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Reference: GT04 Land at Harbury Lane


Dear Sir/Madam,

I wish to register my objections to the proposed development of site GT04 Land at Harbury Lane.


1. Cost.
As a council tax payer and as a qualified Chartered Accountant, I object to the site being considered in any way appropriate as the development will require the purchase of the site currently belonging to Leamington Football Club and their re-location to alternative, suitable venue before any costs of development. I do not consider this in any way to be an appropriate use of funds when compared to alternative sites elsewhere in the Local Plan, where there are no such up-front costs to be considered. The buying-out of the football club should itself make this site non-viable from a relative cost point of view when compared to other alternatives. In addition to the up-front costs, for the proposed site itself, I note that there is no mains gas, mains sewerage or drainage currently, so the necessary provision of these will significantly add to the overall cost of development. An upgrade may also be required to the electricity supply, as it is currently a rural system supplying a limited number of consumers. BT have also confirmed that the proposed site is too far from the Whitnash exchange to provide an adequate telephone or internet service, both considered to be basic requirements of 21st century living standards.


2. Distance to all local infrastructure and amenities.
The proposed site is a minimum 45 minute walk to either Harbury or Bishop's Tachbrook, both equidistant, and therefore effectively demands the use of a car or the introduction of bus stops along Harbury Lane (also see 3. below). The nearest primary, junior and secondary schools are already at capacity. In addition, the village doctor's surgery having no capacity for any influx of new patients (it currently takes a week to get an appointment).

3. Safe access to and from the site for vehicles and pedestrians.
Harbury Lane is a notorious accident blackspot and high-risk, high-speed commuter route, whose accident record can only deteriorate with the advent of significantly increased traffic volumes from such a development . I would suggest that the health and safety issues alone arising from no street lighting, no footpaths, bus stops on a busy road and the hazards of children standing on road side waiting for school buses should all strongly act as deterrents to proceeding with the proposals.

4. Reasons for not wanting to live at site GT04.
a. The smells that emanate from the adjacent Barnwells chicken farm are very unpleasant.
b. The surrounding road network is a high-speed commuter route; it is too dangerous to safely incorporate the provision and use of public and school transportation and too dangerous for the use of bicycles by children.
c. There are no pavements or paths for adults or children to safely walk anywhere without walking in the road.
d. There are no local amenities for those residents without access to a car.
e. There is only limited telephone, mobile or internet access.


Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require verification of any points to my objection to the proposed GT04 Land development.