BASE HEADER

PO1 Preferred level of growth
Representation: The Council is ignoring the opinion of the majority of respondents to the March 2011 questionnaire. Instead it is opting to use one isolated exceptional period of growth to substantiate its preference for unacceptably high development, apparently in the mistaken belief that housing growth would promote economic growth. We only need look at what has happened to the property market in Spain to see how catastrophic this would be.

Changes: The projection for growth should be based on a much lower, more balanced and reasonable expectation of level of growth.

PO3: Broad location of growth
Representation: It is essential to avoid development of Green Belt land, which affords essential open spaces and recreation opportunities where little else exists for public use nearby. Even if the highest level of projected growth were to be adopted, there is adequate land available elsewhere (eg in the Heathcote area) without encroaching on Green Belt land. The Council has, therefore, no grounds on which to justify the use of Green Belt land. Furthermore, to develop the areas of Green Belt land included in the proposals would necessitate a whole new infrastructure to the north of Leamington, which would in turn eat up even more Green Belt land - with disastrous consequences for one of our few remaining areas of untouched rural character, Old Milverton - whereas to the south the necessary infrastructure is already in place. If the Council it were to proceed with the current plans to decimate our countryside unnecessarily it would contravene national guidelines on the use of Green Belt, lose credibility, and as a consequence it would suffer severely in the next round of local elections.

Changes: I would urge the Council in the strongest possible terms to reverse its recommendation to build on Green Belt land, and to resist pressure from developers who are waiting poised to destroy our precious countryside. Instead I would urge the Council to concentrate development in logical, sensible locations, such as the Heathcote area.