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The New Local Plan - Objection to Development of the Green Belt in North Leamington.

Common sense and concern for present and future generations dictate that the green belt should be conserved and only used for development when no other suitable sites are available - in this case sites are available to the south of Leamington outside the green belt.
Building that is proposed on the Milverton and Blackdown sites will be seen as an act of vandalism in the future.
No one is looking ahead. The proposal is an invitation to future councils to eat further into the green belt until there is none left between Leamington and Kenilworth as has happened between Leamington and Warwick now a continuous urban sprawl.
Green Belt must be sacrosanct - Why?
Councils must avoid short termism. They are responsible for the future of our children who, it is now understood, should wherever possible have easy access to the countryside - trees, fields and fresh air - everybody's right.
Development of the green belt involves destruction of hundreds of prime oak trees, miles of hedgerows and thousands of species of plants , animals, birds and invertebrates which depend on clear air, space and greenery. The native Oak tree is estimated to provide habitats for some 35,000 different species which are wholly or partially dependent on it.
For some time now we have been able to monitor people walking - with and without dogs - throughout the year at just one point of access to the Green Belt namely the Northumberland Road / Bamburgh Grove entry. As many as 20 - 30 people daily can be seen using the footpath across to Old Milverton and on fine summer days and weekends as many as 100 will use the path, some making their way through to Guys Cliffe. The recreational and scenic values offered by this important area alone will be lost if the new plan is goes ahead.
At a previous location some 50 years ago it became apparent that, after blocks of around 1000 houses were scattered around the countryside , the sites were non - sustainable and shops soon closed , communities requiring at least 2500 homes for shops ,restaurants / take-aways ,medical services, pubs and churches to function successfully. Splitting the Blackdown and Old Milverton developments simply repeats those mistakes becoming small development dumps from which people need to escape.
Any successful development of a new village requires a definable centre and thoughtful road systems not just straight lines. The roads serving these areas are already choked during rush hours and the proposed plan will make the situation much worse especially on the A452 Leamington towards Kenilworth and the A46. What are the exact proposals for easing the added congestion that will inevitably occur. An exact plan is needed not merely a wish list. The proposed new road through Old Milverton will surely kill the village. Is that what the council wants?
There are no extra jobs in these areas nor will they be created once the houses are built. At least South Leamington has better access to the town and jobs.
Developers love building on Green Belt - it is a cheap and easy option maximising their profits whilst destroying the environment.
There are many weasel words in the document. Affordable housing - for whom? First time buyers / social housing - who decides? Sustainability - a meaningless word suggesting care and consideration - clearly not the case. Words covering a multitude of sins giving developers a free rein.
Surely before consent for development is even considered ,we must look to the next 5, 10 or 15 years. What is bound to happen is that having ruined the Green Belt on the north side of Leamington and built houses in numbers too small to support a viable community, other developers will turn their attention to land already identified by planners outside the green belt to the south of Leamington. The council will find it impossible to resist their demands to develop this land because the Government has announced a presumption for development , so that on appeal the council will have no grounds for refusal . So we will ultimately be left with a vandalised Green Belt and the south side will be developed anyway - we must therefore never build on green belt which should be kept in trust for future generations.
We are certain that the councillors who have put forward this dreadful plan cannot be familiar with the tranquil beauty of our local countryside. To this end we are enclosing photographs taken this year to illustrate the devastation that is proposed .
These piecemeal plans must be rejected out of hand and we plead that the Councillors THINK AGAIN.