Testun llawn:
Dear Sir or Madam
I wish to make the following comments on the Local Plan bearing in mind the significant development that has already taken place in Warwick over the last two decades, namely Hatton Park, Chase Meadows, Benfords site, Warwick Gates and Myton Road (old school site).
The local plan is suggesting significant further development of the town, which would potentially increase the size of Warwick by approximately 40% and yet little attention seems to have been taken into consideration the already poor air quality experienced in the town centre, which would be further adversely affected by the additional traffic generated by such development, which seems to suggest that traffic would be concentrated on the Castle Hill area of the town. The proposed changes to the infrastructure of the town seems to be based solely on providing additional traffic lights and by reducing access to a thoroughfare at the St John's end of Smith Street. The traffic congestion which already exists in the town, particularly at peak times is an issue now, let alone having potentially more traffic directed through the town in future years. I understand that a report is due shortly on the air quality of Warwick town centre, and so I think it regrettable that the District Council would put forward such development without having first knowledge of the outcome of that report.
Development on the scale proposed would have significant impact on services such as schools and hospitals. It was suggested at the public meeting held at Aylesford School that the District Council were in discussion with Warwick Hospital and the County Education Department about the provision of additional services. We have all read in the press about problems at Warwick Hospital A & E Department being able to cope with current demand, and as the hospital site has already been developed to its maximum potential, I fail to understand how it can be suggested that the hospital could cope with the impact of providing care for potentially a 40% increase in the size of the town and surrounding district. It was suggested at the Aylesford meeting that to cope with the additional demand for school places, that Myton could expand, and yet you only have to attempt to travel along the Myton Road now between the hours of 8.15 am and 9.00 am and 3.15 pm and 4.30 pm to see that the current road is frequently blocked with long tailbacks of traffic caused by school traffic both from Myton and Warwick Schools. Any such expansion of Myton School would have an impact on the infrastructure and yet this does not seem to have been taken into account.
With regard to the plan for the proposed traveler sites, it strikes me that all the proposed sites are predominantly around Warwick, and this seems an unfair distribution, bearing in mind that there is a long tradition of using the Thickthorn site in Kenilworth for the annual traveler horse fair. That site is close to transport links (A46), close to schools, doctors, shops etc and would appear to meet more of the criteria that a lot of the sites suggested for Warwick. I fail to understand why that area of land at Thickthorn would be designated for employment use, when there is no history of employment use in that part of Kenilworth, and there would not appear to be a demand for employment land in Kenilworth when you take into consideration the change of use around Common Lane, Priory Road, Kenilworth from employment to residential.
All in all I think the proposed local plan reflects badly on the Council as an ill-conceived document, and officers and Councillors need to go back to the drawing board and start again, and come back with proposals which residents of the area would find acceptable. It is clear from the local press that there is strong opposition to the plan, and as a democratic country, Officers and Councillors should respond in line with local wishes.