Testun llawn:
Warwick District Council has not demonstrated the Exceptional Circumstances required under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for the removal of the land North of Milverton from the Green Belt.
When proposing the removal of land from the Green Belt it's value must, by established precedence, be considered and proper account taken of it. Those Green Belt sites of the lowest value should be removed first. WDC, working with Coventry City Council, has assessed sites on the edge of Coventry as being of lower Green Belt value. Even if it was accepted North of Milverton was a sustainable location for development, there are sites with a lower Green Belt value that should be used in preference.
There are more sustainable sites closer to Coventry which better support it's housing need rather than overflowing in to the land North of Milverton, and reducing the essential "green lung" between Leamington and Kenilworth to less than a mile and a half. Old Milverton Lane/Sandy Lane is narrow, unmarked and dangerous, with an acute bend and narrow bridge over the railway in Old Milverton. Development of the North of Milverton land will only increase traffic with more commuting and congestion, encouraging further road construction, resulting in additional adverse impact on the environment.
Brandon Lewis recently stressed the importance of Local Plans to;-
* provide for sustainable development and it's supporting infrastructure,
* recognise the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside, and
* take into account all the benefits that an area has.
The estimated housing numbers proposed on the sites already identified within Coventry are significantly lower than could be achieved. Housing densities should be maximised on urban sites to minimise further unsustainable development outside the city and its environs.
In reality people who want to live and work in Coventry are unlikely to buy houses on land North of Milverton and therefore this development proposal will not actually support Coventry's housing need.
Highly productive farming land will be lost together with long established wildlife habitat, and the picturesque northern gateway to the historic regency town of Royal Leamington Spa will be destroyed.
The residents of local towns will be deprived of an outstanding area which is highly valued and sustainable for leisure, including rambling, orienteering, running, cycling, riding, bird watching and is also used by local schools for educational walks.
The proposed park-and-ride scheme is unsustainable because:
* No dedicated buses are proposed, meaning users will have to rely on the ordinary bus timetable
* The site is too close to Leamington, and would be better located around the A46/A452 junction, thereby providing for Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth, Warwick University and potentially Coventry.
* The A452 carries significant traffic to the major employers south of Leamington.
* Shoppers are unlikely to use the park and ride when there is plenty of parking in Leamington.
* There are already a lot of car parks in this area of Green Belt with impervious surfaces all of which reduce the areas ability to absorb rainfall and contribute to flooding
A railway station is unviable because the line is only a single track and is in a deep cutting in Old Milverton making construction impractical. It's worth noting the new Ricoh arena station is not providing the service expected.