Testun llawn:
I hope you will still consider this feedback even though it has been submitted after the deadline. I am currently visiting family in Finland and have had to cope with two unexpected collapses of my father this afternoon which necessarily distracted me from responding before the deadline. I did, however, want to share my thoughts on the new local plan hence sending this email. Please would you confirm whether you will take my email into consideration as part of the new local plan consultation.
I am concerned that the number of new houses proposed within the new local plan appears to greatly exceed the projected housing demand in this region. I agree that the plan should aim to meet projected housing needs but, particularly given the pressure that the proposal already puts on the local environment, exceeding the projected need will only exacerbate these problems.
The location of the possible locations of housing developments deeply concerns me. I strongly believe that greenfield sites should not be built upon where there are brownfield options. Our natural environment is a rare resource and once sacrificed it is lost for good, and 'garden' housing developments proposals simply do not mitigate the loss. If brownfield sites cannot meet the housing needs the location of additional housing must be sympathetic to the existing settlements and infrastructure issues. I am concerned that a significant area of farmland to the north and west of Bishops Tachbrook appears to have been offered by the owners for development. Whilst this may be economically attractive to the land owners, the impact of further development in this area would have a serious negative impact on existing residents. The development of Warwick Gates has already increased the number of cars that travel through Bishops Tachbrook which use it as a rat run to access the M40. Given the location of the village it is reasonable to assume that further development to the north of this village will exacerbate this problem. I appreciate that increased populations will result in increased car traffic, however the main road running south through the village goes through one stretch (close to Savages Close) where it is extremely narrow and the visibility of traffic heading north along this road is already very poor when at the junction by The Leopard pub. If the housing in south Leamington Spa area is to increased it must be in a location that is further west such that traffic is more likely to use the major roads such as Europa Way.
The British countryside is characterised by villages and rolling fields. We have a duty to preserve the rural character of the area and prevent towns such as Leamington Spa to sprawl further and encroach on existing boundaries with local villages.
My recommendation would be that the new local plan should seek to only meet the projected housing demand for the area and that any development takes place next to major roads which do not run though small villages. The rural character of the area around Bishops Tachbrook must be preserved and road safety should be prioritised.
I hope you will consider my feedback.