BASE HEADER

Gwrthwynebu

ID sylw: 5504

Derbyniwyd: 23/09/2009

Ymatebydd: V Strong

Object to Kings Hill site:
Loss of green belt land and wildlife - Building of houses, industrial units, schools, roads, sewage disposal, gas, electricity and drinking water supplies on this small piece of land will evenutally bring Coventry, Kenilworth and Stoneleigh into conurbation, which would continue to expand exponentially. Precious little green open space inside Coventry now, taking green belt from around the city would reduce 'lungs' and diminish air quality. There are ancient hedgerows dating back to 1500 on land. Along with loss of green belt and agricultural land, there is loss of wildlife. Continuous loss of habitat is pushing too many species to extinction and the eco-balance is further upset.
Loss of farm land - food prices rising and world food crisis. Our food has to be imported , even that traditionally grown here, as production capacity per head of population is extremely low, yet we have some of the best farmland in the world. Land is built on and farmers paid minimum prices. Brown field sites can be reused but once greenbelt/farmland built on, it cannot be recovered.
Flooding - hard surface accompanying development is going to cause severe increase in surface water run off and as the site slopes down to Stoneleigh and the Severn Trent Sewage Treatment Works, then flooding seems inevitable with potential sewage pollution in the sort of rainy weather experienced in recent years. Cost to all residents.
Traffic - already congested on A45, A46 and Kenilworth Road at rush hours into and out of city. More houses and industrial units will add to traffic hold ups and increase air and noise pollution adding to misery of loss of green belt land. Building more road to open up the bottle neck would only increase the problem.
Other socially necessary amenities:
Schools - already oversubscribed. Would have to be extended to accommodate more children with loss of playing fields and overcrowding of outdoor and indoor facilities.
GP surgeries, dental surgeries, public transport, welfare clinic, district nurses, library, easy, speedy access to emergency services and hospitals - some already in short supply in Finham area.
Population density in Coventry and surrounding area already high and in danger of reaching critical mass - dangerous ecologically, economically and politically.
Employment - Financially Coventry in bad way - industries sold off and jobs taken abroad. Factory sites are left derelict and no manufacturing base that can absorb even small number of skilled unemployed. People have little money to spend so knock on effect in service industry.Little to attract visitors to city with cheap chains operating. An ageing population in city unable to support themselves on state pensions.; School leavers going straight onto benefit because there is no employment.
Who will buy houses? Local people won't get jobs when building complete so who will buy the houses? Even affordable housing is too expensive.
Unused brown field sites - what is current brown field site capacity? Where are they? Coventry airport for sale and no longer viable. It is next to cleared ex-factory complex at Ryton which is earmarked for industrial development. Construction companies may prefer to use open countryside to build to maximise profits.
Kings Hill area does have 4.5 ft. diameter sewage pipe carrying waste from Canley to Severn Trent Sewage Works at bottom of Kings Hill and there is major pipeline carrying fuel from South West to Northern Britain.
Vitally important to maintain green corridors and that means careful management and control of land use, population density and social welfare provision.