BASE HEADER

I would like to register my complaint around the current proposals to develop greenbelt land at Blackdown and Old Milverton.
As far as I am aware, the fundamental aim of Greenbelt policy as set out in the Government's National Planning Policy Framework is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. The Government's National Planning Policy Framework requires there to be "very special circumstances" for development in the Green Belt. It also requires the harm caused to the Green Belt by the development to be outweighed by the benefit of the development. According to Warwick District Council the special circumstances are that there is nowhere else for the homes to be built. However, in the "2009 Core Strategy" (the previous plan adopted by Warwick District Council) land south of Leamington (not in Green Belt), was identified and is still available, for development. The assessment performed by Warwick District Council shows that this land is easier to develop and already has a substantial amount of infrastructure (roads etc) to support the development, and the new residents who will live there. It is close to the M40 and there are existing employment opportunities South of Leamington as well as existing out of town shopping facilities and good access to the town centres.

The areas of Blackdown and Old Milverton are not just greenbelt land but are particularly beautiful areas of countryside in and around Leamington and its villages. Once this is built over, the land will never be green again and if we keep this idea of building on greenbelt land, the next 15 year plan will take even more land and eventually be nothing left. This kind of planning approach is unsustainable over one or two generations and once we have confirmed that greenbelt land is simply countryside waiting to be built upon, the protection offered by designating land as greenbelt will be destroyed.