Testun llawn:
In general I support the policies set out in the revised strategy booklet "Local Plan Helping Shape the District".
I am pleased to set that the 2012 proposals put for extensive building in the green belt north of Warwick and Leamington have been dropped. Going ahead with it would have made a nonsense of national and local policies on green belt land.
I wish to make the following observations on particular sections of the booklet;-
Paragraphs 4.1.6 -4.1.9
This section contains a major logical flaw. Paragraph 4.1.6 argues that the District cannot achieve economic growth rates in line with national forecasts without inward migration. The following paragraphs go on to forecast how many dwellings will be required to sustain this level of economic growth. However it is impossible for every planning authority to achieve the level set out in the national forecast. Some areas will be above the average, and an approximately equal number will be below it.
The policies in paragraphs 4.1.6 to 4.1.9 appear to be based on the principle of "beggar my neighbour". Apparently Warwick District Council aims to achieve the national forecasts for economic growth by stripping other areas of their populations of working age.
Warwick District Council should be aiming to achieve for it citizens extra wealth and wellbeing per head of population. Simply importing extra people does necessarily do this. In fact it can result in the reverse through pressure that it puts on the environment and the infrastructure.
Map 6: Thickthorn
I accept that some green belt land at Kenilworth will have to be designated as a development site in order to enable the town to grow, and regard Thickthorn as the most suitable area. I also support the statements in paragraph 5.4.23 regarding the need for new employment land as part of the development.
Although there is a commitment to the provision of open space in this area, no hectares are given. Kenilworth as a whole has less publicly accessible open space per head of population than the level recommended by the WDC's SPD on Open Spaces. Provision in southern Kenilworth is particularly poor. Therefore the amount of publicly accessible open space at Thicktorn/Glasshouse lane should not only meet the needs of the new development but also address the shortfall in the south of the town. The land north of Rocky Lane would be suitable for this purpose.
Section 5.6.4
I fully support the policies regarding the Kenilworth to Leamington Spa (K2L) cycleway and the provision of a shared foot/cycleway alongside the Warwick Road between Leek Wootton and Kenilworth St Johns Gyratory.