Baginton and Bubbenhall - Neighbourhood Plan Designation

Object

Representation ID: 70309

Received: 25/07/2016

Respondent: Lenco Investments

Agent: RPS Planning & Development

I write in reference to the above application, which has been made to Warwick District Council on behalf of Baginton and Bubbenhall Parish Council's, who act as the relevant body for the purposes of this consultation.
The covering letter from the relevant body proposes a Neighbourhood Plan Area covering the parish areas of Bubbenhall and Baginton. As part of the consultation Warwick District Council has helpfully prepared a map to indicate the extents of this area.
The production of this map is useful as this helps to illustrate the size of the proposed Neighbourhood Plan Area and the key components contained within. The area published by the relevant body includes the villages of Baginton and Bubbenhall, an area of rural hinterland and Coventry Airport.
When submitting a Neighbourhood Plan Area, the Regulations are not generous in offering guidance to prospective applicants. The 2012 Neighbourhood Planning Regulations do however state (Part 2, 5(a) refers) that applications should be supported by a statement justifying why the area is considered appropriate to be designated as a neighbourhood area.
The relevant body's letter indicates that the boundary is appropriate as it is reflective of the rural area that the two villages are set in, which shares similar characteristics and faces similar issues. Whilst it is the responsibility of the relevant body to submit applications for a Neighbourhood Plan Area, it is the preserve of the Local Authority to determine whether this is appropriate and either approve, modify or refuse the application. RPS would encourage Warwick District Council to request that the relevant body revisit the boundary submitted as a Neighbourhood Plan Area.
What the relevant body fails to mention in its submission is that the combined parish area includes the entirety of Coventry Airport, an asset of sub-regional significance, which is located between the settlements of Baginton and Bubbenhall. The inclusion of Coventry Airport within the Neighbourhood Plan Area is something that Warwick District Council should be mindful of and whether this is appropriate in line with the 2012 Neighbourhood Planning Regulations. It may well be the case that additional land is required in the future for airport expansion, which may include land to the south and east of the airport. Consideration should therefore be given to removing the airport and potential land for expansion from the Neighbourhood Plan Area.
Additionally, RPS would invite the Council to reconsider the statement made by the relevant body that the two settlements share similar characteristics. Located south of Coventry Airport, the village of Bubbenhall offers a remote location away from the Coventry fringe. Baginton on the other hand lies adjacent to Coventry Airport, south of the Coventry link road (Stonebridge Highway). Baginton is therefore different in its setting to Bubbenhall and, bifurcated by Coventry Airport, represents a very different location than the rural setting inferred by the relevant body.
On this basis, the Council may wish to revisit the Neighbourhood Plan Area with the relevant body to refine an appropriate boundary will enable an appropriate Neighbourhood Plan or Neighbourhood Development Order to be drafted at a later time.