Testun llawn:
Hello,
Having spent time attending meetings, investigating the developments and reading what other communities have raised regarding the development of gypsy and traveller sites, I would like to make the following further objections regarding specifically, the location of GT11 - Hampton Road site.
* My firmest objection remains that the purpose of selecting sites is to ensure tensions are reduced between settled and traveller communities and that of the 20 sites earmarked, the site on Hampton Road is far and away the closest to a built up residential area. I would hope the strength of feeling toward this site was made abundantly clear at the meeting on 15th July and that this is not going to engender a feeling of peaceful co-existence with the settled community when so many other sites are in rural locations away from a settled (or in our case settling) community.
* Regarding infrastructure. GT11 is located on a major arterial road which is very busy throughout the days that already take huge numbers of vehicles and this is due to increase rapidly as Chase Meadow expands in the next 18 months with three phases of housing development plus further traffic serving the Tournament Fields Business Park from the North and from Warwick town centre. I understand that the WDC's own sustainability audit questions these sites for this reason and the living conditions this will place on the Travellers and their families.
* Also on infrastructure, according to the documentation produced by the WDC, part of the GT11 site sits within the Flood plain. The addition of further hard standing within the area is likely to amplify the current issues with the flood plain.
* My final objection is a re-iteration of the point that Warwick is the County town and a focal point for regional tourism to the Racecourse and Castle. Regardless of how you consider landscaping a site at GT11, this will have the closest proximity to tourist attractions and local amenities. Regardless of local residents view the site, a gypsy and traveller site in such close proximity to the town, does nothing to maintain the appeal of the town and the facilities such as the racecourse as a tourist attraction. How can WDC possibly see a gypsy and traveller site directly on one of the town's major attractions (and I would argue the one most used by local residents) as a viable solution and still hope to actively promote tourism to the region?
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you