BASE HEADER

No

ID sylw: 106434

Derbyniwyd: 04/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Anthony Gilleran

I wish to formally oppose, in the strongest terms, the inclusion of SG24 within the South Warwickshire Local Plan.

I am a Hockley Heath resident, having lived in the village for more than 3 years. I also have family members who also live in the village.

My partner and I are members of a number of local clubs.
I am distressed at the reckless scale of proposed development and the flawed justifications for SG24 as a strategic growth location.

The proposal directly impacts me and my wider family, and the plans directly affect the lives we are building in this beautiful village. Hockley Heath has an amazing semi-rural character, which was one of the main appealing factors when we recently moved to the village.

Having reviewed the consultation documents, attended local meetings to clarify facts about the plan, and review some of the technical details, it is clear that Hockley Heath is not a suitable location for large or medium sized developments in the future. Furthermore, it is clear that there are alternative sites and settlements which perform far better than those selected at SG24 and they have not been reviewed in the correct manner nor in full.

Some of my concerns are listed below;

1. Unjustifiable Overdevelopment
The scale of the proposed allocation is disproportionate and excessive, being completely out of sync with the current community. Development of this nature would erode our village identity, undermine local cohesion and destroy the very attributes that make Hockley Heath a desirable place to live.

The amenities currently available within the village, such as the Primary School, healthcare provisions, church, local shops, restaurants and small businesses, can cope well with the number of residents and passing trade currently using them, but these amenities, and the supplementary amenities that go along with them, such as parking and local transport options, simply could not sustain a large increase in local residential properties.

SG24 is being advanced without due consideration of the Solihull Local Plan, which is currently under review. The failure to adopt a coordinated and integrated approach with Solihull Council highlights the enduring issues that will arise should SG24 be taken forward in its current state.

The Solihull Plan was very clear that Hockley Heath is only suitable for small scale development - SG24 is quite the opposite.
SG24 within the SWLP should not be permitted to proceed in its current large-scale quantum, and it cannot be considered in isolation, away from the Solihull Plan and must have a Solihull Council engagement and agreement.

2. Irreversible destruction of green belt and limited review of sustainable alternatives
Each individual site that makes up SG24 requires inappropriate development on green belt land, designed to prevent urban sprawl and preserve open countryside. This proposal fails to demonstrate the 'exceptional circumstances' required for Green Belt release under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) with a number of the tests being applied in a flawed manner.

The claim that the canal can substitute as a defensible boundary instead of the Green Belt is demonstrably flawed; several proposed sites are located beyond the canal, rendering this justification invalid.

The lack of a proper sustainability appraisal for alternative brownfield or grey-field options demonstrates a missed opportunity and failure in due process.
The SWLP has ignored viable alternatives, including the redevelopment of underutilised commercial spaces into residential in locations that already have a good level of infrastructure readily available.

SG24 within the SWLP should not be permitted to proceed without reviewing alternative sites / options in more detail and taking a more comprehensive view of the plan to release green belt and its wide ranging impact linked to character, environment and biodiversity.

3. Detrimental Environmental and Biodiversity impact
SG24 would inflict harm on local biodiversity, directly contravening national sustainability policies. The targeted sites are rich in ecological diversity, supporting an array of wildlife and plant life, particularly along the canal’s vital green corridors.

The SWLP fails to meet the legal obligation in the NPPF requiring ‘conservation and enhancement of the natural… environment’ and para 175 requiring councils to take ‘a strategic approach… plan for the enhancement of natural capital’

Key failures include; the destruction of key habitats with no credible mitigation plan, failure to use up to date environmental assessments (the 2013 Green Infrastructure is out of date and not fit for purpose), significant increases in air and noise pollution from additional traffic which will harm local air quality and quality of life.

4. Lack of detailed Infrastructure, capacity planning and funding
SG24 is being proposed with no credible infrastructure provision to support it. Hockley Heath is already stretched in terms of roads, schools, and healthcare facilities. The SWLP fails to provide any realistic solutions to mitigate the additional strain SG24 would impose.

Roads & Transport: Many affected roads, especially to the west of SG24, are single-lane with no pedestrian walking access. They are already far too narrow and rely on single lane canal bridges that are entirely unsuitable for increased traffic.
Widening roads would require the expropriation of small pieces of land from a large number of private properties, which is unrealistic. The current drainage situation in many areas within and surrounding the SG24 plots have terrible issues NOW. This would obviously be exacerbated by further development, which is unwanted, and not conducive to good environmental practise. This does not include regular flooding hotspots in the village, which are mentioned separately below. Please see photo evidence of dry weather flooding, and existing narrow roads in the area, attached.

Healthcare: The increase in demand for doctors, dentists, hospitals could not be covered by Hockley Heath in its current form. The area is already beyond national guidance for travel times to hospitals and A&E services. Increased demand will further exacerbate waiting times and degrade local healthcare services.

Education: Hockley Heath has a single, landlocked primary school already struggling with capacity and traffic congestion. The plan doesn’t explain how school provision will be improved and there is no mention of how school catchment areas will work.

Infrastructure Costs: The funding for essential infrastructure expansion is lacking detail. Current assumptions are that the burden for Local Public Transport, Highways Maintenance, Street Lighting, Refuse Collection, Education and Healthcare Provision etc, etc, will fall entirely on Solihull Council, which opposes the SWLP and they have made representations stating that Hockley Heath is only suitable to accommodate small-scale development.

5. Significant flooding and drainage risks ignored
Hockley Heath already experiences severe surface water flooding, even at times without heavy rainfall and particularly along the artery routes which will be required to serve SG24; School Road, Spring Lane, Cut Throat Lane and A3400 Stratford Road. The existing drainage infrastructure is insufficient to support additional development.

The SWLP has not updated flood risk assessments to reflect the current challenges, has not provided a clear drainage mitigation strategy (particularly for the SG24 developments, some of which are on waterlogged land), and has not considered the cumulative impact of adding impermeable surfaces to already high-risk flood zones.

6. Breach of sustainability principles
SG24 fails to meet the Sustainable Development Requirements outlined by South Warwickshire. The transport network is already under strain, local services are stretched, and the environmental consequences are severe. Proceeding with this allocation would be in direct opposition of the fundamental principles of sustainable development, making the entire plan legally and ethically indefensible.
Conclusion: SG24 can not proceed as a strategic growth location in its current format

SG24 inclusion as a strategic growth centre can NOT proceed in its current format within the South Warwickshire Local Plan. We recognise that Hockley Heath has some facilities and can take on a small level of growth, however many of the plans, policies, frameworks have not been reviewed in enough detail or applied correctly.
As a community, and as a local resident myself, we are in total opposition to the proposed plans for Hockley Heath and SG24 specifically.

The unsustainable overdevelopment proposed under SG24 would irreparably damage Hockley Heath’s character, environment, infrastructure, and quality of life. It fails to demonstrate exceptional circumstances for Green Belt release, ignores significant viable alternatives and lacks the essential infrastructure planning required for sustainable development.

There are many other issues that arise due to the inappropriate selection of the sites. They represent further significant legal, environmental, sustainability and H&S issues which must be reviewed prior to agreeing or re-submitting the SWLP.

If there is a legal obligation or instruction from Central Government to deliver more housing and to release sites in the most sustainable way, this cannot be achieved via the current SWLP, and certainly not with SG24, as there are clearly alternative settlements which perform much better under scrutiny than Hockley Heath / SG24.

I would strongly urge Warwick District Council to consider abandoning plans to develop SG24.