Testun llawn:
I feel that I must state my objection to this proposal.
I was born in Cubbington and grew up there. I've always loved the village and am still active in the Methodist Church which is one of the centres of social life in the community. My childhood home was one of the first pre-war semi's built in the area, pioneering the process of growth from a tiny collection of rural homes. Cubbington has never lost that feeling of being a close-knit semi-rural community and this is one of its main charms. The proposed development at Glebe Farm would dwarf the existing village and appears to be a cynical move by speculative developers to make a lot of money from high density housing on Green Belt land, without any care for the impact this enormous development would have on the life and identity of the existing community.
The events of 2007 are still very fresh in the minds of all Cubbington's people. The already overloaded drainage system couldn't cope with a sudden downpour and the Pingle burst its banks, flooding many properties and causing damage that took many months to rectify. Now along comes a developer and suggests building hundreds of homes on a hillside above the village. Where will all the waste water, sewage and run-off from paving and other hard surfaces go? Logically it will flow downhill - straight to the scene of the previous disaster. The inhabitants of New Street, Offchurch Road and Ladycroft are already facing less advantageous terms for home insurance. How will they get cover at all, if they have to disclose a planning blunder of such enormity? Warwick District Council sidestepped the blame last time - I doubt they'd be able to do so again if this development were to be allowed!
Another serious difficulty is the question of road access to the proposed site. Access to a more limited development was envisioned years ago by opening up cul de sacs on the East side of Parklands Avenue. It's doubtful that these narrow residential back-streets could handle such an enormous volume of traffic, and in any case where would it go then? Into Leamington via Valley Road? Onto the Cubbington Road towards Cubbington or back towards Leamington? These (already busy) roads couldn't cope with such a potentially large volume of additional traffic. Perhaps there'll be an attempt to funnel traffic onto the Offchurch Road. Cubbington is already a rat run for cars and lorries coming from the Fosse, through little twisty Offchurch, over the single track hump-backed bridge. It then divides at Thwaites factory, some of it speeding along Cross Lane, along narrow New Street past the school and up Church Hill, over the cross roads and ultimately to Coventry. The rest of it winds up the Windmill Hill past the other school and over the accident prone painted mini-roundabout at Compton's Garage, before continuing to Kenilworth. No, the existing road system couldn't cope and I don't expect the hopeful investors will want to spend their profits on a proper new system of wide roads extending several kilometres away from their money making scheme.
Although Cubbington has two thriving schools and a successful youth club at the Methodist Church, the average age of its inhabitants is rather higher than other neighbouring communities and it is seen as a good place to retire. Two things are missing. One is an alternative to the excellent but expensive care home at Cubbington Mill. The other is an adequate supply of affordable sheltered housing which would enable residents to continue to live independently (and locally) into their old age. A much smaller development, designed to meet these specific needs, would be much more welcome.