BASE HEADER

I am writing this e-mail to give my reaction to the New Local Plan as a major employer situated on the South side of the area.

One of the main needs of the business community is to be able to attract & retain quality staff. There is a lot of competition for qualified people who, whilst seeking a rewarding career, are also highly motivated by the quality of life. There is no question that Leamington & Warwick provide the potential for a very high quality of life, but the shortage of housing means that house prices are relatively high and unaffordable for many new employees. It is vital that the Council moves to implement a local plan with a sense of urgency to ensure the economy in the area can continue to flourish.

Business is also very conscious of the impact on the local infrastructure. Both Leamington & Warwick are very congested towns in rush hour due to the limited river crossings & the historic nature of the area. This is why all the business parks are located to the south of the area close to the M40 & A46 junctions. The location close to the centre of the motorway networks is attractive to business. It is vital, therefore, that the local plan ensures that the infrastructure supports the proposed developments & does not create unintended consequences elsewhere. I am writing to provide my support as a business leader for your latest plan for the following reasons:

1. The new housing developments will help attract the quality of the workforce required to maintain & grow our business in the future.

2. The developments are located close to where the employment opportunities are (to the South of Leamington & Warwick) thus providing an opportunity for people to live close to their work thereby reducing or eliminating the commute for many people with a consequential positive impact on the environment & their quality of life.

3. The prospect of access to a good local workforce will help to encourage more business to set up & relocate to this area, helping to generate more jobs & prosperity for the local community.

4. The proposals to improve the main access road, Europa Way, by making it a dual carriageway is vital to the success of the plan, and I would like to encourage the council to ensure that this is actioned at the beginning of developments in order to minimise the potential for long term disruption. This will also assist those will have to commute to access the major arterial routes more easily. In respect of this proposal, I would suggest that the council also considers improvements to the roundabout at the end of Europa way leading to the access road for the M40. This is already heavily congested in the morning and the evenings.