unit

Agent: Savills

Notes the increase in the proposed level of housing growth to 12,300 dwellings, which is above both the former Regional Spatial Strategy target and the latest household projections.

Wishes to reserve its position on the Council's proposal to adopt an interim level of growth and the proposed housing numbers until Joint SHMA has been completed and this evidence base is taken into account as part of the further revision of the Local Plan

Support

Representation ID: 56569

Received: 29/07/2013

Respondent: Warwickshire County Council Physical Assets Business Unit

Agent: Savills

Supports the inclusion of WCC land within the area identified as a Proposed Development Site on Map 2.

Object

Representation ID: 56570

Received: 29/07/2013

Respondent: Warwickshire County Council Physical Assets Business Unit

Agent: Savills

The removal of the Gallagher Business Park site from consideration as a potential employment allocation cannot be justified on the basis it has been allocated for residential development, as set out in the GL Hearn Report.

The site assessment, which considers all potential alternative sites and gives the Gallagher Business Park site a relatively high overall score, does not justify its exclusion from being a potential employment site.

The Gallagher Business Park site has not been allocated for residential development and cannot technically be considered as an allocation until it has been considered at an independent Examination by a Local Plan Examiner.

The current approach to the review and selection of employment sites to meet the District's future employment requirements is therefore considered to be flawed and unsound.

Whilst the planning permission status of the Gallagher Business Park site has changed, the characteristics of the site as a potential employment site have not changed it is still a site that WDC should be considering as part of the Employment Land Review options, and taken into consideration as part of the evidence base review.

It is understood that Gallagher Estates consider that there is no reasonable prospect that the Gallagher Business Park site will be used for employment purposes on the grounds that an employment use has not been forthcoming to date, despite a prolonged period of active marketing.

If this evidence is accepted by WDC as a justification for the exclusion of Gallagher Business Park from being a potential employment site, it must follow that any other site in the nearby vicinity is likely to suffer the same problems.

The fact that the site is also being considered as a potential residential allocation is insufficient grounds for it to be dismissed as a possible employment site. If there is any doubt over the deliverability of potential employment sites being considered as part of the Local Plan review, then all site options should be considered and, where appropriate, market and economic signals should be taken into account to determine their future use.

Object

Representation ID: 56571

Received: 29/07/2013

Respondent: Warwickshire County Council Physical Assets Business Unit

Agent: Savills

Paragraph 4.5.8 does not provide a clear justification for seeking the provision of 22.5 hectares of employment land when a requirement of 17.5 hectares is identified.

If this approach has been taken to provide a potential expansion buffer and increase the flexibility of the employment land supply, then this should be approached on the basis of a sequential review of suitable employment sites.

Land reserved for future employment development requirements that could come forward later in the Plan period, as part of an 'expansion buffer', should be located further away from the urban edge to avoid prejudicing or interrupting the early delivery of residential development on sites sequentially closer to the existing urban area.

Object

Representation ID: 56572

Received: 29/07/2013

Respondent: Warwickshire County Council Physical Assets Business Unit

Agent: Savills

Strongly objects to the reference at paragraph 4.6.1 of the Revised Development Strategy. It is considered that WDC's strategy for the selection of sites for employment does not properly take into account the following factors, which are considered to be key for sustainable development:

Market Signals:

a)The employment land take-up across the District has been slow.
The slow and apparently decreasing rate of completions should be taken into account when determining where future employment allocations should be best located and when they should be phased;

b) There is an increasing demand for residential land. To meet this demand and ensure that the residential development is phased appropriately, the most sequentially preferable sites should be
given priority for residential use.

Employment Land Phasing:

The allocation of additional employment land in the early phases of the Plan may prejudice the completion of other existing sites (Tournament Fields) and the delivery of proposed strategic employment sites (Coventry Gateway).

Sequential Approach:

The WCC land at Europa Way represents the most sequentially preferable site for residential development as it comprises part of the Myton Garden suburb, which adjoins the existing settlement boundary.

Based on the difficulties identified by Gallagher Estates in marketing their site and the emerging pressures for residential land, it is likely that the approach to employment land allocations being promoted by WDC would result in a substantial proportion of the WCC land remaining undeveloped for a significant period of time if it was allocated for employment use.

This would leave a significant gap in the urban extension to the Warwick/Leamington urban area for a significant length of time , resulting in unsustainable development.

Although the proposed allocation for employment land and a park and ride facility would only affect approximately 50% of the WCC land, lack of development of this gateway site could have serious implications for the wider area to the south of Warwick/Leamington.

Object

Representation ID: 56573

Received: 29/07/2013

Respondent: Warwickshire County Council Physical Assets Business Unit

Agent: Savills

Objects to the proposals for part of this land to be used for employment and/or park & ride uses but supports the inclusion of this land for an urban extension to contribute to the overall provision of housing (up to around 1250 dwellings) and associated infrastructure (open space, play areas and Green Infrastructure).

Whilst previous support by WCC was on the basis that WDC was proposing a residential-led allocation and no specific land area was identified for employment.

However, circumstances have now changed and WDC's revised strategy for releasing sites south of Warwick / Leamington for development is now seeking to allocate a single employment site.

On the basis of the evidence WDC has in respect of the direction of the urban expansion of Warwick / Leamington and the employment land supply and demand, WCC Property considers that its land should be promoted for residential development only and that alternative sites should be identified for employment later in the plan period.

The employment site allocation should be made from the list of alternatives considered by the Employment Land Review Study and only the least sequentially preferable site for housing should be considered for employment development in the early part of the Plan Period.

The landscape evidence does not dismiss the land to the south of Gallows Hill as being appropriate for employment development in principle. Land south of Gallows Hill could provide a suitable expansion of WTP with a direct link from a new junction close to or opposite one or both of the existing access points to WTP. With appropriate landscaping and signage, the expansion could be designed to be properly integrated as a second phase of WTP.

Object

Representation ID: 56574

Received: 29/07/2013

Respondent: Warwickshire County Council Physical Assets Business Unit

Agent: Savills

Objects to the reference at paragraph 5.1.6 relating to potential detrimental impact of views from Warwick castle.

Not aware that WDC's conclusions have been evidenced by appropriate visual impact assessment or modeling.In addition, no urban design or heritage evidence can be found to substantiate the conclusions reached by WDC.

Therefore it is inappropriate to draw conclusions about the suitability / unsuitability of this area for commercial development.

Object

Representation ID: 56575

Received: 29/07/2013

Respondent: Warwickshire County Council Physical Assets Business Unit

Agent: Savills

Objects to proposed the provision of a Park and Ride facility to address the existing parking problems associated with Warwick Technology Park (WTP).

This matter should be addressed on site at WTP through improved public transport provision (e.g. enhanced bus service frequency or a dedicated bus service passing through WTP) and / or better utilisation of existing land at WTP (e.g. multi-storey or underground car parks).

There does not appear to be any evidence relating to the need, size or location of a park and ride facility to support this proposal, nor explanation why area of search (land at Greys Mallory) which was included in the adopted Local plan does not appear as part of any assessment of site options for a Park and Ride facility.

Support

Representation ID: 56576

Received: 29/07/2013

Respondent: Warwickshire County Council Physical Assets Business Unit

Agent: Savills

Notes the reference to the requirement for secondary education provision as part of the southern sites expansion area and supports the identification of a possible site for a secondary school south of Harbury
Lane.