BASE HEADER

I am writing to oppose the District Council's plans to develop on Green Belt Land as shown in its 2012 Preferred Options booklet.

Accurate data
My first request is that you revisit the figures that have been used to create the projection of the number of houses that are needed and remove any 'padding'

Existing resources
My second request is that you examine the resources which are currently available.
 Those you identified in your 2009 core strategy plan
 White, brown and green wedge land
 Existing road infrastructure, M40 access and industrial sites with employment opportunities

The National Planning Policy Framework
My third request is that you revisit this framework which gives very clear guidelines on the criteria for the preservation of Greenbelt land

The Greenbelt in Old Milverton and Blackdown fulfils the 5 purposes of Greenbelt set out in the NPPF

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

In addition, it generates good crops, grain which would be totally lost and need to be resourced elsewhere, abroad and at what cost?
It has great recreational value being enjoyed by many walkers, runners, riders and cyclists, all at no cost.

Conclusion
Having read all the various statements I am left wondering how on earth can the short term paltry gain for a very limited number of developers be considered to outweigh the loss of such a rich environment for future generations of multiple users?

Whilst I totally understand the need for a plan, please reconsider your preferred options in light of the total development cost in monetary terms and huge debt to future generations who would be permanently deprived of the richness of this precious strip of North Leamington countryside