BASE HEADER

A, Volume of housing
The main proposal of the Local Plan is for a very substantial increase in residential development in the District. This is largely based on Government projections of housing need. The validity of these forecasts has recently been seriously questioned, not least because they anticipate a repeat of immigration into the area which has been shown to have been associated with the particular circumstances of recent years; there is no evidence that these circumstances are likely to be repeated. The Plan's population forecast also cannot be justified by the evidence: it extends far beyond the period covered by the original carefully researched report. It would be entirely reasonable and in accordance with the evidence, to set a lower figure for housing need, based on the natural growth of the existing local population, without deliberately seeking a further increase.

B, Transport infrastructure
The provision of this quantity of residential development south of Warwick would place a severe strain on the road network in and around Warwick and Leamington.

The aim of the transport aspects of the Plan appears to be, above all, to move traffic through the towns as rapidly as possible, with the least possible inconvenience to the users of the roads. The narrow streets of Warwick are totally unsuitable for this, as all evidence will show - see The Butts and the High Street. There is less evidence in the Plan of concern for the residents and for other occupants and users of the streets. Surveys have shown that a large proportion of traffic entering Warwick drives straight through the town, giving no benefit to the town. The road network should be developed to keep this traffic on by-passes outside the town, not going straight through it. Just getting more traffic passing faster through the towns will only damage the quality of life and the historic nature of the towns themselves, upon which the towns depend for their livelihood, principally through tourism.

C, Air Quality
The existing air quality has been recognised as unacceptably low. The Council is doing nothing to carry out its statutory obligations in this respect. There is no evidence that this poor air quality is properly taken into account in the Plan. Indeed, implementation of the Plan would damage air quality still further. How does the Council intend to meet its statutory obligations in this matter in future?

D, Warwick Bridge
The road network depends on the few existing river crossings. Of these, the bridge in Warwick is over 220 years old. No evidence is produced to show that the bridge is sustainably capable of carrying the further increases in traffic anticipated by the Plan. Has it even been surveyed for this particular purpose?

E, Warwickshire as a whole
There is no evidence that Warwick District Council is co-ordinating its own local plan with the local plans of adjacent district councils. If Stratford District Council approves a major expansion of housing in the Gaydon/Lighthorne Heath area, how will this affect this present Local Plan and the housing need it assumes?

Please think again!