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1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 RPS Planning and Development (RPS) has been instructed by Lenco Investments (Lenco) to
prepare representations to the Warwick District Council New Local Plan Preferred Options
consultation document, in respect of their land interests at Baginton.
1.2 Warwick District Council (the Council) has proposed their Preferred Options in terms of housing
and economic growth and their vision for the district generally over the plan period to 2029.
These are currently being consulted upon until 27 July 2012.
1.3 RPS has made representations on behalf of Lenco to the previous stages of both the Warwick
Local Development Framework and the Coventry Core Strategy, to ensure a suitable approach is
taken to cross boundary development led growth.
1.4 Lenco's land interests at Baginton relate to a site which lies to the south of Baginton village
situated within the Green Belt, as shown at Appendix 1. It is important to note that Lenco has the
controlling interest in the majority of this land.
1.5 The site Lenco has interests in lies to the south of Baginton village, and. The site extends to
approximately 50ha and is in a sustainable location within easy access to Coventry City Centre,
close to the perimeter edge of the airport, with excellent cycle, pedestrian access to the
surrounding areas, and vehicular access to major transport links such as the A45 and A46.
1.6 Whilst the site falls within the local authority area of Warwick District it remains very close to
Coventry's administrative boundary, as well as the major sub regional employment base centred
on Coventry Airport. RPS is aware of the current proposals to expand Coventry Airport, and a housing development at Baginton would support these expansion plans.
1.7 The representations, therefore, address the need for housing growth within Warwick
administrative boundary and suggest that large-scale growth should be situated within close
proximity of employment development to ensure that people can live and work in close proximity.
Such proposals will support the Government's objectives to encourage economic growth in order
to revive the economy. Furthermore, these representations address the need for cross-boundary
growth and for full and proper cross-boundary working to be established between, Warwick,
Coventry and Nuneaton and Bedworth Boroughs as required by the Localism Act and NPPF.
1.8 The following chapter provides details about the site at Baginton, and our comments in response
to the Preferred Options document are provided in Chapter 3 and are set out in the same format
as the Council's response forms.
1.9 RPS are willing to meet with Planning Officers from Warwick District Council again concerning
Lenco's land interests and the New Local Plan process to discuss the potential of the site in
meeting local housing needs.
2 LAND SOUTH OF BAGINTON
2.1 The site Lenco has interests in extends to approximately 50ha and lies to the south of Bagington
village. The site is in a sustainable location close to Coventry City's boundary and the urban
area, and within easy access to the City Centre, and major transport links such as the A45 and
A46. The site, being close to the perimeter edge of the airport, with excellent cycle, pedestrian
and vehicular access, provides an exceptional opportunity for the provision of balanced housing
growth in the most sustainable manner.
Planning Policy
2.2 The Local Plan Preferred Options promotes 10,800 new dwellings within Warwick District for the
plan period up to 2029, at an annual delivery rate of 600 dwellings a year.
2.3 Evidence advanced by the West Midlands regional assembly for the West Midlands RSS
Examination in July 2009 from the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research,
based on 2006 ONS Household Projections and allowing for the economic downturn, concluded
that Warwick District's housing requirement between 2006 and 2026 was 18,200 dwellings at a
rate of 910 dwellings/year. Whilst the RSS is not longer in place, the evidence base is still to be
taken into account by Local Planning Authorities in preparing development plan documents.
2.4 The 2012 Strategic Housing Market Assessment indicates a requirement of 698 dwellings a year
to meet the affordable housing needs of the District in addition to market housing needs, which
is significantly higher than the level of housing currently being proposed by the Council.
2.5 The 2008 ONS Household Projections predicted an increase of 17,000 households between
2008 and 2028, at a rate of 850 dwellings a year. This represents an additional 150 dwellings a
year than is currently proposed through the Local Plan, which clearly will not meet the District's
identified need for new homes.
2.6 RPS is also aware that the 2012 SHLAA indicates that the District has a supply of deliverable
sites to provide 13,385 dwellings between 2014 and 2029, excluding windfalls, which is greater
than the numbers proposed within the Local Plan. Therefore the Council has identified the
ability to deliver housing sites at a higher annual rate than is currently proposed through the
Preferred Option.
2.7 RPS, on behalf of Lenco, therefore believes that the proposed figure of 10,800 new dwellings is
insufficient and that a higher level of growth would better reflect the projected population
increase and ensure that identified housing needs can be met, as suggested within the evidence
base. The Council cannot meet a higher target without locating housing on greenfield of Green
Belt land, and therefore should consider sustainable locations outside of the urban areas to
ensure housing needs can be appropriately met.
Cross-boundary Growth
2.8 The NPPF states that Local Planning Authorities have a 'duty to co-operate' on cross-boundary
planning issues, in particular for strategic priorities including housing, to meet development
needs which cannot be met solely within their own administrative boundaries.
6 rpsgroup.com
2.9 It has been recognised in Coventry's SHLAA assessment that the Council cannot meet their
housing targets on land within their administrative boundary alone. It is considered, therefore,
that Green Belt locations on the periphery of the urban area should be recognised as
appropriate locations for accommodating future growth.
2.10 The Green Belt south of Coventry was recognised through the Warwick Core Strategy process as
being an appropriate location for accommodating future growth of the City. Although the site is
within Warwick District it lies close to Coventry's administrative boundary, as well as the major
sub regional employment base centred on Coventry Airport.
Coventry Airport
2.11 Whilst both Coventry Airport's major sub regional employment base and Baginton village are
located outside of Coventry's local authority boundary, they are socially and economically
associated and physically adjoin the Coventry urban area. Residential development in this
location at Baginton could balance the existing significant employment base on the southern
side of Coventry, such as those around the airport at Stonebridge Trading Estate and
Middlemarch Business Park, both of which are within a very short distance of the site, as well as
the air freight and terminal employment opportunities.
2.12 RPS is also aware of the current Coventry and Warwickshire Gateway Scheme proposals
(Appendix 2) to expand Coventry Airport, and a housing development at Baginton would support
these expansion plans. RPS recommends that housing supply is focused in those areas where
there are important benefits to be gained where future economic growth is planned.
Site at Baginton
2.13 A residential-led mixed use development at Baginton could contribute sustainably to crossboundary
growth as required by the NPPF, and to meeting both Warwick District and Coventry
City's housing needs by delivering approximately 1,000 new homes either in isolation or as part
of the wider regeneration proposals for the area. The location of the site in relation to the
Gateway proposals is shown at Appendix 3.
2.14 Development at this location would also allow for new facilities and services to be provided,
making the best use of existing and proposed infrastructure. The site can be appropriately
phased over the Local Plan period to develop an available, suitable and deliverable urban
extension proposal.
2.15 The promotional document 'Land south of Baginton: A Sustainable Urban Extension' prepared in
2008 has previously been submitted to the Council and provides further details of how the site
could be sustainably developed.
2.16 In addition to this, extensive technical surveys in relation to flood risk, noise, ecology,
conservation and heritage, landscape, and highways have been undertaken of the site and
submitted to the Council, to demonstrate the site's suitability for a significant residential-led
development either in isolation or in connection with proposals for the wider area. An Air Quality
Assessment will also be undertaken to demonstrate the site's suitability for development.
2.17 RPS, therefore, considers that to help deliver greater sustainable development opportunities, it is
important that sufficient housing land comes forward in areas of proven market demand, such as on this Green Belt site to the south of Baginton, to contribute towards delivery of additional
dwellings and higher levels of growth to meet the needs of both Councils.
2.18 Responses to individual policies and topics within the Preferred Options consultation document
are included in the following chapter