Testun llawn:
I object to numerous elements of the WDC Local Plan. I am not a planner and therefore it has taken considerable time and effort for me to draw together a reasoned response - time that many families simply do not have.
In the public meetings I have attended throughout the Consultation I have been astounded at the insistence of Council officers that the Local Plan in its current form is going ahead irrespective of the public response. What kind of Consultation is that?
I have also yet to hear a solid reason why the greenbelt land north of the river, earmarked in the first draft, is no longer being considered. Limited release of this land would create a more balanced and sustainable urban area.
I understand that fairness is not a planning concern. But the concentration of such a high proportion of the proposed new housing south of the river is completely unacceptable. Aside from the coalescence of settlements this will cause, the strain on local infrastructure, the nightmare traffic and corresponding reduction in quality of life for existing residents, it will impact upon Leamington Town Centre, which will cease to be just that, a centre. If the proposed new levels of housing are built south of the river, this will skew the demographic across the District, the Town Centre will become increasingly irrelevant as new residents access retail outlets and supermarkets located south of the river. At a time when Town Centre retailers across the country are struggling, I am shocked at the District Council's blatant disregard for the local economy and their willingness to plan the decline of Leamington Town Centre.
I would like to object specifically to the following areas of the Local Plan:
Level Of Growth
I am not convinced that WDC's required number of houses is based on sound analysis. Recent projections by respected local planners suggest that the District Council has over estimated the need. I am concerned this has been done for expediency, to ensure the Local Plan is passed upon eventual government Examination. Also, I am not convinced that WDC has effectively exercised its Duty to Co-operate with Coventry in cross-boundary housing provision.
Location of Growth
The Local Plan should make more Green belt releases to the north of Leamington. As mentioned above, a spatial rebalancing of the urban form is required away from the southern edge of Whitnash/Warwick/Leamington. This surely would be sound planning practice, creating a more rounded urban area, enabling greater accessibility for the Town Centres (Leamington and Warwick) with them forming two central hubs. If the proposed developments to the south take place, Leamington Town centre will no longer be 'central' to the District's urban area.
Myton Garden Suburb
The proposed development here will result in a coalescence of Warwick, Whitnash and Leamington. Additional traffic on Europa Way and north under the railway would pose serious concerns.
South of Gallows Hill
This area of land is highly visible and covering it with houses would impact on the backdrop of Warwick castle, damaging the local tourism industry upon which numerous businesses in the local area rely. In planning terms it is not a logical extension of an existing urban form, but instead would create a peninsula of development to the south.
Whitnash East
In the immediate vicinity of this site there are areas of historical and conservational interest which must be preserved. I am doubtful that the cost of relocating Campion School in order to gain access to this site can be justified by the number of new houses proposed.
Warwick Gates Employment Land
I am concerned at proposals that this land be reallocated for housing when there is no other land in the urban area that offers this amount of high quality land area for employment in such an accessible location. Why is the proposed housing density in this area so low?
Woodside Farm
Access to the development is a major concern. A single access point would isolate the development from the existing community and create such a volume of traffic that it would be simply unsustainable. How can the significant cost of highway improvements to provide two access points be justified even if physically possible? The proximity of Ashford Road and Harbury Lane junctions surely precludes access via Tachbrook Road and access via Landor Road is precluded by the current road alignment and lack of vehicle capacity. Our local road infrastructure simply could not cope with the numbers of new cars this development would bring. Increased air pollution and traffic noise are real concerns, alongside the danger posed to pedestrians (particularly children) of residents from the new development using Othello Avenue as a cut through to access local shops. The National Planning Policy Framework clearly states that development will not be permitted where it generates significant road traffic movements unless mitigation measures are used to avoid adverse impacts. I do not see any convincing evidence that mitigation measures will be adequate enough in this instance.
The visual impact of this dense development, 83m above sea level compared with 65-68m for established housing in the area, would be unacceptable, making it highly prominent in the local landscape. Furthermore the fact that some houses will be up to three storeys high raises significant concerns of privacy for existing dwellings. Attempts to mitigate this issue using trees for shielding will likely bring problems with shading and access to natural light.
The area proposed for development has steep inclines, as steep as a rise of 5m in 40 (1 in 8). Flooding from the fields is already a concern for those houses that back on to the Woodside Farm area. Given the density of the proposed housing, I am very concerned about the effect of considerable new water run off from hard surfaces in a new development, and the potential flood risk this would pose to existing housing backing on to it.
Woodside Farm is Grade 2 agricultural land. With growing population rates and domestic food production demand rising, it is fundamentally unacceptable to build on land of this quality when brown field sites are available.
Fieldgate Lane/Golf Lane
How is this site going to be accessed? The junctions at Coppice Road/Morris Drive and Whitnash Road/Golf Lane do not have the capacity to cope with the additional traffic these developments would bring, particularly at peak periods.