Testun llawn:
I have spent considerable time reviewing the proposed Local Plan and do not think that the exceptional circumstances required by the National Planning Policy Framework to remove the land North of Milverton from the Green Belt have been sufficiently demonstrated by Warwick District Council.
My particular concerns to this modification are as follows:
The proposed development is to support Coventry City Council's housing need. There are sustainable sites closer to Coventry that should be used in preference to the land North of Milverton to reduce unnecessary commuting, inevitable congestion and further road construction. I would question whether people who want to live and work in Coventry would choose to buy houses on land North of Milverton, so I can not see how the development proposal will support Coventry's housing needs.
I would further point to the precedence for releasing land from the Green Belt requires the "value" of potential sites to the Green Belt to be taken into account and those with the least value to be removed from the Green Belt first. I understand that WDC, in cooperation with Coventry City Council, has assessed sites on the edge of Coventry as being of lower Green Belt value. Therefore, even if development at Old Milverton was acceptable as a sustainable location for development, there are sites with a lower Green Belt value that should be used in preference to the land north of Milverton.
I would also highlight that the modification is unsound as it would result in "green lung" between Leamington and Kenilworth will be reduced to less than 1 1/2 miles.
The environmental and social consequences of the modification would also be extremely damaging and irreversible. Not only would the area lose highly productive farming land but also a fantastic recreational space. Like many other local residents, my family, including my two young children delight in walking, bird watching and enjoying the fresh air of this special area. I believe the protection of the Green belt is extremely important and I would urge that this modification be reconsidered.