Testun llawn:
The exceptional circumstances required to remove the land from the Green Belt have not been demonstrated. Moreover, the reasons given for allocating this area for development are illogical, irrational and contradicted by facts and evidence. The decision is therefore faulty and should not stand.
In particular, the notion that this area would support Coventry City Council's housing need is flawed for three principal reasons:
First, the planning guidance states that where land is allocated for another authority's housing need, it should be adjacent to or adjoin that authority. This does not, and is some considerable distance from Coventry.
Second, there is no evidence to suggest that current Coventry residents, or people who wish to live in Coventry but cannot find housing there, will move to Leamington. There are a number of barriers to this.
For example, like-for-like housing is considerably more expensive in Leamington than Coventry. According to land registry data reported on the Rightmove website, last year "most property sales in Coventry involved terraced properties which sold for on average £139,639. Semi-detached properties sold for an average price of £182,730, while detached properties fetched £297,696. Coventry, has an overall average price of £167,867." By contrast, the same website reports that "Last year most property sales in Leamington Spa involved flats which sold for on average £214,482. Terraced properties sold for an average price of £291,348 [(£150,000 more than in Coventry)], while semi-detached properties fetched £261,974 [(£120,000 more than in Coventry)]..."
In Leamington Spa, the overall average price was £285,693, £120,000 higher than in Coventry. (Source http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/Leamington-Spa.html and http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/Coventry.html 22/4/2016).
Third: the commuting time to Coventry from Leamington has already increased considerably over the last 10 years. I used to commute to Coventry in around half an hour. Now, at peak times, it is necessary to allow more than an hour, for a journey in highly-polluting, slow moving traffic for its entire duration. Additional housing in North Leamington aimed at Coventry commuters will only exacerbate this growing problem. The introduction of a short stretch of dual carriageway will not solve this problem because the traffic will still have to merge back to one lane before reaching Kenilworth.
In addition, I understand that other sites have been identified in the Green Belt which are of lower value than this, and that, in accordance with relevant guidance, this should be released first.
Further, the removal of the land will deprive people who currently live in the area of a valuable leisure space - I run there, for example - and a valuable wildlife habitat which supports the diverse ecosystem of the area. Removing this will make the whole area poorer and less attractive for everyone: residents, potential residents, and visitors alike, and without achieving the stated objectives of meeting Coventry's housing need.