BASE HEADER

I was amazed and frankly appalled to hear of the proposed plans to build on the green belt land to the north of Leamington Spa. As I'm sure you will be aware all the main services (Supermarkets / transport links etc) are located on the southern side of the town, making it a far more viable area for future development.

Although not opposed to the development of Green belt areas when absolutely necessary, there is clearly an alternative option in this case, which has not been explored fully.

As it stands building on the northern edge would also require the construction of new roads, in order to take the residents to the Supermarkets and transport links (M40 in particular) on the Southern side, which is a costly exercise, for both the public purse and the environment.

Green belt areas are not only supposedly off limits according to the national planning framework, they are also a vital part of our towns, not just pretty to look at, but also a resource. The Old Milverton area for example has a variety of leisure uses, which are not immediately apparent, but would be sorely missed once the area has become yet another suburb. Building on land such as this is also problematic, as it will undoubtedly lead to 'in fill development' where green spaces in and around the new housing projects become fair game for development - and we end up with Leamington and Kenilworth joined together by one mass suburban sprawl, which in turn merges into Cubbington, Lillington, and the Town centre.

Leamington Spa is a very special town that we should be proud of, and we should endeavour to meet our responsibilities to provide more housing for future generations whilst also maintaining the town as a place in which people would desire to live.

I do not wish to tell my Children the same thing I was told when young.
"I remember when all this used to be fields' should not be our legacy.