I wish register my strong objections to the proposed 1980 new houses proposed to the north of Manor & Milverton Wards at Blackdown & Milverton. This will develop many acres of prime agricultural land in the West Midlands Green Belt, & is totally unacceptable on planning grounds. Furthermore it contravenes Green Belt policy stated on page 19 of the NPPF, recently published in March 2012.
Major changes in the circumstances when the previous Plan was published circa 2 years ago are not evident. The ideal of Garden Suburbs, similar to Beverley Road, Northumberland Road & Woodcote Road, which are shown in the Draft Plan, are, frankly ludicrous & impossible to achieve here in the early 21st Century. Garden suburbs were primarily a feature of the early 20th Century. It is unlikely that they will be sustainable here, due to the land costs (£1M+ per acre), density of dwellings needed to be profitable & the 40% social housing requirement. Add to this the need to dual the A452 & create a Northern Relief Road, near to Old Milverton & eventually joining the A46 By Pass, plus a new Primary School & a local shopping centre. The thought of all this development in our hitherto rural Green Belt would be a planning catastrophe.
I believe we need to look again at locations in & to the south of Leamington. Grove Farm, east of Radford Semele village, south of Bishops Tachbrook & further to the south & east of Whitnash, all are Greenfield sites, with an abundance of open countryside to their south. Nearby are employment areas, supermarkets, schools & major transport links.

Objection to Old Milverton and Blackdown site attached electronically. See attachment for full text.

I object to the proposed development in Old Milverton and Blackdown contained in Warwick District Councils's Preferred Options for the Local plan.
This land has great recreational value to the local community. It is enjoyed by many runners, riders, walkers and cyclists.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that the Government attaches great importance to Greenbelts and that the fundamental aim of Greenbelt is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open.
The Greenbelt in Old Milverton and Blackdown fulfils the 5 purposes ofGreenbelt set out in the NPPF and therefore should remain as openGreenbelt land for ever. It
Prevents the unrestricted sprawl of Leamington to the north
Prevents the merging of Leamington and Kenilworth
Helps safeguard the countryside from encroachment
Helps preserve the setting and special character of Leamington(a historic town)
Helps urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land
There are other sites which can be developed that are not in the Greenbelt. These sites, which are mainly to the south of Leamington, were included in Warwick District Council's previous plan (the 2009 Core Strategy). Employment opportunities and infrastructure already exists here, and this land should be used in preference to the Greenbelt.
The NPPF states that Greenbeltboundaries should only be altered in exceptional circumstances. As there are alternative sites, there are no exceptional circumstances which outweigh the harm caused by altering the Greenbelt boundaries in Old Milverton and Blackdown and allowing development on this land.
Please reconsider your Preferred Options

It is with great sadness to learn that Leamington residents may lose precious Greenbelt land due to possible development in Old Milverton and Blackdown. In my view this rural landscape is a haven for wildlife and offers unrestricted views whilst providing benefit to families, cycle riders and runners from Leamington and other local residents without the need to get in the car.

There are only a few green spaces left where dog walkers can exercise their pets outside of the Dog Exclusion areas that are now in place in Leamington parks. One of the attractions and assets of Leamington is the proximity of rural areas and footpaths, from the town and residential areas and for this reason alone should be preserved for future generations.

So I'm writing at this time to register my objection to the new Proposed Development Plans. It would be unforgivable and irresponsible of planners to damage this area of North Leamington, when with a little effort and thought they could find other more appropriate sites such as Brown or White field sites.

I look forward to receiving your firm assurances that no development for this area is being planned in the future.

My wife and I wish to lodge our strong opposition to development of houses off Leicester Lane

The prime objection is on the grounds of road safety and further peak time congestion

Leicester Lane is a road where the 40 mph limit is regularly ignored and where, over the years, there have been a number of accidents and near misses as vehicles are hit from behind while waiting to turn into their own drives. My wife was a victim of such an accident when a car crashed into the rear of her car. The police attending the accident esimated that the other vehicle was travelling well in excess of 50 mph

At this present time a police presence would result in large numbers of speeding offences

An increase in the "local" traffic to additional housing would greatly add to this problem and, being a main access route to and from Leamington, would add further to the peak travel time congestion

I am writing to express my disquiet about the proposals in the Local Plan Preferred Options to allocate Green Belt land for development. Green Belt policy has served the nation well for many years.
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that inappropriate development is harmful to the Green Belt and 'should not be approved except in very special circumstances'. It goes on to say that construction of new buildings should be regarded as inappropriate; a list of exceptions does not include housing or commercial development!
Warwick District Council has not demonstrated 'very special circumstances'; indeed the Authority's own documents show ample suitable land is available without the need to violate the Green Belt. The identification of sites to the south of Leamington as being appropriate is supported by their previous inclusion in the Core Strategy Preferred Options.
I am also very concerned that the Draft Infrastructure Plan includes for the possibility of a completely new road from the vicinity of Old Milverton Lane to the A429/A46 grade separated junction. Again, this would violate Green Belt.
I urge you to oppose this element of the Local Plan Preferred Options proposals and throw your support behind what will surely be an overwhelmingly popular campaign to protect the Green Belt.

I wish to register our objection to the proposed use of green belt land to the north of Leamington for 1980 homes, instead of other non-green belt land, indentified by your own team as "suitable for development"

The Government's Green Belt policy states that Green Belt land should be built upon only "under special circumstances" and only if the benefits of doing so outweigh the inevitable harm done to precious open spaces.

The proposed development on Green Belt land North of Leamington Spa has no such justification.

* Few dispute that new housing is needed, but alternative space for it exists in the non-Green Belt land South of Leamington identified in the 2009 Core Strategy.

* The above option was, I understand, actually adopted by the Council a couple of years ago. It is still viable, it is still available, it is still a far less harmful option.

* The Council argues that the land South of Leamington will be a less attractive option for the developers since they will make smaller profits from it than they would from the Green Belt land to the North of the town. This may constitute "Special Circumstances" for the development companies - but it certainly does not do so for the electorate of Leamington, Kenilworth and Warwick.

* The land that would be encroached upon under the so-called 'Preferred Option' fulfils all five requirements set out by the NPPF for Green Belt land. The new development would, therefore - in addition to depriving thousands of local people of invaluable opportunities for peace, recreation and healthy exercise and irrevocably eroding the very different identities of Leamington Spa and Kenilworth - directly contravene NPPF guidelines.

Is there, honestly, any really good argument for going ahead with the proposed development? It will undoubtedly create more noise, more congestion, more air pollution, more urban blight and, possibly, more (and more serious) flooding. What would we get in return? Little or nothing. Certainly nothing that we can't perfectly well do without.

Please think again and take a fresh look at the South-of-Leamington option.

We live in Fryer Avenue close to the proposed new housing development plans. We are dismayed to see that there is a possibility that new housing will be built on land behind Northumberland Road and Kenilworth Rd. We think this is poor decision making from a planning perspective, for the following reasons

1. It is on Green Belt land, when there is other land available. Because of other available land the exceptional circumstances criterion is not met.
2. The land around Europa way towards Bishops Tachbrook has excellent transport links to the M40 the A46. The Kenilworth Road is already clogged for most of the day and will become worse with the extra traffic these homes will bring.
3. This Green Belt land behind Northumberland and Kenilworth Roads is a local amenity. Our family walks the dog and exercises on its footpaths, this access to the country side will be lost if these homes are built. There are no pubic footpaths on the available land, nor is it used as a public amenity.

We would urge you to focus on where the most appropriate site for these houses are, not simply look and say ,well both north and south Leamington can share any redevelopment. New homes should be built on the available land NOT on Green Belt.

I am writing to protest against the proposals to build on green belt land, and to drive a road through Old Milverton to join the A452 and the A46.

What does 'green belt' mean? I thought it meant land which was to be kept free for people and other creatures to walk on, live in and enjoy. Your proposals will not only break what I thought was a promise, but will substitute noise, poisonous fumes, and many other sorts of pollution for fresh air and pleasant surroundings. It is perhaps trite to say that green belt land represents the lungs of built up areas, but it is neverthless true.

Your destructive proposals will not only cause misery, but are not - as far as I can see - even necessary.

I should like to formally object to the proposals as detailed in the local plan for significant residential, infrastructure and employment uses on the north-west boundaries of Lillington/Blackdown/Old Milverton

My objection is centred on;

a) There is no or little proof of need for additional land for housing over and above current provision.
b) I cannot see that there are exceptional circumstances to develop this portion of the Green belt as there are other more suitable sites (i.e. Europa way) with infrastructure and employment/social facilities heath and education all nearby
c) Notwithstanding the loss of green belt the environmental impact in terms of traffic, , drainage , loss of amenity onto already very heavily congested series of traffic routes would severely impact on the area.

I wish to object to the proposed building of houses and the North Leamington Relief Road in Blackdown and Old Milverton as shown on the Preferred Options Plan. My husband and I are frequent visitors to this area and are very concerned about the effect this proposed development will have on this Green Belt Land. Also we cannot see the reason for having this cross country road plus all the services etc. that go with modern road developments eg. Park and Ride which uses up a lot of valuable green belt land. The A 46 is already a very busy road.

The area is enjoyed by many walkers, runners and cyclists and should be preserved if at all possible. This Green Belt Land prevents Leamington Spa merging with Kenilworth and safeguards the countryside and valuable farming land.

Please explore all other options before going ahead with what appears to be a very expensive project. Are you sure all these houses are required here?

You represent a delightful part of the country please do not spoil it with this proposed urban development.

Good afternoon. I was setting aside this afternoon to compose my response but have just had sight of the excellent submission by Friends of the Earth. Anything I could write I'm sure would not be a patch on this correspondence, therefore I would like to add my wholehearted support to the sentiments expressed in that submission.
I would also like to say that I believe that the areas of Blackdown and Old Milverton really are very special areas of Green Belt and would be significantly harmed by any more development in those areas.

I am writing to object to the new local plan and the proposal to build on "green belt" in the north of Leamington Spa.

My objections are because of

* Loss of local amenity - we live near the cricket pitch and use the green space regularly - often sitting and watching the cricket. The pitch is used regularly with many children participating. Encouraging the young to participate in sports needs to be high on the priorities of both local and national government.
* I disagree with development on green belt land - that is what makes Leamington so special. One of our favourite walks, particularly in winter is to stroll over the field behind Northumberland Road over to Old Milverton and to take have well earned refreshments in Saxon Mill. Green Belt land should mean just that - it's a protection from Urban spoil.
* The level of housing provision seems huge for the amount of land to be developed on
* Traffic and Infrastructure - the current infrastructure struggles already and is not appropriate to cope with any more pressure. The effect of the proposed North Leamington Relief Road would have severe damaging results on Old Milverton
*
I do hope these plans do not go ahead

I wish to strongly object to the building on Green Belt land in Blackdown and Old Milverton.
The Governments National Planning Policy Framework requires there to be "very special circumstances" for development in the Green Belt and for the harm created to the Green Belt to be outweighed by the benefit of the development. Those special circumstances are apparently that there is nowhere else for the homes to be built. Yet land to the South of Leamington has been identified as suitable for development and that land is still available. This land is to the east of the A452 Europa Way and south of Heathcote towards Bishops Tachbrook. A previous assessment performed by Warwick District Council shows that this land is easier to develop and already has a substantial amount of infrastructure to support it and is close to the M40.
A "Northern Relief Road", if built, will encourage further development in the green belt up to this new road. Furthermore it is not required as the traffic flow tends to be north. It would need to be built at considerable cost across the flood plain.
Warwick District Council argues that the land in the South of Leamington is not as attractive to developers because the concentration of development in that area may result in the developers making less profit. Consideration of the developers' financial gain is not a "very special circumstance" to permit unnecessary development in the Green Belt.
Green Belt land is specifically set aside to prevent urban sprawl, stop towns merging together and protect the countryside setting of historic towns. The proposals will reduce the Green area between Leamington and Kenilworth to less than 11/2 miles encouraging the merger of these two towns and will change the character of these towns for ever.
If this development goes ahead there will be a loss of a significant amount of high quality agricultural land in Blackdown and Old Milverton as well as a great loss to a great many walkers, runner, riders, and cyclists.
In recent years there has been exceptional growth in Leamington's population partly because of immigration from Europe. However this growth has now peaked and has tailed off. Further more the student population is declining and is tending to be housed in purpose built buildings and this means smaller houses are now not being rented by students and will therefore be available to the community.
In my opinion this proposed development in the Green Belt is not required. Land to the south of Leamington is more suitable, has infrastructure already in place and is available. Development of the Green Belt land in Blackdown and Old Milverton will be acutely detrimental to the towns of Leamington Spa and Kenilworth.

I would like to firmly register my protest at the plan of building on the green belt and through Milverton.

I object to the proposed development in Old Milverton and Blackdown contained in Warwick District Councils's Preferred Options for the Local plan.
It Prevents the unrestricted sprawl of Leamington to the north
This land has great recreational value to the local community. It is enjoyed by many runners, riders, walkers and cyclists.
It Prevents the merging of Leamington and Kenilworth
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that the Government attaches great importance to Greenbelts and that the fundamental aim of Greenbelt is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open.
It Helps safeguard the countryside from encroachment it Helps preserve the setting and special character of Leamington (a historic town it Helps urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land
The Greenbelt in Old Milverton and Blackdown fulfils the 5 purposes of Greenbelt set out in the NPPF and therefore should remain as open Greenbelt land for ever.
There are other sites which can be developed that are not in the Greenbelt. These sites, which are mainly to the south of Leamington, were included in Warwick District Council's previous plan (the 2009 Core Strategy). Employment opportunities and infrastructure already exists here, and this land should be used in preference to the Greenbelt.

The NPPF states that Greenbelt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional circumstances. As there are alternative sites, there are no exceptional circumstances which outweigh the harm caused by altering the Greenbelt boundaries in Old Milverton and Blackdown and allowing development on this land.

Please reconsider your Preferred Options.

I object to the proposals to develop land in the Old Milverton and Blackdown districts because of the fact that this area is of great use as a recreational area and has some beautiful aspects. When I visit my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter we frequently walk from Leamington, through the fields to Old Milverton and on to Saxon Bridge. It would be very sad if part of this area was developed. Once gone it is gone forever.

I cannot understand why land designated Green Belt is then threatened with development. Surely the very aspect of being a Green Belt is to protect the area from development such as proposed.

Please could you reconsider your Preferred Options.

This is a formal objection to the proposed green belt housing in the North Leamington area. The objection is on the following grounds:

1. Local Amenity - the Green Belt is substantially used for recreational purposes and there is very little other accessible recreational area space in this area. The fields proposed for building are well known across Leamington as an ideal area for exercise and recreational purposes. I used to live in Canterbury, Kent, which used to feel like a small town but increasingly became an urban sprawl and has lost much of its personality as a result. As a result of this experience I note that there are many ways in which the proposed loss of accessible green space would affect residents throughout Leamington as well as the very reputation of the town itself, which would become a far less desirable place to live.

2. Green Belt - further to the recreational use of the land, it happens to be Green Belt land and the proposals do not meet the principles of the National Planning Policy Framework. Other suitable sites have been identified outside the Green Belt and should be the focus of the Council's priorities. The need to build on Green Belt land has NOT been demonstrated.

3. Overall Level of Housing Provision - The Green Belt build is not required to meet the future housing demands of the Leamington area in light of the other building proposals.

4. Coalescence of Urban Areas - There is a real danger of a future merging of Leamington and Kenilworth through Old Milverton. Again, the loss of Leamington's personality would be permanent, irreversible and extremely damaging to the reputation and desirability of the town.

5. Infrastructure - the proposals could not be supported by the existing infrastructure. Aside from the foolish destruction of the Green Belt countryside, the chaos that would be caused by the Northern Leamington Relief Road would be astonishing. There are better ways to spend the people's resources than to destroy its Green Belt to create bland urban sprawl and traffic chaos.

I write to register my obection to the propsition to build on the green belt land in North Leamington Spa.

My objection is to the possible loss of the valuable fields at the bottom of Guys Cliffe Road . I live in The Fairways and work as a nurse at Warwick Hospital. My son attends Brookhurst School. When workingon a late shift I regularly drop my son off at school and pop to the fields around the corner to take my two golden retrievers for a long walk across the fields, either up to the bridge or across the fields to the meadow beyond the allotments. This provides the dogs with a good long walk in a safe environment before I leave them on their own for the hours whilst I am at work.

I also use this land to regularly walk my dogs on a day off and with my son after school. My son loves the walk, we walk up to the bridge and wave at the trains or walk the other way to the meadow beyond the allotments and look at the plantlife and birdwatch. We always bump in to fellow dog walkers who are enjoying their walk. We also bump into joggers and families without pets just enjoying the ourdoors life.

The loss of this valuable recreational land would have a huge impact on me and my family and to many other families in this area. I write to ask you to reconsider and opt not to build on this valuable recreational land.

The case for enabling green belt land to be used for housing development north of Royal Leamington Spa is flawed for the following reasons:
1) If there is no local plan agreed, such development would not be allowed under the new National Planning Policy Framework.
2) The concept of green belt was established to maintain sufficient space between urban areas to contain them within specific boundaries and prevent smaller villages, hamlets, and local communities from being overwhelmed by urban spread. The current proposals significantly weaken this approach. They narrow further the space between Leamington and Kenilworth and would set a precedent for further relaxation of the boundaries in the future. The other factors given below do not provide a strong enough case for this policy to change.
3) This northern area is used for recreational purposes by a significant proportion of people and is one of the key 'lungs' for urban residents in this area. Whilst it is also a farmed area, there is more potential to develop this area for greater recreational use than for other areas around the conurbation of Warwick and Leamington.
4) The specific blocks identified for development in the north are not high in biodiversity value at present, but it is one of the wider areas identified for improvement. It can be argued that there is an opportunity to achieve some improvements within a well planned housing development, but there is no evidence that this will be made mandatory in any planning consents and in the present economic climate (now predicted to continue for many years) this will be difficult to enforce. Warwickshire is already a highly fragmented county in terms of biodiversity, with only around 2% of high quality assets. This is well short of the Nagoya Commitment of a 17% national aspiration for 2020 - it requires a further 38,200 ha of high quality habitat in the county along with greater connectivity, rather than the further fragmentation that this plan would indicate.
5) This is particularly relevant where the plan also includes provision for new roads in the area, one of which will have an impact on the Avon valley. The route identified at present appears to threaten valuable wildlife areas; and, along with the proposed housing will cause yet further fragmentation, rather than improved connectivity.
6) The services needed to support new housing have been developed far more extensively south of the conurbation. New retail sites are already in development. The road and rail network is better developed and, as has already been shown, attracts far greater housing demand for those commuting to the Birmingham and London areas. It is also the area where light, high tech businesses wish to locate for the same reason.
7) The need for more retail services north of the river Leam is now becoming even more debatable. For instance, the data and evidence used to argue the case for the 'Clarendon Arcade' used poor estimates of 'Desired Sales Density' even when prepared in 2009. Current evidence shows that retail patterns are changing rapidly. There is little evidence for a demand for more retail space - no sign of shop rentals increasing or even for vacant promises to be taken up. In fact more are becoming available and the foreseeable trend is for this to continue - e.g. the impact of internet shopping.
8) The argument that housing should not be concentrated in bigger blocks to the south because of possible difficulty in selling larger numbers at any one time is pure conjecture and not evidence based. As stated above, the existing services in that area have been attractive to a wide range of potential house buyers in the past. If there is a demand, houses will sell. If not, then the rate of building should be set to match. The figure for 1100 houses per year is an economic calculation and not a scientific one. Housing is probably over-priced for current economic factors and will need to fall further to enable sales to take place in any numbers. The only correcting factor to this is if there is a policy to compel more 'affordable' housing to be built to meet social needs - but this will require public finance, which we are told will be in short supply.
So green belt should not be sacrificed to make life easier and more profitable for developers. There really must be a proper balance from now on between economic, social and environmental considerations. 31% of UK citizens carbon emissions arise from their housing; the UN estimates that $4.5tn will be the economic loss annually resulting from environmental degradation in the world - all planners must re-read our Government's Natural Environment White Paper of 2012 and the National Ecosystem Assessment report before setting out further housing proposals. Our natural resources must be conserved in ways that were never prioritised in the past if we are to prevent mankind being overtaken by a global eco-disaster. The land to the north of Leamington must be considered in that context.
9) A final thought - I wonder whether there is a developer who wants to develop a certain type of property in the north area that appeals to a certain sector of society, rather than having mixed development in the south. That would certainly not be a valid reason for altering the green belt - there should be a clear statement in the plan to ensure this doesn't happen.

I am writing to express my concern with the proposed plan to develop on the Green Belt Land in Blackdown and Old Milverton. I believe that all brown and white field sites must be exhausted before this land is considered for development. Its value as agricultural land and recreational use appear to be underestimated.

I would also like express disappointment at the lack of emphasis for an improvement in the cycle network throughout the district.

This is my letter of objection to building on Green Belt Land in Blackdown and Old Milverton as shown in the 2012 Preferred options Plan.

This area is an asset to Leamington Spa. It is enjoyed by many walkers, runners riders and cyclists and should be preserved at all costs.

It would be shameful to build here until you have exhausted all alternatives and checked that the number of houses you require is needed.

Please accept this email as my objections to the proposed development of green belt land in Old Milverton/Blackdown, North Leamington.

I find it staggering that green belt land has been earmarked for development given that the Council has identified available land to the east of Europa Way and south of Heathcote which is not included in the Preferred Option sites. It is my understanding that green belt land should only be considered if there are insufficient suitable and available sites outside the green belt. This clearly is not the case in these circumstances as there are other areas which could be developed that are not green belt.

The land to the North of Leamington is an important local amenity for exercise and recreation. Furthermore, any development in this area could lead to Old Milverton merging with Leamington and Kenilworth in the future. I understand that the proposed plan also includes developing beyond the current south edge of Kenilworth, and so exists a risk of Kenilworth and North Leamington merging over time, and a loss of the town's identities.

Any development of the land in the North of Leamington will also require significant further redevelopment of existing infrastructure resulting in the loss of even more green belt land and destruction of valuable countryside not to mention significant expense.

I understand that there is a requirement to provide more housing in the local area. However, these proposals seem short-sighted at best and I would urge the Council to reconsider its approach when considering developing our invaluable green belt land.

I am writing to express my objection to plans proposed by Warwick district council involving the development on the Greenbelt land in Old Milverton and Blackdown.
I have lived for most of my life in the old Milverton area, with my house backing on to the proposed building site. I am fortunate enough to have had the pleasure of strolling through the fields exercising my dog. This land is used by many people for recreational purposes such as running, cycling, dog walking etc. these people all see the benefits of making the most of the lovely expanse of green, lush fields. Therefore, upon hearing the news that there were plans to build on this area, I was very shocked, because of the amount that it adds to the area.
Greenbelt land was specifically set aside in order that towns such as Leamington and Kenilworth would not merge and also to stop the unrestricted growth of Leamington to the North.
Furthermore, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) state that there is great value to the Greenbelt land which is planned to be destroyed.
The NPPF also states that the alteration of Greenbelt boundaries should only happen in exceptional circumstances. I have found no such circumstances, especially with the clear availability of other sites, mainly to the south of Leamington, which were included in Warwick District Council's previous plan (the 2009 Core Strategy). This land is clearly a valid alternative, as is reinforced by the already established employment opportunities and infrastructure, therefore leaving no excuse to apparently ignore this land's potential, instead choosing to alter the boundaries of the Greenbelt land in Old Milverton and Blackdown. Since There seems to be a lack of 'exceptional circumstances', the harm caused by choosing to develop on this Greenbelt is reason enough to reconsider your preferred options.
I hope you can realise the reason for my objection, and take heed of the obvious local discontent at these plans, and therefore reconsider your preferred options.

I have recently graduated from Warwick University and am due to leave Leamington Spa, where I have lived for the last two years, by the end of the month. However, I was hugely concerned to hear about Warwick District Council's proposed development in the Old Milverton and Blackdown. I believe this land has great recreational value for the local community and have been using it for my own purposes of training for a half marathon over the last year. When I first discovered the footpath between Leamington and Old Milverton, I was delighted that this vast 'green lung' between Leamington and Kenilworth remained preserved, especially given the fact that Leamington's boundaries merge with a large number of other communities which have created dense residential areas. I can also state, without any doubt, that Old Milverton and Blackdown is enjoyed by many other fellow walkers, cyclists, runners and dogs, not to mention the agricultural and environmental value of the land.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that the Government attaches great importance to Greenbelts and that the fundamental aim of Greenbelt is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open. It would appear that Warwick District Council is neglecting this vital criterion. Furthermore, the NPPF states that Greenbelt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional circumstances. As there are alternative sites (namely in South Leamington), there are no exceptional circumstances which outweigh the harm caused by altering the Greenbelt boundaries in Old Milverton and Blackdown and allowing development on this land.

The proposed 'Northern Relief Road' will increase congestion and reduce the amount of land available for recreation. A maintained park land would in fact detract from, rather than enhance, the value of Old Milverton and Blackdown. Furthermore, this land is vital for Old Milverton to remain independent of Leamington Spa. As yet, it is one of the few communities that has not been absorbed in the greater conurbation but these developments would ensure it is only a matter of time before it too is absorbed by Leamington.

I hope you consider my objection carefully and are persuaded to reconsider your Preferred Options.

objection to the proposed development at Old Milverton and Blackdown contained in Warwick District Council's Preferred Options for the Local plan.

I object to this development on three main grounds:

Firstly, this is greenbelt land. It should therefore be protected from development. I understand that greenbelt may only be altered under "exceptional circumstances". However, alternative sites for new housing exist in Leamington Spa - these were previously identified in Warwick District Council's 2009 Core Strategy - so we are not currently facing the exceptional circumstances that could potentially allow for our greenbelt land to be developed. Many of these existing sites are brownfield, and should be used in preference to green belt land. These areas also benefit from existing infrastructure that could potentially support new housing development.

Secondly, this land has great amenity and recreational value for Leamington residents, offering a place to walk, run, cycle - or just to enjoy being within the natural environment. There is an increasing body of evidence highlighting the benefit of time spent in the natural environment for people's physical and emotional wellbeing. Allowing one of our few green spaces to be developed for housing will deprive residents of an important amenity.

Thirdly, allowing this development will contribute to urban sprawl, significantly reducing the green space between Leamington and Kenilworth even closer together. This development will also have a detrimental impact on the character of Old Milverton, one of the last surviving villages around Leamington. The proposed northern relief road may also encourage further infill development in future.

I am writing to oppose the District Council's plans to develop on Green Belt Land as shown in their 2012 Preferred Options booklet. Nothing has changed since the 2009 Core Strategy, so there cannot be any justification for these fundamental changes now.
I don't live in Leamington, but my journey into work comes in along the Kenilworth Road. It is such a beautiful approach to Royal Leamington Spa, probably the nicest approach Leamington Spa boasts: a beautiful avenue of trees, lovely houses, peaceful views over towards Old Milverton. I can't believe anyone would plan to spoil these, especially by putting a great big Park and Ride near Blackdown. There are far more suitable places near Leamington to extend development, where it doesn't encroach on valuable, precious green belt. I travel to work from Coventry, sometimes by car and sometimes by bike. The only proposal I would make for the A452 is a cycle lane. There are rarely hold ups along this road, and on the odd occasion there are, it is when someone has broken down or had an accident.
On my lunch hours, I go running through the fields at the back of Northumberland Avenue, through Old Milverton and over to the Saxon Mill, or Hill Wootton and Leek Wootton. It would be a crying shame if all this beautiful countryside was spoilt by some non-descipt housing which destroyed the rural character of these villages. VIllages such as Old Milverton really need to be safeguarded, not just the buildings but the overall setting as well.
There are other sites which can be developed that are not in the Green Belt. These sites, which are mainly to the south of Leamington, were included in Warwick District Council's previous plan (the 2009 Core Strategy). Employment opportunities and infrastructure already exists here, and this land should be used in preference to the Green Belt.

Opposed to the District Council's plans to develop on green belt land as shown in their 2012 Preferred Options booklet. Apart from central government relaxing the rules for development on green-belt, I do not see that there has been anything to justify fundamental changes to the Local Plan since the 2009 Core Strategy Plan.

The 2009 Core Strategy Plan would be much less expensive to implement as it does not require the extravagance of a whole new infrastructure. Road transport in and out of the originally proposed development areas to the south of Leamington would be much easier and put less burden on the town centre with its proximity to the M40 motorway as well as being closer to the main commercial and industrial districts and railway station. Traffic levels in North Leamington and between Leamington, Kenilworth and the A46 bypass are already at near-saturation levels and the impact of an additional 1980 houses will make travel by either private or public transport extremely difficult.

Additionally the sites identified in Blackdown and Old Milverton are enjoyed by many walkers, runners, riders and cyclists from the surrounding towns and beyond and should be preserved at all costs. It would be outrageous to build here until all alternatives have been exhausted.

I hope the Council will take into account these objections and those of the numerous local people who will have to live with the consequences of your decisions when reassessing the options.

Fifteen years ago I was encouraged to come and live in the pleasant town of Leamington Spa. It was suggested that the nicest area was North Leamington as much of it bordered green belt land that would not be built on. Having paid high prices for property in this area I am now told that the green belt land in the Blackdown and Milverton area will be built on although there are brown field sites and non green belt land available. I am strongly opposed to this developement as it encroaches on the countryside and is another step towards linking up with Kenilworth and destroying the character of Leamington Spa.