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ID sylw: 107566

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Coventry City Council

Coventry City Council strongly objects to intensified and significant growth in the SG01 area
beyond those schemes which are already consented. It is important to emphasise that
growth of this scale would have significant impacts not only in relation to the development
itself but also in terms of the infrastructure which would be needed to support it.
The Green Belt in this area has been assessed as having a moderate / strong function and
indeed all parcels score as having a strong contribution regarding their role in checking the
unrestricted sprawl of the built up area. The assessment for parcels COV2, COV3, and
KEN1, KEN 13 and KEN 14 recognises the strong function of the Green Belt in that area.
However, in relation to COV4, this is assessed as ‘moderate’ whereas Coventry City Council
would contest this and considers that it should be increased to a ‘strong’ function especially
in terms of checking unrestricted sprawl and preventing neighbouring towns merging and
given that this sits adjacent to an existing allocation. This principle also applies KEN3 and
KEN4 which are adjacent to Kenilworth. Cumulatively the development of these parcels
would serve to merge Kenilworth with Coventry, undermining the significant role of the
Green Belt here.
SG01 is also an area with particular ecological significance, including SSSI, Local Nature
Reserves and Ancient Woodland. These ecological designations should be protected and
green infrastructure links strengthened and development proposals have the potential to
cause harm and fragmentation.
The Sustainability Appraisal assesses SG01 as one of the worst performing options,
identifying it as is identified as being the worst performing for biodiversity (SA Objective 3)
and has also been identified to be amongst the worst performing options for landscape (SA
Objective 4), pollution (SA Objective 6), and natural resources (SA Objective 7). It is not in
the top five best performing for any objective. Coventry City Council welcomes this
conclusion and trusts that the results of this assessment will be used to shape the next
stage of plan making and that this option for growth will be rejected as being unsustainable.

Individual sites
• Site REFID47 ‘Westwood Heath Garden Suburb’ and sites in the vicinity being promoted through SG01
Please see previous comments objecting to SG01.

• Other sites: general comments
Coventry City Council notes that assessment has been undertaken of a number of sites
which cross over into Coventry’s boundary (Strategic Growth Locations SG01 and SG03)
and strongly objects to this approach.

Whilst it is understood that growth locations do not necessarily follow administrative areas,
it is considered they should be depicted differently on a spatial map so that the reader is
aware that some areas fall under a different administration (eg ‘greyed out’), and that there
should be no assessment undertaken of those sites without the express agreement of the adjoining Council.
As such, the City Council objects to the process of the assessment of some sites / parcels of land and these are set out below.

Site REFID 227 University of Warwick main campus
Within this assessed site, it is essential that the SWLP reflects the provisions of the
University of Warwick Campus Framework Masterplan which was jointly adopted by
Coventry City Council and Warwick District Council on 3 December 2024.
those parts of the Framework Masterplan which sit within Coventry’s
administrative boundary should be ‘greyed out’ as whilst there are cross boundary matters
to consider, the SWLP cannot make decisions on behalf of another area. At present this
has not been done: Site REFID227: University of Warwick Main Campus needs amending to delineate between the two administrative areas and with a clear contextual link to the
adopted SPD.

Development proposals for this site must accord with the SPD. It is noted under Draft Policy
Direction 14 Major Investment Sites reference is made to ‘further development in the south
of this site will be explored but may require a link road from the A46 depending on the nature
of development due to access through a residential area’. This is not in accordance with the
SPD.

Site REFID 122 Land at Gibbet Hill Coventry
This site as a whole sits within the Green Belt. The element of land to the top north east of
the site sites within Coventry’s administrative area but this is not referenced anywhere and
should not have been included in the assessment process.
Coventry City Council objects to the SWLP having assessed a site within its boundaries
and outside of the SWLP area. Furthermore this site forms part of a wider Green Belt parcel
(COV2 in the South Warwickshire Green Belt Review), an area assessed as making a
strong contribution to the five purposes of Green Belt. It is also in close proximity to ancient
woodland and local wildlife sites to the north (in Coventry) and any development could
fragment wider ecological connectivity. Coventry City Council therefore objects to the
inclusion of REFID 122 as a potential development site

Site REFID 103 Land South of Stoneleigh Road / Kenilworth Road
This site as a whole sits within the Green Belt. The element of land to the north west of the
site sites within Coventry’s administrative area but this is not referenced anywhere and
should not have been included in the assessment process.
Coventry City Council objects to the SWLP having assessed a site within its boundaries
and outside of the SWLP area. Furthermore, this site forms part of wider Green Belt parcels
(COV3 and COV4 in the South Warwickshire Green Belt Review), an area assessed as
making a strong / moderate contribution to the five purposes of Green Belt. It is also good
quality agricultural land.
Coventry City Council therefore objects to the inclusion of REFID 122 as a potential
development site.

SG03 Coventry Airport Group
REFID43
The allocation of the Airport REFID43 is welcomed and supported and already has outline
planning consent.