Testun llawn:
The East of Church Lane site (Site 1) is the single most beautiful part of the village of
Radford Semele.
It has existed almost untouched since the Middle Ages - building on it will remove a
part of the Village enjoyed by Villagers and tourists.
The Village Fields are the last remaining open space of its kind within the village
providing an important balance and place of beauty to balance housing development
both historic and that planned for the future.
Building will destroy the setting of St Nicholas Church, a Grade 11 listed building that
has been a focus for village lives for hundreds of years. Views from the Church
would be devastated with views over open countryside replaced by a view on a high
density housing estate.
The Church has only just been restored after nearly 5 years and is beginning to recongregate
and be utilised as a wedding and funeral centre. In conjunction with
English Heritage, the vista to the Church from Southam road was a key aspect
considered in the rebuild of the church with specific requirements to maintain a
replicated elevation during restoration. This elevation will largely be lost if
development is allowed and will mean expense was made to preserve a view that
will no longer be seen or needed. That calls into question why such a demand was
made at all.
Traffic chaos will result from widened roads, new traffic lights or roundabouts at the
junction of Church Lane, School Lane and Southam Road. Changes will be required
to provide access to the site that will turn the village into a car park at peak times.
If Housing proceeds new roads will need to be built across the Church Fields. The
open view of the countryside will be replaced with traffic queues and the vista into
the Church will be destroyed by enlarged road and by streetlamps.
Development in these open fields will remove the identity of the Village - the Church
creates a perception of us as a Village. Hiding it behind a housing estate will make
us appear as just another suburb of Leamington Spa.
Building will take away the beautiful setting of the Village Pub. The White Lion is
enjoyed by villagers and tourists attracted by its setting opposite the Church Fields.
The setting will be lost, placing jobs and the future of the White Lion at risk. Pubs are
closing across the country - why put ours at risk of in turn itself becoming another
housing estate?
The village will naturally expand over the years. Why build on a place of beauty in
the centre of the Village that can never be replaced when other areas will be built on
later?
People across Warwickshire recognise and define Radford Semele by the beauty of
the Church Fields and open countryside. Replacing the Church Fields with a housing
estate will remove this Village identity.
The site to the East of Church Lane is not best place for access to local village
services and amenities and is separated from the main village by the busy A425
road . Being divorced from the village will result in widespread use of cars to get to
and from this site further exacerbating traffic chaos and pollution levels along the
stretch of road near to the Church.
No one in the Village was consulted on this site and our democratically elected
Parish Council was ignored. The site was imposed on the people of the Village by
those who do not live here or understand our way of life.
The Council must seek alternative ways to provide additional housing in Radford
Semele.
Stop the plans to promote the beautiful fields ("Site 1 East Of Church Lane") as a
housing estate. This land provides a setting for St Nicholas Church, a medieval
Grade 11 listed building in Radford Semele.
I want the Warwick District Council (WDC) to reject the Church Fields as their
"Preferred Development option" for building a housing estate in Radford Semele as
put forward in their Local Plan Consultation 25th November 2013-20 January 2014.
I want WDC to place the Church Fields into an "Area of Restraint" and look at
alternative ways to provide for additional housing within Radford Semele.
I support fully the wishes of this campaign petition.
Sincerely,
[Signatures Below)