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I am writing to notify you that I object to the proposed development in Old Milverton and Blackdown contained in Warwick District Council's Preferred Options for the Local Plan.

As a local resident who has lived in a number of parts of the Leamington area for a number of years, I believe that the Green Belt land earmarked as part of the Preferred Options has substantial recreational value to the local and indeed wider community.

As you will be aware, the area is enjoyed by many runners, riders, walkers and cyclists both within the immediate locality and beyond.

Above and beyond that, there are a significant number of families who use the area as an important means of getting quality family time together as well as exercise. Having such an area within central Leamington enables families to get out into the country without having to use transport to do so. This consequently reduces the carbon footprint of those families who would otherwise have to travel to nearby villages to do the same.

It is also an integral part of the character and attraction of the local area and has been pivotal in attracting a number of residents to the area. Many of those residents are business owners/senior managers within business whose presence in Leamington is of real value to the local business community and economy.

Further, visitors to the area often comment upon the approach into Leamington via Old Milverton, Northumberland Road and their charm. To develop the Greenbelt would in my view adversely impact upon the attraction of the town as a whole to visitors.

As I understand it, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that the Government attaches great importance to Greenbelts.

The Greenbelt in Old Milverton and Blackdown fulfils the five purposes of Greenbelt set out in the NPPF and therefore should remain as open Greenbelt land.

It is my view that it:

1. Prevents the unrestricted sprawl of Leamington to the north
2. Prevents the merging of Leamington and Kenilworth
3. Helps safeguard the countryside from encroachment
4. Helps preserve the setting and special character of Leamington (a historic town)
5. Helps urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land

I understand that there are other sites which can be developed that are not in the Greenbelt and within the District.

These sites, which are mainly to the south of Leamington, were included in Warwick District Council's previous plan (the 2009 Core Strategy). Furthermore, employment opportunities and infrastructure already exists here, and this land should be used in preference to the Greenbelt without the same overall impact on amenities and the character of the area.

The NPPF states that Greenbelt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional circumstances. As there are alternative sites with existing infrastructure, there are no exceptional circumstances which outweigh the harm caused by altering the Greenbelt boundaries in Old Milverton and Blackdown and allowing development on this land.

Please reconsider your Preferred Options.