BASE HEADER

1. A clear criteria for selecting appropriate sites is to avoid areas with a high risk of flooding. The Environment Agency have stated that the western part of this site lies in the flood plain.
2. Due to the volume of traffic on this section of the A429, noise levels are consistently high. Barford village is buffered to some extent by distance and established trees, but noise levels on this proposed narrow site immediately abutting the road would be intolerable.
3. This proposed site is greenfield land, clearly separate from any of the nearby villages. Because of this, successful integration of the site and village would be impossible without imposing devastating changes to the visual character of the village. This is contrary to WDC criteria which states that landscapes should be integrated into the landscape without harming the character of the area.
4. According to WDC guidelines, a site for Gypsies & Travellers should allow for easy access to a doctor's surgery. There is no surgery or similar service available in Barford; the nearest GP is in Bishops Tachbrook almost 4.5 miles away, and not easily accessible.
5. The A429 Barford bypass is an extremely fast-moving, dangerous road, with a near constant flow of traffic including many articulated lorries. The speed limit is 60mph, and there have been several serious & fatal accidents on this section of the road, notably at the junction for entering Barford village. Based on personal experience, this road is impossible to cross from Westham Lane into Barford on foot, and the proposed site would not allow for safe access to the road network. For this reason, it would also fail to provide adequate provision for parking, turning and servicing on site, as required by WDC.
6. In addition to the A429 being a vital road link for heavy goods vehicles and commuter traffic, it is also the main route linking the tourist areas of Warwick and the Cotswolds. The detrimental impact of a Gypsy & Traveller site on this route would be contrary to the WDC criteria.
7.WDC requires the provision of services including running water, toilet facilities and waste disposal. There are no facilities available on this site, and the prohibitive cost of installing all the necessary services to make this location habitable, for a relatively small number of pitches, would I believe render the plan economically unviable.
8. The difficulties in crossing from the proposed site into the village itself would render it impossible for site residents to integrate into the fabric of the village.