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ID sylw: 106120

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Ms Helen Roberts

Therefore please find below my main comments regarding the SWLP:

As noted in an earlier communication Figure 5 or Figure 6 (which are key images within the document) the route of HS2 is note shown, I know you pointed me to the interactive map, where eventually the HS2 layer was added, but surely to not show on the main maps the train line and associated land-grab is at best misleading. The HS2 line will serve as a boundary to which development may be permitted and/or beyond which development may not be permitted, in much the same way as bypass roads serve as development boundaries. I remain extremely concerned that it's omission from the base layer maps, invalidates much of the SWLP and therefore the consultation process. At a minimum, for example, the somewhat arbitrary "priority area" circles in Figure 5 North of Leamington should be more specifically demarcated so that the HS2 route forms the northernmost boundary of the priority area to the North of Leamington.

Further development of green built is wrong. Those who chose to live in countryside areas rather than urban areas have done so for good reason, Green built is there to protect the landscape and more importantly, to protect productive farm land - we cannot continue to erode our natural resource in this way. Each day global stability worsens and the need to be as 'self-sufficient' for food grows greater - so taking yet more farm land for housing is a recipe for disaster!

Of particular concern to me is the HELAS assessment of site 569 (Land to South of Weston Under Wetherley) and would request that this site should be entirely removed from consideration within the local plan :
This site could only reasonably be included in a dispersed development model, however, after the previous consultation led to this model being removed from the plan, site 569 should not "remain in consideration of the SWLP".
The HELAS assessment considerably underestimates how unsuitable this site is for development. For example, the flood risk is not limited to a boundary of the site as considerable areas beyond this have flooded twice this year already (with photographs available) making the whole site unsuitable for development.
The HELAS proforma simply states this is "greenbelt" and so fails to take into account that this is a particularly important area of greenbelt separating Leamington from merging into the villages of Weston and Hunningham. Any development in this area would also significantly diminish the greenspace between Leamington and Coventry and so leave the area subject to Coventry's Sprawl.
The HELAS assessment fails to take into account the considerable infrastructure limitations of the site. Access to the site from Weston under Wetherley is via an exceptionally narrow and prolonged strip of land, located on a blind bend - it would be impossible to create good enough sight splays at the junction without removing 1 or even 2 listed buildings!!! The East of the site is limited by a river with the only viable bridge East being a single lane Grade II Listed bridge into Hunningham which is unsuited for any large commercial vehicles (it is already susceptible to vehicle strikes). Similarly to the North of the Site, the direct route to the A445 (which would be a major route to transport from this site), is also restricted to single lane traffic on Weston Lane. This stretch of road is already plagued by speeding motorists and typically single-vehcile collisions (causing considerable property damage and services resources) and would become an even greater risk to life were the majority of traffic going straight through from Weston Lane to the Hunningham road. This all suggests a new access road would be needed from the Fosse, but then the small matter of HS2 gets in the way! I therefore look forward to this site being removed completely from the list