Testun llawn:
This letter is the response of the Central Leamington Area Residents' Association to the District Plan as outlined on the WDC website. It comprises an overview and some specific objections.
In summary, we are profoundly dismayed by the overall tone of the plan. The proponents appear to have no concern for the very factors that define the appeal of Royal Leamington Spa. On the one hand It is a town in which people can easily live within short distances of the centre, and wish to do so because of the layout and facilities. On the other, particularly to the North, it has a defined boundary, defended by green belt status for many decades, and with roads that are in scale with the overall size of the town. For most of the day the roads across the whole town handle the motor traffic well, only being stressed during the commuting period.
The plan could hardly do more to destroy this balance. The investment in the planned new and widened roads, and enlarged junctions, will amount to many tens of £millions, all to try and make commuting by car more attractive. The actual effect will be to increase commuting traffic and merely move congestion from one place to another. The work would destroy the essence of the landscape across the town, not only on the greenbelt, as bigger roads and junctions take precious space from every other use. The proposed housing in North Leamington will add yet more motor traffic to this pressure, whilst ensuring the eventual obliteration of the space between Leamington and Kenilworth.
Our specific objections relate to the arbitrary destruction of green belt space for housing in North Leamington, including the following;
* There is already an allocation of housing land elsewhere.
* The north Leamington development would be a major contribution toward coalescence with Kenilworth
* There is not the infrastructure to support such development, and provision of new roads would in itself cause extensive destruction and disruption with the green belt space
We look forward to hearing of the withdrawal of these proposals, and would be glad to cooperate in discussions of alternatives in keeping with the policies for improving the attractiveness of the town centre for visitors and shopping, reduced car use and improved public transport.