Full text:
The Town Council meeting on 17 July 2013 voted unanimously to reject the latest Local Plan proposal and to support Leamington and Warwick's MP, Mr Chris White in his call for the District Council to rethink its ill-conceived proposals.
Additionally, there was considerable surprise and concern that the District Council had chosen only to note the clear advice given by Mr Andrew Langley MP, Leader of the House of Commons, in answer to issues raised by Chris White MP in the House of Commons, that residents of his constituency felt that their voice was not being respected, regarding the Local Plan Consultation.
The advice was that in the formation of the Local Plan, and that in the expectation of the Localism Act 2011, the District Council should not only apply the National Planning Policy Framework, but do so in the context of local decision making by local people.
Warwick, Whitnash and Bishops Tachbrook residents deserve to be heard, as were the residents of North Leamington, and their clear preference was that south Warwick District should not become a single urban sprawl, with the loss of those green areas, which define the boundaries of those parishes, but that housing should be limited to levels which the community and residents were able to support.
The greenfield sites, which are of considerable importance to the towns and villages affected, and which the Local Plan proposes for some 4,300 houses and flats, have been roundly rejected not only in the context of the current plan, but also in respect of the 'Core Strategy'. The strong local objection was known to the District Council before work commenced on this Local Plan and entirely ignored.
The importance of the green rural and agricultural land between Warwick, Whitnash and Bishops Tachbrook has been entirely discounted on the grounds that it was not Green Belt, but these green areas are as important to those residents, as the Green Belt in Kenilworth or Leamington Spa, is to those residents.
Indeed the loss of this green land is being dictated by;
i) The apparent willingness to provide developers with land to develop and to massively over provide for the housing needs of the Warwick District.
ii) The direction from Warwickshire County Council, confirmed by County Councillors, that in order to achieve maximum funding from development, that development needed to be allocated in large blocks.
In the Town Council's view local need can justify only approximately half the number now proposed and the Local Plan proposal provides for uncontrolled growth within the South of the District, which will lead to even greater congestion onto the existing road network and will impose intolerable traffic congestion in Warwick and Leamington Town Centres and the approach roads over the river crossings on the Avon.
The levels of traffic from some 4,300 houses and flats, based upon census findings, will generate in excess of 7,000 additional vehicles and which will worsen the levels of air pollution in the Town Centre of Warwick, when levels already exceed the legal limits imposed by the Air Quality Regulation (England) 2000.
That the levels, are exceeded was determined by the District's own officers, and formed the District Council's policy to work in proactive a manner to reduce the existing levels of unacceptable air pollution. Nothing in the Local Plan addresses the need to reduce the existing levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution in Warwick Town Centre and residents' health will suffer.
The traffic solutions outlined in the Local Plan and the mass of development proposed by the plan will seriously damage the setting of the Town, and consultants have previously recommended that the land south of Gallows Hill, which provides an historic setting for the Town and Castle, and Castle Park, should be protected from development. This area appeals to residents and visitors alike and is an important factor in the Town's tourism economy.
That impact on the tourism economy and the vitality of the Town will be made worse by the increase in traffic and wide junctions with traffic lights, in historic and sensitive locations in the Town, which will turn Warwick into a Town to be avoided by visitors. A further impact on the vitality of the Town and directly impacting on the Town's economy.
The issues regarding traffic congestion and pollution will be exacerbated by Stratford District Council's proposal to build 5,000 houses at Gaydon and in the Town Council's view, it is impossible to continue with a Local Plan, which already generates housing greatly in excess of local needs, when development directly intended to provide for employment needs is to be provided in Gaydon, effectively providing for the employment needs of the area, and in relative close proximity to the major development proposed in south Warwick.
Discussions must take place with Stratford District to produce a rational solution, for a new town type development at Gaydon, will directly reduce houses needed in Warwick District and demand for employment land. The take up of the latter has been so reduced that the District Council has already released designated employment land for the other users.
House building in Gaydon will greatly impact on the need for housing for employment migrants into Warwick District.
Notwithstanding, the large scale development in the south of the District centred in such large numbers will generate high levels of infrastructure from roads to sewage provision and water supply, schools, policing, doctor's surgeries, hospital demands and all health care facilities. Funding has been outlined in the Local Plan, but at this time the District Council cannot demonstrate that funding levels to be generated will meet the costs of such infrastructure.
There is also the doubt as to the deliverability of needed infrastructure and it will not be lost to the District, of the failures and delays regarding the provision of infrastructure at Chase Meadow, for the traffic scheme is not yet complete and sports playing fields have never been provided.
The Town Council does believe that there is a better alternative to the present Local Plan and one which local people would support. That alternative would be to reduce the total number of houses to that required to meet local need and in particular affordably social housing. Then if LPA allocation of employment land is taken up, additional land could be released to meet housing demand with development concentrated on brownfield and infill sites and near to schools and other needs.
Additionally a greater co-operation with adjoining authorities and in particular Stratford would allow for a joint approach, rather than a competition for jobs and houses.
The Local Plan has located a high number of possible Gypsy and Travellers sites in the south of the District and the Town Council consider that if the needs of the Gypsy and Traveller communities are to be met, then more rural sites should not be ignored, rather than the District Council just repeat the decision to ignore local representation and concentrate Gypsy and Traveller sites in Warwick, Whitnash and Bishops Tachbrook.
Regrettably therefore the Town Council finds itself in the position of repeating its objections to previous consultations objections, which have been ignored along with the views of local people.
The Town Council's objections are:
1) The projected housing development does not reflect local needs and the plan as proposed offers uncontrolled growth, and is a charter for developers,
2) The plan does not provide for development evenly throughout the District.
Almost total protection is given to Green Belt, as demonstrated by the decision to delete land at Old Milverton.
No concern is given to the importance of the greens areas between Warwick, Whitnash and Bishops Tachbrook and 4,300 houses and flats will spill over the historic boundaries to create a single urban sprawl.
3) Local views are being ignored, despite the support of Leamington and Warwick's MP.
4) The impact on traffic has not been assessed as an impact on the Town's tourism and commercial economy. Warwick would become less attractive for residents and visitors, if large traffic light controlled junctions were constructed and even greater congestion was created.
5) No thought is given to transport policies relating to cyclists and pedestrians.
6) Traffic generation will further increase the existing excessive air pollution and not reduce the pollution as provided by the Districts policy. Residents' health will suffer.
7) The historic environment would be directly damaged and the plan makes no provision to protect those historic buildings or the Conservation Area.
The purpose of the Local Plan is to develop Warwick District as a great place 'to live, work and visit' and the Local Plan should be assessed to ensure that this aim is met, throughout the District, and not just in parts.
