Testun llawn:
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Hurst Farm site and in particular on the points made by Messrs Savills in their submission. With regard to the alleged advantages of this site:
"It relates well to the existing urban area with a number of points of access to facilitate the effective integration of an urban extension "
It does indeed relate well to the existing area - forming a precious band of green belt between the two communities of Coventry and Kenilworth. Easily accessible by a network of footpaths (and a potential cycle path), it provides both recreational benefits and a 'green lung' for the benefit of both communities. It contributes to the sense of place and identity for each, in contrast to the urban sprawl that can exist in other cities and villages when everything runs into everything else.
Regarding the access issue, the charm of the area is partly in the small country lanes which evoke a bygone era - they are simply not suitable for heavy traffic and to destroy them would constitute an act of vandalism
"It is adjacent to and includes land owned by the University of Warwick and as such it is ideally suited to accommodate University related development in the form of further student accommodation , teaching facilities and/or high tech employment activity "
This comment conflates the question of the possible expansion of the University of Warwick and associated hi tech employment with the building of additional housing and as such is potentially misleading - it is essential to separate these two issues as they will have different pay offs.
"The land is of low agricultural value and is compromised by its location on the edge of the urban area of Coventry"
This is not relevant. The value of this bit of greenbelt is nothing to do with its agricultural value. One might just as well say that deer park at Magdalen College Oxford is not an economically viable means of farming venison!
"It is s discrete area of land enclosed in part by woodland and therefore would have less impact on the environment and wider local landscape"
This is a remarkable comment given the size of the parcel of land in relation to the size of the greenbelt and the small size of the wood - especially as the plan appears to destroy part of the woodland itself! May I suggest that if anyone seriously believes it they take the opportunity for a pleasant stroll along the Kenilworth Greenway, recently improved (presumably by Warwick Council) and now very popular with all sections of the community? It will take little imagination to see the huge impact of this development.