Testun llawn:
I wrote to the Development Officer earlier, 14 July 2012. In the meantime I have consulted with others and as a result of this have additional concerns which I wish to draw to your attention. Please see letter in pdf format as an attachment which refers.
At the Parish Council Meeting held in Old Milverton Church on Monday 16 July it became apparent that the Preferred Options Plans, nominally open for consultation and discussion were nothing of the sort. The strong impression given in the presentation was that in the minds of the presenters, the 'only option' open is the one presented, even though the key argument for what constituted the justification for the Green Belt Land Grab was not made. Insult has been added to injury in freely admitting that the 2009 consultation, presumably based on sound 'Planning Criteria' is replaced by the 2012 consultation which clearly is not. The principle of 'Equalising the Misery' is scarcely a sound basis for planning.
This meeting has prompted me to make further comment, particularly when at the end of the meeting the Chairman Jonathan Lander encouraged those attending to make written submissions to WDC and copy their MPs if they felt there was merit in this course of action.
This was made the more poignant when Michael Doody immediately stood up and stated it was in no one's interest to copy the MPs, as there was a risk of repercussions and Local Government loosing control of planning decisions. He elaborated on this theme but found no support for his assertions.
Bill Hunt (Deputy CEO Warwick District Council) gave the WDC presentation at the Church meeting and also present were :
Councillors J.M.Lander (in the Chair), Mrs.A.Kelsey, J.McDonagh, L.J.Sant-Cassia and M.A.L.Tansey; County and District Councillor M.Doody; District Councillors J.S.Hammon and N.Pratt; and Mr. Bill Hunt, Deputy Chief Executive of Warwick District Council; together with some 150 members of the public, including Councillors Margaret Cashmore, David Cox and Peter Delow of Cubbington Parish Council.
There is also the matter of the WDC website, where 'contributors' are encouraged to force their submissions into 'boxes'. This looses the personal touch and is in danger of a total loss of context; the practise is certainly inhibitive. There is no satisfactory substitute for free form written letters ! To give an example of the anger and frustration this sort of thing can cause I refer you to the decision to ask for questions to be submitted in writing at Trinity School 'consultation' meeting, failing to address those questions at the meeting and providing only a summary of responses to 'subject areas raised' did not endear WDC to those taking the trouble to attend the meeting and try put a stop to this apparently politically motivated charade.
The handling of the change of plans to the newly 'Preferred Options' is certainly not in the public interest; and all those I have spoken to, have been greatly irritated by this lack of courtesy and consideration. A significant lack of trust certainly appears to have been generated.
This poses the question When and How do WDC propose to make available copy of letters of comment, objection and support in order to assure the public that letters/submissions are being properly addressed and the content properly taken into consideration; and enable interested parties to see the nature of submissions just as WDC do routinely for the more private and delicate subject of Planning Applications. I should be grateful for your written reply.
Letter detail
When I came to Old Milverton 35 years ago, L.Spa enjoyed an enviable reputation as a
Shopping Centre and was recognised as having a thriving 'community spirit'. Latterly,
much of this has been lost. Independent retailers appear to have lost confidence in
trading in the town. In places empty shops and offices show a town in decline.
By implementing the plans now proposed, the two plots of sequestered Green Belt land in
the Parishes of Blackdown and Old Milverton are set to become 'housing in isolation',
which will result in a 'Dormitory Development'; some say a 'ghetto'. The outcome can only
be a feeling of isolation and a huge increase in unnecessary commuting across L.Spa,
adding to the existing congestion at well known bottlenecks which so far WDC have found
impossible to resolve.
This is particularly pertinent as there is no detail admitted of the proposed infrastructure
intended to service this development. It might not even materialise - for example, if the
sale of the housing proposed founders; a not unlikely outcome in view of the land value
and expected high market value of the new housing in this area. If on the contrary, a
major and inspired infrastructure component is built in and it is successful, it can only be to
the detriment of L.Spa town Centre as shops, offices, services and places of work are
dispersed away from the Town Centre.
By developing a transport hub based on the Railway Station and the commercial/
recreation and services already in place to the south of the town; and locating new
housing development as laid out in the 2009 plan south of the town, it may still be possible
to retrieve much of what has been lost. To develop at Old Milverton & Blackdown can only
have the reverse effect. Our political representation appears to have completely lost sight
of this important consideration.
Why has it not been possible for Warwick District Council to take a grip and reverse the
deterioration experienced in Leamington Spa and exploit the many assets and advantages
associated with the existing infrastructure, services and trading opportunities south of the
town. Significantly, in the first instance, build Affordable Housing where they are needed,
upgrading the empty/derelict buildings and return the many houses originally built for
families to live in but no longer in family occupation.
In summary, It seems the social and cultural life of L.Spa is about to be finally
ripped out of the town and be dispersed into isolated units on the northern
periphery. WDC should be regenerating L.Spa by concentrating its development
from the town centre to the south and not fragmenting it by developing to the north
of the town. What a prospect for legacy !
At the Parish Council Meeting held in Old Milverton Church on Monday 16 July it became
apparent that the Preferred Options Plans, nominally open for consultation and discussion
were nothing of the sort. The new plans have been presented as the 'only option' even
though the key component of what constituted, 'Very Special Circumstances' for the
justification of the Green Belt Grab, was not made. It was agreed even by the DCEO that
the plans lack this very necessary robust argument.
Robert Solt demonstrated further weaknesses in the case for the Preferred Options Plans
by explaining that the numbers did not add up, on several counts. Mainly that the model
used was outdated and most of all, the input data was flawed being based on earlier
projections which are no longer valid, resulting in a very considerable overestimate of
housing need. No allowance appeared to have been made for the recent changes in the
nature of the local work force from manual to blue and white collar and a very significant
increase in numbers of professionals and academics.
It follows that a contemporary detailed audit is outstanding and is required to quantify
housing need, specifically to include the changes outlined above. An audit of similar rigor
is required to establish the total availability of development options to include all sites
Whitefield, Brownfield and Windfall (for which a particularly rigorous assessment is
needed and with inducements offered up to encourage this process). An explanation for
the 'apparent loss' of development sites since the previous assessment (see 2009 plans)
would not go amiss.
Missing from the report is a statement covering the impact of changes which must be
taken far more seriously such as the austerity measures and other significant events in
process, including the fate of the Euro and our EU member States and our Trading Status
as a nation committed to the practice of a disproportionately large scale Food Importation
Policy. Food Security has simply not been considered. In large conurbations this could
become the single most important consideration for Local Government.
If Climate Change and an increasing demand for western living standards are to be
aggressively pursued by Indians Chinese and Africans etc., we have the makings of 'the
perfect storm' in the ability of these countries to feed their own people, let alone export.
The UK is one of the more densely populated countries, at least in the EU and perhaps the
one at greatest risk from global food shortages. A consideration not to be taken lightly
when seeking to destroy Green Belt and good quality Agricultural Land.