BASE HEADER

After carefully reading your proposals for the local plan I wish to comment as follows.
Gateway.
The Gateway is totally inappropriate development on green belt with NO special circumstances. The green belt was set up to prevent city sprawl into the countryside. I request that you take all reference to Gateway out of the local plan.
Housing.
It is encouraging that WDC have at long last agreed that small housing developments in local communities should be allowed. Small growth sustains local amenities like shops and post offices. In order to protect the character of our village it is important to have a balance between market and affordable houses and it is good to see this incorporated in the proposal. However to suggest 70 - 90 houses over such a short time frame an this is totally unacceptable. The minimum should be deleted and left with just a maximum number and the final number should be in line with local needs and wishes.
Gypsy Sites.
Eric Pickles has announced that no gypsy sites will be built on green belt land so why is WDC proposing one on land opposite Coventry Airport which is in our green belt? We currently have 3 gypsy sites within 1 mile of Baginton and the guidelines require that such sites should be distributed across the district. The guidelines also require sites to be near a school, a doctor's surgery, a hospital and good local bus services; Baginton does not meet any of this criteria!. One of the proposed Baginton sites is on land owned by Smith's nursery; this is causing a very negative reaction locally which could harm the business potential of this local employer. WDC have identified other potential sites within Warwickshire that are not on green belt land which are more appropriate.

Please take my views into consideration when creating the next stage of the drafting process.