Testun llawn:
We feel that the initial process for determining the location for the new housing is fundamentally flawed. Where the housing and employment land is needed and most appropriate should have been decided first and then the land acquired not building where land has been offered. The document states " make sure new developments are in places that will reduce the need for people to use their cars".
PO 12 also states that "transport is the biggest contributor to carbon emissions" yet all the proposed sites outlined in the plan will lead to more car journeys. It is difficult to imagine that there will be enough CIL money to develop the public transport measures needed to tempt people out of their cars.
It would make more sense to build around Warwick Parkway Station and the proposed station in Kenilworth.
In determining the number of houses needed little heed seems to have been taken of the housing stock being released by an aging population. It is difficult to see how anything in this plan has much economic benefit for Warwick. The SHMA says that employment will drive demand for housing and that 526 houses per annum are needed to achieve employment growth of 10% and forecasts employment growth of 11,860 jobs over years 20l1-203l.It is difficult to see where these jobs will come from unless the jobs created by the Coventry and Warwick Gateway scheme are included and what benefit will that bring to Warwick. The document says "need to provide employment land in and around the Districts main towns to meet local needs and encourage creation of jobs". All the employment land options are outside Warwick and there is no mention of employment opportunities within the town centres.
RefP09
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It is hard to justify "specific support for a major new retail development in Leamington Town Centre" as how will Warwick and Kenilworth prosper? We would like to suggest that the phrase "strongly resist any out of town centre proposals" be replaced with "not allow any out of town proposals" if WDC is serious about ensuring that" our town centres remain successful". There is no mention in the plan of the effect of cyber retailing and where are the plans for Wi Fi in our town centres? There are few firm proposals in this document or the draft infrastructure document for the plan to bring people into the town centre eg public transport, parking and ,particularly for Warwick, coach parking.
RefP017
There is nothing in the plan as to how WDC will "support visitor accommodation
in town centres"
RefP018
We suggest that "ensure that new development can be provided with adequate
water supply" should read "sustainable water supply".
With reference to the Green Infrastructure plan. Why are the four future opportunities not included in the plan.
Warwick Chamber of Trade are disappointed that there appears to be little of benefit to the town and hopes to see some improvements in the final document.