Testun llawn:
I would like to register my objection to the Warwickshire revised local plan (2013).
I agree that sustainable development should go ahead throughout the country, however I feel that Warwickshire does not currently have the local infrastructure to support the large amount of houses currently planned. My concerns over the current plan are:
1. Warwick Hospital is already at maximum capacity with patients being cared for in areas not designed for overnight care on a weekly basis. Due to the location of the hospital there is very little area for future expansion. This issue needs to be addressed prior to considering any development.
2. Many schools in proposed planning site are at capacity.
3. The road network in Warwick already experiences a volume of traffic that it struggles to cope with which is a main contributing factor to Warwick experiencing pollution levels above European guidelines on safety.
Planning in Budbrook/Hatton (Sites R75, R114, R115, R117, R124, R125, R126)
I would like to highlight my concerns over the above planning sites
1. The A4177 of which the above sites feed onto already experiences a high level of traffic and has congestion on a daily basis. This will be increased not only by the planned 90 houses on one the above sites but also many of the other sites outlined in the local plan feed onto the A4177. This road would need to be improved dramatically to cope with proposed local development.
2. Many of the planned sites line the A4177 this will dramatically affect the approach along this road into Warwick. West Midlands have also highlighted sites along this approach and will cause an effect of one county sprawling/merging into the other. Clear boundaries will be lost.
3. Due to the poor transport links to Hatton Park the average house has two or more cars. This increase in traffic turning onto the A4177 from Hatton Park or the other proposed site will inevitably increase road traffic congestion and accidents on this stretch of road.
4. The increased traffic will make it dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians to use this route as the cycle path is too narrow to pass pedestrians also using the path. Therefore residents currently using this method will also have to revert back to car journeys. The national planning policy framework highlights sites selected should minimise conflicts between traffic and cyclists/pedestrians
5. Ferncumbe Primary School and Budbrook schools are both on sites restricting their growth. With the proposed planning in Hatton Park and Hampton Magna, these schools will not be able to cope with the increased population resulting in children having to be transported to further afield.
6. Hatton Park currently has very little amenities with only a very small limited shop on the site, making it an unsuitable site to develop for anyone without a car.
Site R115
The greenbelt site R115 is of great concern as it borders Smith's Covert. Development of this site will result in the ancient woodland being locked by development. This piece of woodland is home to many protected animal species; bats as well as Muntjac deer, badgers, foxes, rabbits, and birdlife including green and spotted woodpeckers and buzzards to name a few. These species will suffer if this corridor link from Smith's Covert to the greater countryside is blocked by housing.
Critically the development of this site will go against some of the key points in the national planning policy which aims to have sustainable planning that ensures development will not mean a worse life with loss of environment for future generations and actually greenbelt land that can be refilled by nature should be encouraged.
Site R115 already meets another key point of the national planning policy as it is a rural area that not only houses the above wildlife but is an area that contributes to carbon storage as it supports Smiths covert of which the biodiversity would change with development of the site while also supporting rural industry as it is an area of food industry.
Development of this site will result in Warwickshire council fundamentally going against key points of the national framework
Sites for Travellers
As I understand the need for designated sites within Warwickshire for the travelling community to remove the temptation of illegal sites, these sites above all need the most consideration to limit the impact on the exiting residents and the tourism in the area.
Proposed sites at Kites Nest Lane (GT13) and land adjacent to Shell Petrol station, Birmingham Road (GT19).
1. Kites Nest Lane is currently occupied by travellers of which have been served an eviction notice. By granting planning on this site sets a precedent for future illegal sites seeking retrospective planning.
2. Planning on either site will increase the amount of heavy vehicles along the A4177 increasing the risk of accidents.
3. Until Kites Nest Lane eviction is settled, Birmingham Road should not be considered, as the two sites along with the existing travelling community based on canal boots along the nearby adjacent stretch of canal would result in the travelling community representing an above average percentage of the community in an area that is one of Warwick's main tourist attractions (Hatton Locks)
To summarise the revised local plan is not sustainable development, it does not give enough consideration to the local environment, the current capacity of local services and the impact it will have on tourism and ultimately the impact lives of future generations living in the area.