Testun llawn:
I am absolutely disgusted, alarmed and appalled that 3,330 houses are going to be built in Warwick.
How is it fair that Warwick will be spoilt by over 3,000 more houses being built in South Warwick? This is 37% of the total build proposed in the whole District which is 10,800. 97% of people opposed building in this area during the Core Strategy Consultation. We have had quite enough development in Warwick - Gates, Chase Meadow, Myton Road and other smaller developments. Warwick should not be blighted by yet more housing while other areas in the District are let off lightly.
Warwick at present is a picturesque and historic town with a unique character that residents and visitors alike enjoy. It has always been nestled amongst the beautiful green Warwickshire countryside. This countryside will be obliterated by plans to build on only greenfield sites rather than brownfield sites, which is against the National Planning Policy Framework. Greenfield sites are only supposed to be built on in very special circumstances. The District has 85% green belt but 45% of this is to be built on thus reducing the gap between conurbations. The District say there is nowhere else to build but there were many alternatives in the previous Core Strategy options. Warwick will cease to be the attractive county town that locals and visitors know and love. It will become yet another built up concrete jungle.
None of the plans make any sense because other areas that would welcome more housing, such as rural villages, have not been allocated enough housing. Such villages would be delighted at more development because more people could stay in the village they were born in.
Even the safety of residents will be sacrificed for the new housing; flood zones, such as Europa Way, Gallows Hill and the Banbury Road area, will be built on. This will impact on areas of Warwick which flood, such as Myton Road and Bridge End. Warwick will frequently be under water and residents will have their homes damaged but nobody seems to care about the human cost so long as WDC targets are met.
Warwick already suffers from terrible problems with infrastructure. The traffic problems are atrocious and our roads cannot take any more traffic. Warwick simply was not designed to take the levels of traffic that it does at present and the town is at breaking point. Parking is a nightmare and the sheer volume of cars makes crossing the road difficult and it spoils the overall appearance of the town. These plans do not put infrastructure on the priority list, such as new roads, bridges, schools, extra health provision, police and the fire service. The County admit that they cannot contain the resulting increase in traffic (possibly an extra 6,000+ cars in South Warwick alone) and that there are places where congestion will worsen.
Furthermore, this increase in traffic will result in the air pollution in Warwick becoming a million times worse than it already is. The air quality is some of the worst in the country and is not good for the general health of local people. Air quality in areas of Warwick are already in breach of Air Quality Regulations and will become toxically high. There is no management plan to address these levels. The proposed 40% increase in the town's population over 15 years will inevitably add to the congestion and air pollution. The increase in population as a result of this new housing, will make life in Warwick unbearable and is a threat to public health. Present and future residents of Warwick will be unsafe.
The local plan is seriously flawed and I implore you to think again about allowing these plans to go ahead. The future of Warwick is in your hands and, as a resident who is passionate about this historic town, I shall be sorely disappointed if you do not reconsider these plans. Please reduce the number of houses that are planned for Warwick.