Preferred Options for Sites

Object

Representation ID: 64821

Received: 05/05/2014

Respondent: Ufton Parish Council

a: Where the site is proposed, that stretch of the Fosse Way is very dangerous, with numerous accidents occurring.

b: The landowner is NOT willing to sell so requiring the Council to obtain Compulsory Purchase Powers. This means permission will have to be sought and the Government recently clarified in a Ministerial Statement that "Permission will ONLY be given if NO other suitable site(s) are available". It is Ufton Parish Council's contention that there are other more suitable sites available.

c: No suitable medical facilities are close to the proposed site, i.e. they do not fall within the catchment areas of Harbury or Southam and will therefore have to travel into Bishop's Tachbrook or Leamington Spa.

Conclusion:

Ufton Parish Council considered the consultation document very carefully and decided that neither GT02 or GT04 were suitable for Gypsies & Travllers Sites for the reasons set our below:

1: There are NO suitable educational facilities close to either proposed site

2: There are NO suitable medical facilities close to either site

3: Both sites will increase the dangers to road safety, being sited close to very busy and dangerous stretches of the Fosse Way.

The Parish Council contends that there are more appropriate sites available that will be better suited as Gypsy - Traveller sites, which can satisfy the required criteria.

Object

Representation ID: 66094

Received: 05/05/2014

Respondent: Ufton Parish Council

Healthcare:
In the consultation document it states that medical facilities are available at Harbury / Whitnash 2.6 miles or at Bishops Tatchbrook 2.7 miles away. From this it can be seent that Harbury is the nearest medical facility available, however the Parish Council have been informed by the 'Harbury Practice' that this site GT04 does NOT fall within their catchment area. Added to this, the practice is already struggling to cope with its present workload, so adding further patients will require increasing resources to cope.

Education:
In the consultation documents it has been assumed that the children will attend Bishop's Itchington Primary School. No mention is made of the fact that Planning Permission has already been granted for 115 dwellings, with a possible further 200 being granted permission on the site of the old cement works.
It can be seen from the above, that it is very unlikely that there will be any spare capacity within this school, added to this, Harbury Primary School is also oversubscribed, it therefore follows that any children from this site will have to travel into Leamington Spa to receive education.

Road Safety:
The proposed GT04 site is off the busy Harbury Lane, which has a 50 mph speed restriction and is used as a major route by vehicles travelling to the M40, Jaguar/Land Rover, and Aston Martin at Gaydon. Local villagers also use it as a major access route into Leamington/Warwick. Harbury Lane exits onto the Fosse Way, which is a very busy road via the 'Bendigo Crossroads' a notorious accident black spot.

Statistics from the WCC Road Safety Unit show that:

Fosse Way from A425 - B4100 (Old Banbury Road)
41 accidents recorded in past 5 years resulting in 68 casualties

Harbury Lane / Fosse Way Crossroads
8 accidents in the last 3 years resulting in 10 casulaties

It is also contended, that with the proposed expansion of Jaguar/Land Rover, the situation will only get worse, add to this vans, lorries, caravans etc as the travellers enter and exit GT04 will only exacerbate the situation.

Conclusion:

Ufton Parish Council considered the consultation document very carefully and decided that neither GT02 or GT04 were suitable for Gypsies & Travllers Sites for the reasons set our below:

1: There are NO suitable educational facilities close to either proposed site

2: There are NO suitable medical facilities close to either site

3: Both sites will increase the dangers to road safety, being sited close to very busy and dangerous stretches of the Fosse Way.

The Parish Council contends that there are more appropriate sites available that will be better suited as Gypsy - Traveller sites, which can satisfy the required criteria.