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.

In respect to the recent decision to develop from Greenbelt to housing the Old Milverton and Blackdown area I would like to strongly object to this proposal.

I have lived at 64 Leicester Lane since 2003 which is opposite the proposed site to develop, it has always been a Greenbelt designated site which I believe is critical to maintain as such. The whole idea of Greenbelt land is to prevent the expansion of housing and to gurantee areas of land that will never be developed into housing or other development types (eg factories). The proposed new infrastructure to accommodate the increase of housing proposed will put an additional strain on an existing infrastructure (eg road traffic) that will take it above acceptable levels increasing the dangers to the population, including my children.

Greenbelt should as per the Government standards only be altered in extreme circumstances, this is not one of those. There are other alternative sites that are not close to existing housing areas that could be used. This area of Leamington Spa will lose its character and natural beauty by this proposed development.

In addition this area is used by many people for recreational activities like running, cycling and walking. We need to maintain areas like this for the current nearby residents.


Please can you consider using an alternative site and leave Old Milverton and Blackdown as a Greenbelt area.

This letter is in response to requests for comments about the future house building plans for Warwick District. We are residents of central Leamington and are therefore not directly affected by these proposals.
However we would like to make the following points:

a. Building on Green Belt land should not be countenanced where other alternatives exist as they do in this case. The justification for the green belt land north of Leamington is as valid now as it has ever been.

b. The proposals if implemented will lead to a coalescing of Leamington and Kenilworth leading to the loss of identity of each and to the detriment of both.

c. The scattering of the developments in several places around the district will increase disproportionately the costs of the additional infrastructure needed e.g roads, utilities and schools. Building to the north of Leamington will require the creation of major new road infrastructure whereas there are existing links to the main arterial roads to the south of Leamington.

d. The future need for retail space in the district is going to decrease because of the rapid increase of internet shopping and the scale of the existing out of town centres. Any future house building plans should take account of the fact that the reduction in retail space will provide opportunities for provision of housing.

e. An alternative to the present plans would be the development of a new satellite town or village on non-green belt land and with good links to the existing transport infrastructure.

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.

Please find below my objection to the proposal to use greenbelt land in North Leamington to build over 2000 houses:-

National Planning Policy Framework requires "Very Special Circumstances" (I'm not convinced that there are any!)

The fundamental aim of* Greenbelt policy as set out in the Government's National Planning Policy Framework is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open.

The Government's National* Planning Policy Framework requires there to be "very special circumstances" for development in the Green Belt. It also requires the harm caused to the Green Belt by the development to be outweighed by the benefit of the development. I believe that there are many other areas in South Leamington i.e Europa way that could sustain such building work, in the "2009 Core Strategy" (the previous plan adopted by Warwick District Council) land south of Leamington (not in Green Belt), was identified and is still available, for development. The assessment performed by Warwick District Council shows that this land is easier to develop and already has a substantial amount of infrastructure (roads etc) to support the development, and the new residents who will live there. It is close to the M40 and there are existing employment opportunities South of Leamington as well as existing out of town shopping facilities and good access to the town centres.
Therefore, the previous plan (the* 2009 Core Strategy) is direct evidence that there are alternative areas for development other than the Green Belt and that the "special circumstances" put forward by Warwick District Council are wrong.
Warwick District Council argues that the land in the South of* Leamington is not as attractive to developers because 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.

The Green Belt
The proposals ignore Warwick* District Council's study of the Green Belt land at Old Milverton and Blackdown, which concluded that these areas had high Green Belt value
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out five purposes* for Greenbelt land. In summary these are, to prevent urban sprawl of built up areas, to prevent neighbouring towns merging, to protect the country side from encroachment, to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns and to assist urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of urban land. The Greenbelt land identified for development in the Preferred Option does carry out these purposes and its development would therefore be contrary to the NPPF.

The proposals will reduce the" Green Lung" between Leamington and* Kenilworth to less than 1 1/2 miles encouraging the merger of these two towns and their loss of independent identities.

Recreation Value of Old Milverton and Blackdown
The land at Old Milverton and* Blackdown is enjoyed by many walkers, runners, riders, and cyclists. It provides a countryside environment close to the centres of Leamington and Warwick. Both the proposed building development and the "Northern Relief Road" would substantially reduce the amount of land that is available to be enjoyed and have a detrimental impact on the ambience and hence the amenity value of the land. Turning some of it into a maintained park land would detract from, rather than enhance its value.
Old Milverton is one of the last surviving villages close to* Leamington that has not been absorbed into the greater conurbation. If the proposals go ahead it is only a matter of time before it is also absorbed by Leamington.

Proposed New Roads
Turning the A452 between* Leamington and Kenilworth into dual carriage way will not help traffic flows. At peak times the delays on the A452 result from commuters wanting access to the Town centres.
Building nearly 3000 houses north* of Leamington will simply increase the congestion.
The dual carriage way will have a* detrimental effect on the picturesque northern gateway to Leamington and southern gateway to Kenilworth.
A "Northern Relief Road"* (budgeted cost £28m) is not required. Traffic flows tend to be north to south rather than east to west. The road will serve no purpose other than to take new home owners quickly on to the A46 and to jobs and shopping opportunities away from our Towns. If the development does not go ahead the road will not be required.
A "Northern Relief Road" will* form a natural barrier and encourage further development in the green belt up to this new road. It will need to be built across the flood plain (at considerable cost) and will violate an important nature corridor along the River Avon.
If the proposed development is* concentrated in the South of Leamington there is an existing road network that could be upgraded at considerably lower cost than the £28m allocated to construct a "Northern Relief Road".
* New Out of Town Stores
The proposed "out of town" retail operations will be another blow to* independent retailers in Leamington, Kenilworth and Warwick who make the area an attractive place to live. Further "out of town" shopping will take trade away from the Towns.

Loss of Agricultural Land
There will be a loss of a significant amount of high quality* agricultural land in Blackdown and Old Milverton

Number of Homes included in the Forecasts
Warwick District Council has added nearly 1400 homes to the number* that it anticipates will be required so as to include a "buffer" in the forecasts. If this "buffer" is removed from the forecast there is no need to include the land at Old Milverton and Blackdown in the proposals

Proposed Development in Old Milverton and Blackdown Contained in Warwick District Council's Preferred Options fot the Local Plan

I strongly object to the proposed development of the Green Belt land in Blackdown and Old Milverton as outlined in the preferred option for the Local Plan.

There is no justification in law for the District Council to alter the Green Belt land in question and they will be acting in contravention of The National Planning Policy Framework as the Green Belt land actively fulfils all of its functions in this area. It has prevented the merging of Kenilworth and Leamington and the associated urban sprawl, it has helped preserve the special character and setting of Royal Leamington Spa. The land has immense recreational value to the local community and is heavily used by walkers, horse riders and cyclists in an area which has very little access to alternative rural landscape.

The District Council has not demonstrated that there are any "exceptional circumstances" as required by the NPPF, before consideration can be given to altering Green Belt land. There are other areas of land available which are not in Green Belt and which were included in WDC's previous plan, which are well served with infrastructure and employment opportunities. WDC's widely reported wish to "spread the misery equally" is not a valid planning reason to approve their option as it is a political and not a planning consideration.

The Council state that the available alternative sites are not as desirable to developers because the pre-existing housing would make the new houses less saleable and less profitable than houses built in the Green Belt. The maximisation of developer's profits is not a valid "very special circumstance" justifying the sacrifice of Green Belt land for unnecessary development.

I urge you to reconsider this poorly thought through, ill conceived, and unjustifiable plan as the preferred option.

I am writing to oppose the District Council's plans to develop on Green Belt Land as shown in its 2012 Preferred Options booklet.

Accurate data
My first request is that you revisit the figures that have been used to create the projection of the number of houses that are needed and remove any 'padding'

Existing resources
My second request is that you examine the resources which are currently available.
 Those you identified in your 2009 core strategy plan
 White, brown and green wedge land
 Existing road infrastructure, M40 access and industrial sites with employment opportunities

The National Planning Policy Framework
My third request is that you revisit this framework which gives very clear guidelines on the criteria for the preservation of Greenbelt land

The Greenbelt in Old Milverton and Blackdown fulfils the 5 purposes of Greenbelt set out in the NPPF

 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

In addition, it generates good crops, grain which would be totally lost and need to be resourced elsewhere, abroad and at what cost?
It has great recreational value being enjoyed by many walkers, runners, riders and cyclists, all at no cost.

Conclusion
Having read all the various statements I am left wondering how on earth can the short term paltry gain for a very limited number of developers be considered to outweigh the loss of such a rich environment for future generations of multiple users?

Whilst I totally understand the need for a plan, please reconsider your preferred options in light of the total development cost in monetary terms and huge debt to future generations who would be permanently deprived of the richness of this precious strip of North Leamington countryside

Cubbington Parish Council have discussed the issues contained in the Local Plan Preferred Options published by the District Council and wish to make the following comments:
1. There are considerable concerns regarding the proposal to redefine the boundaries of the Green Belt around rural parishes, including Cubbington. The Parish Council strongly oppose this proposal as, potentially, it could result in the loss of large areas of highly valued countryside which have been protected from development for very many years. If it is eventually decided to proceed with this review, the Parish Council would expect to be consulted about any proposals to change the Green Belt locally. At all costs, the Green Belt controlling the use of the land between Cubbington and Lillington, bordered by Rugby Road, Offchurch Road and Welsh Road must be protected.
2. It is understood that 15 to 20% of the Blackdown development site, designated as Location 5 in the Options, comes within the boundary of the Cubbington parish. This could result in up to 230 dwellings being built on this area alone with the balance of 940 dwellings being built on the adjoining area within the parish of Blackdown. The Parish Council anticipate that this number of additional dwellings, with possibly in excess of over 3000 residents, will have a major impact on the local infrastructure and the social, leisure and shopping facilities in Cubbington. Therefore, should this area be approved for development, the Parish Council's view is that they must be involved in the detailed planning and decisions about how the resulting infrastructure levy will be utilised.
3. It is understood that Old Milverton and Blackdown Joint Parish Council will be making representations regarding the development proposals of this land and Cubbington Parish Council support fully the comments they will be making.
4. In November 2009 a report was published by the Warwickshire Rural Community Council on the outcome of a housing needs survey carried out in the parish. This indicated that there was demand for a small number of affordable dwellings to be built in the parish for occupation by people who had family links with other residents in the parish. A scheme was subsequently devised by the WRCC for seven affordable dwellings to be built on an area of land off Coventry Road. To make this scheme financially viable it was suggested that, if necessary, a small number of additional houses should be built for sale on the open market. These proposals have not yet been able to proceed due to funding not being available through the District Council. However, the Parish Council understand that the matter is now being pursued with the involvement of the Orbit Housing Group. The Parish Council believe that this scheme should be reflected in the Local Plan to help ensure that it can proceed.

I am writing to object to the planning proposals put forward by Warwick District Council to build on green belt land in the Old Milverton and Blackdown areas of North Leamington.
I have grown up in the area and lived in both North and South Leamington. In the past year my wife and I moved with our young family into Garway Close knowing full well the development of Sir Frank Whittle Gardens was about to commence to build a mix of 58 new properties, and the Castel Froma 78 bedroom residential home. In other words we fully recognise the need to build new homes on the site of the old North Leamington School, making good use of a brown field site.
My family and I enjoy cycling, jogging and walks in this area where my wife and I explain to our children that this is the countryside where things are different from the garden or a walk in town or around our local neighbourhood.
Now I would like to draw your attention to the National Planning Policy Framework section, section 9: Protecting Green Belt Land. There appears to be a number of contradictions between this policy and the councils proposed developments within green belt. I have referred to only two sub-selections.
79. The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence.
* The council's proposals would not prevent urban sprawl. It is far more likely to exacerbate the problem as the proposals would consume currently isolated Old Milverton and Blackdown, and take the Northern Leamington Spa 'urban sprawl' a step away from consuming Hill Wotton and migration with Kenilworth.
* The council's proposals will not maintain the characteristics of green belts, their openness or indeed any permanence, it will be gone forever.
83. Once established, Green Belt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional circumstances"
* The council's proposals do not appear to highlight any exceptional circumstances, and previous planning proposals in the South of Leamington were not consuming green belt land.
I would like to reiterate our objections to the proposed planning and look forward to your reconsideration of development within green belt land, given the reason listed above.

I object to the proposed development in old milverton and blackdown.
Myself and my family regularly go walking across this piece of land it would be absolutely awful If we were no longer able to do so.

I live in Old Milverton with my 12 yr old son.

My son and I wish to add our strongest protests against the proposal to build on Green Belt Land in Old Milverton, Blackdown and Kenilworth.

We have yet to see any justification for the need to build so many houses in the area. Many flats and houses have been built opposite Leamington Station and on the site of the old Potterton factory off Emscote Rd in Warwick that have yet to be filled. The huge amount of houses proposed just creates another suburb of leamington/kenilworth and dominates the area. I feel greed is playing a part here.

Despite assurances from the council District council that a road will be built to the A46 it is inevitable that there will be a huge increase in traffic through our village. We live alongside the Old Milverton Rd and already find it is treated as a rat run several times a day, I would be appalled to have that increased, especially with my young son starting to cycle to school. The speed bumps further up the rd are a complete pain and just encourage drivers to speed up when they reach Old Milverton, or damage cars.

We are also deeply concerned that if we start filling the green belt land that there are no guarantees from the council about filling the in the remaining small gap that will remain between us and leamington or kenilworth.

We love Old Milverton and its unique tranquility, this needs protecting not overwhelming with unnecessary buildings.

I wish to object to the current plans to build on the Green Belt area north of Leamington Spa.
I understand that the fundamental aim of Greenbelt policy as set out in the Government's National Planning Policy Framework is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open.
The Proposals as they currently stand appear to me to contradict the laid down terms of reference for such developments viz.
1. The Government's National Planning Policy Framework requires there to be "very special circumstances" for development in the Green Belt. It also requires the harm caused to the Green Belt by the development to be outweighed by the benefit of the development. According to Warwick District Council the special circumstances are that there is nowhere else for the homes to be built.
2. However, in the "2009 Core Strategy" (the previous plan adopted by Warwick District Council) land south of Leamington (not in Green Belt), was identified and is still available, for development. The assessment performed by Warwick District Council itself shows that this land is easier to develop and already has a substantial amount of infrastructure (roads etc) to support the development, and the new residents who will live there. It is close to the M40 and there are existing employment opportunities South of Leamington as well as existing out of town shopping facilities and good access to the town centres.
3. Therefore, the previous plan (the 2009 Core Strategy) provides direct evidence that there are alternative areas for development other than the Green Belt. This indicates and that the "special circumstances" put forward by Warwick District Council are invalid.
4. Warwick District Council argues that the land in the South of Leamington is not as attractive to developers because 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.

Here are my comments on Warwick District Council's proposals to build on Greenbelt land to the north of Leamington Spa.
I believe that building on greenbelt land to the north of Leamington Spa (Milverton and Blackdown) is the wrong location for development in this area, though well done in listening to the local community in respect of not including the hugely valuable allotments. Building houses on this scale in this location will produce further chaotic traffic congestion in the north of the town where the existing road system is unable to cope already. The proposal to build the new link road from Blackdown to the A46 probably only stands up if the rest of the program is to be implemented but it would help relieve congestion as a stand-alone project. In conjunction with the volume of proposed new houses, it would exacerbate the bottlenecks in the road system on the Kenilworth Road and Northumberland Road, neither of which have significant scope for widening or other "improvement".
The previously identified development land to the south of the town at Heathcote would reduce the need to develop on green-belt land and is much preferable in terms of links with existing road networks. It is also the right side of town for access to the railway station and existing employment areas.
Please reconsider this proposal and spare the greenbelt. Greenbelt is there for a purpose and there are no exceptional circumstances that would justify its loss, particularly when there are suitable, more sensible alternatives.

I object to the proposed development in Old Milverton and Blackdown contained in Warwick District Council's Preferred Options for the Local plan. The Green Belt land in the north of Leamington should be preserved to stop the potential merger of Leamington Spa and Kenilworth and safeguard the countryside from encroachment.

The area around Old Milverton and Blackdown is used by both residents and visitors for recreational purposes such as walking, running, cycling and riding. It provides a countryside environment close to the centres of Leamington and Warwick. If the proposed development and Northern Relief road were to go ahead this would substantially reduce the amount of land available to be enjoyed and have a detrimental impact on the ambience and, therefore, the amenity value of the land.

I urge you to look at alternative sites for the development that are not on precious Green Belt land. The plans that were prepared in 2009 for the Core Strategy Plan would have been much less expensive to implement as they did not require the extravagance of a whole new infrastructure, which we do not need.

I am writing to strongly object to Warwick District Council's New Local Plan, which outlines plans to develop substantial new housing on North Leamington Greenbelt sites

The fundamental aim of Greenbelt policy as set out in the Government's National Planning Policy Framework is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open.

The Government's National Planning Policy Framework requires there to be "very special circumstances" for development in the Green Belt. It also requires the harm caused to the Green Belt by the development to be outweighed by the benefit of the development. According to Warwick District Council the special circumstances are that there is nowhere else for the homes to be built.
However, in the "2009 Core Strategy" (the previous plan adopted by Warwick District Council) land south of Leamington (not in Green Belt), was identified and is still available, for development. The assessment performed by Warwick District Council shows that this land is easier to develop and already has a substantial amount of infrastructure (roads etc) to support the development, and the new residents who will live there. It is close to the M40 and there are existing employment opportunities South of Leamington as well as existing out of town shopping facilities and good access to the town centres.
Therefore, the previous plan (the 2009 Core Strategy) is direct evidence that there are alternative areas for development other than the Green Belt and that the "special circumstances" put forward by Warwick District Council are wrong.
Warwick District Council argues that the land in the South of Leamington is not as attractive to developers because 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.

The Green Belt
The proposals ignore Warwick District Council's study of the Green Belt land at Old Milverton and Blackdown, which concluded that these areas had high Green Belt value
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out five purposes for Greenbelt land. In summary these are:
* To prevent urban sprawl of built up areas
* To prevent neighbouring towns merging, to protect the country side from encroachment
* To preserve the setting and special character of historic towns and to assist urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of urban land.
* The Greenbelt land identified for development in the Preferred Option does carry out these purposes and its development would therefore be contrary to the NPPF.

The proposals will reduce the" Green Lung" between Leamington and Kenilworth to less than 1 1/2 miles encouraging the merger of these two towns and their loss of independent identities.

Recreation Value of Old Milverton and Blackdown
The land at Old Milverton and Blackdown is enjoyed by many walkers, runners, riders, and cyclists. It provides a countryside environment close to the centres of Leamington and Warwick. Both the proposed building development and the "Northern Relief Road" would substantially reduce the amount of land that is available to be enjoyed and have a detrimental impact on the ambience and hence the amenity value of the land. Turning some of it into a maintained park land would detract from, rather than enhance its value.
Old Milverton is one of the last surviving villages close to Leamington that has not been absorbed into the greater conurbation. If the proposals go ahead it is only a matter of time before it is also absorbed by Leamington.

Proposed New Roads
Turning the A452 between Leamington and Kenilworth into dual carriage way will not help traffic flows. At peak times the delays on the A452 result from commuters wanting access to the Town centres.
Building nearly 3000 houses north of Leamington will simply increase the congestion.
The dual carriage way will have a detrimental effect on the picturesque northern gateway to Leamington and southern gateway to Kenilworth.
A "Northern Relief Road" (budgeted cost £28m) is not required. Traffic flows tend to be north to south rather than east to west. The road will serve no purpose other than to take new home owners quickly on to the A46 and to jobs and shopping opportunities away from our Towns. If the development does not go ahead the road will not be required.
A "Northern Relief Road" will form a natural barrier and encourage further development in the green belt up to this new road. It will need to be built across the flood plain (at considerable cost) and will violate an important nature corridor along the River Avon.
If the proposed development is concentrated in the South of Leamington there is an existing road network that could be upgraded at considerably lower cost than the £28m allocated to construct a "Northern Relief Road".
Loss of Agricultural Land
There will be a loss of a significant amount of high quality agricultural land in Blackdown and Old Milverton

Number of Homes included in the Forecasts
Warwick District Council has added nearly 1400 homes to the number that it anticipates will be required so as to include a "buffer" in the forecasts. If this "buffer" is removed from the forecast there is no need to include the land at Old Milverton and Blackdown in the proposals

I would like to protest in the strongest terms possible, the intention to build in the area of Blackdown and Old Miverton.
The intended area has long been prime agricultural land but also has provided an area of open space for the North Leamington community to enjoy recreationally.

I have an allotment that opens out to this land, I see many many families walking along the foot paths in this area. I see joggers and cyclists. I am often very surprised at the high numbers of people that use the land in harmony with the farms that grow the crops in the same area. This symbiosis has existed in this area over generations of my family from my great grandfather, grandfather and father who also had allotments near to where mine is today.

This green belt land has for many years stood as a boundary to Leamington maintaining and preventing the sprawl and eventual merger of villages and towns, Old Milverton and Kenilworth in this case.
I understand that new home must be built but there is land available else ware that is not green belt. Developers if forced to could become far more imaginative in the use of many spaces within Leamington that could be developed. As an example why do we need yet another supermarket (Morrisons) if living space is a premium.

There are many empty industrial buildings and spaces in and around Leamington that should be considered for development. It is only when every single piece of land that could be developed has been that green belt should then be considered. I believe this a long way off.

I do not acknowledge any special circumstances that allows the disgraceful destruction of this beautiful open recreational and agricultural land.
I implore you, my council, to prevent this madness from occurring.

Having been a resident of Leamington Spa for over 60 years I do believe that the current proposal for the construction of 2200 new house will be detrimental to the residents of the town.
On a more general point the town and out of town centres are congested, on most days now it is difficult to access these areas due to the volumes of traffic. The road infrastructure in Leamington is confined by current development and residential roads, for instance, such as Northumberland road are now treated by drivers incoming to Leamington as part of the main road.
The A452 from Ryton is constantly congested at peak times and it's a similar story on the Myton , Radford and Tachbrook Roads. These roads have not changed in my time in Leamington and any further development will just exaggerate the problem.

Specific to the North Leamington Development.
Infrastructure. Traffic—The A452 or Leicester Lane is not coping with the amount of traffic that is currently using it. There is now a constant stream of traffic on this road not just local traffic but also many heavy commercial vehicles. There are constant jams which extend from Sandy Lane island to the island at Westhill. The turning at Telford Ave is a source of vehicle shunts and many near misses . Also on some day I can smell the fumes from this traffic, please don't poison us any more or could we be a LEZ?
We have just had many years of disruption with new gas, sewer and water having been upgraded as it catches up with development add on. Will this have to be upgraded again and at what cost.
Police, Fire Ambulance. We are now reading of all the cuts and reduction in services. Police Headquarters closed, Ambulance merged with Fire service. Aren't we already at breaking point?
Schools Has the county council the resources to provide the extra required, I understand we are also in another baby boon which will stretch existing resources.

This land has always been green belt and this has been maintained over the years, to stop the urban sprawl. With this development, are we not far from merging with Kenilworth?

Is this level of housing needed, there appears to be lots of houses for sale and rent in the local newspaper. Have all the spare areas been developed? What about empty properties?
With the local job market support this amount of people. Will the local council be able to support the 40% of social housing with their needs?.

On all these point I object to green belt development in North Leamington.

I am saddened to hear about the plans to develop the Green Belt land in North Leamington. I urge you to reconsider these plans and leave this area as protected land.
I am a resident of Warwick and as I live in an urban area, I particularly value this land as an area of recreation during evenings and on the weekends. I enjoy walking/running, cycling, and also fishing on the river and it is an area that I can reach conveniently, without the use of my car. I fear that if you develop this land as you plan, I and many others will be unable to enjoy this beautiful landscape.
In addition to my own enjoyment of the area, I am a PE teacher at a local secondary school and I promote the importance of an active lifestyle to young people in the area. I know that many of the young people that I teach together with their families enjoy this particular piece of Green Belt land since it is easily accessible for them from Warwick and Leamington. I fear that without this land, the young people of the area will have even less places to enjoy and exercise, decreasing the quality of their lives. This is an area of land that needs to be protected for future generations to enjoy.
I am concerned that the Green Belt land was set aside to protect urban sprawl. Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth are already in such close proximity with each other that leaves little countryside. If the land is developed then the distance between Kenilworth and Leamington and Warwick will be reduced even further. Whilst I understand that there is a need to build more houses for future generations, I understand that there are other more appropriate sites in the South of Leamington that were proposed in the 2009 Core Strategy Plan. These sites already have road networks and infrastructure that would more effectively support development and I urge you to reconsider these.
Building on this Green Belt Land would be an appalling waste of the countryside that we all enjoy.

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.

Re Greenbelt north of Leamington Spa
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 of Greenbelt set out in the NPPF and therefore should remain as open Greenbelt 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 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.
The proposed development of Greenbelt is directly in contradiction of an earlier study by WDC which concluded that the Green belt of Old Milverton and Blackdown "has high Greenbelt value".
Whilst not specifically a planning argument, the destruction of productive farmland must be considered in the context of food security, which will become increasingly important to future generations.
Please reconsider your Preferred Options.

I was impressed by the clarity with which the proposed Local Plan was presented at the North Leamington Community Forum and I noted the necessary concern about provision of facilities for the proposed new residents of the various areas.

However, I am unable to understand the reasoning behind this consideration with regard to Location 5, Blackdown. To provide any employment beyond schools and local shops in that are, you are going, it would seem, to further encroach on Green Belt land on the north side of Warwick District, well away from the more commercial areas to the south, which already do not suffer/enjoy- depending how you regard it - the restrictions of the Green Belt.

It seems to me that placing the second highest volume of houses in the Plan in Blackdown is immediately locating a very large number of people as far from local employment as possible. I really do hope this is not a "secret plan" to contrive to put pressure on the Green Belt regulations and commence commercialising the area between Leamington and Kenilworth!

Yes, I admit I live in Lillington, so I have a personal interest, but I am sure you will understand that my points are not simply a case of "not in my back yard"

I object to the proposed development in Old Milverton and Blackdown contained in Warwick District Council'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 of Greenbelt set out in the NPPF and therefore should remain as open Greenbelt 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
I do feel that there are many other side that could be used rather than this North Leamington Development.

I write to object against the planned development of green belt land in the Old Milverton and Blackdown areas of North Leamington Spa.

The grounds on which I make this objection are:-

1.That the land provides considerable local amenity for exercise and recreation.
2.That all the alternatives to the development of green belt have not been exhausted, ie, there is sufficient alternative non-green belt land available, predominantly in the South Leamington / Heathcote area.
3.That the existing infrastructure is not capable of supporting the planned level of new housing, particularly the Old Milverton Road/Rubgy Road junction, a road which already has traffic calming measures in place.

I would like to voice my opposition to your plan to develop on the North Leamington green belt.

Having reviewed the available information I am concerned that the gradual erosion of the green belt to the north of Leamington will detrimentally affect the overall quality of life for all residents in the local area. I have greatly valued the opportunity to run in and around Old Milverton and I am concerned that once this space has gone, it has gone for good. I feel that access to similar countryside in the local area would not be immediately available and would require the use of a car. This is not environmentally friendly and would limit access to the wider Leamington population.

I think it is unfortunate that the opportunity has not been taken to develop the area around the south of Leamington. The amenities in the Warwick Gates area are particularly over stretched and I feel there is an opportunity that is being missed to improve the schools and amenity access in this area for existing residents. This area has already been developed for industrial and residential purposes and improvement of the motorway access is already critical. Development of this area would not only improve existing businesses and create greater job opportunities and wealth creation it would also serve to improve the living standards of the Warwick Gates occupants who have been under supported with local amenities since the completion of the estate.

I would encourage a review of the the planning proposals with a view to improving existing residents and businesses without the exploitation of our dwindling green spaces.

We would like to lodge our objections to the proposed development on greenbelt land to the North of Leamington. Namely , the plans to develop land of outstanding natural beauty at Old Milverton and Blackdown.

We submit that the council have failed to demonstrate the 'exceptional circumstances' required in the national guidelines to permit development in this area of Green Belt.

Our objections are as follows

1. Loss of Amenity

The areas identified as suitable for development in Old Milverton and Blackdown are beautiful and the footpaths provide the only access to the countryside within direct walking distance of North Leamington. The footpaths provide much needed respite from the pavements of the town and provide an opportunity to appreciate peace and quiet . We regularly walk the footpaths ,from Northumberland Road to Old Milverton and the footpaths from Blackdown to Leek Wooton. It is busy with runners , dog walkers and people enjoying the natural beauty and wildlife. The access from the town to this precious piece of country is what makes 'leafy leamington' a joy to live in as opposed to a sprawling conurbation. The Character of North Leamington and the unique beauty of the village of Old Milverton will be lost forever.

The area provides a natural habitat to wildlife and birds that also should be cherished. The loss of habitat by the inevitable destruction of hedgrows , ponds and trees is tantamount to a death sentence for foxes ,badgers, small mammals, hedgehogs birds, newts, frogs etc. . The educational benefits of showing local children the reality of the countryside will be eroded yet again. Where will the children go from Milverton School for their nature walks? To some homogenised country world or nature parks?? The children of North Leamington are lucky to have such close access to real countryside . If the planning proposal go ahead, they are living in yet another built up town restricted to the local cultivated parks, like any other town where the planners have been similarly shortsighted. Children need to see fields planted with crops experience the joy of spotting and investigating wildlife and to see trees and fields.

The land is designated as Green Belt for a reason and the reasons are that the land is the last reminder of the way the countryside was around Leamington . We live in a rural county and by joining up Leamington and Kenilworth you erode the individual character of each town. The fact that we were so close to countryside was one of the reasons I was attracted to come and live in this town in the first place. I moved here to bring up my family and want the character of this town to be preserved for future generations of children. It is a wonderful town to bring up children and part of this is the access to rural parts of the countryside where all can enjoy the sights and sounds of real countryside. This is why we chose to live here as opposed to London.

If the Northumberland allotments are included in these plans, then yet again a precious amenity would be lost. I should add that I am not an allotment holder but everyone in the area knows someone who is. The loss of this valued community spirit cannot be measured. Do we want North Leamington to lose its sense of tradition and community?

To destroy the character of North Leamington by taking away the close access to these lovely stretches of land destroys the character of the whole town.

2. Green Belt Land should not be developed when alternative sites are available in Leamington.

Warwick Council has ignored the national guidelines that state that building on Green Belt is only permitted in 'exceptional circumstances' if there is ''insufficient suitable and available sites outside the Greenbelt'. The Council itself has identified possible available land to the east of Europa Way A452 and south of Heathcote towards Bishops Tachbrook. Why have these areas not been included in the preferred sites? If the planning policy is to 'spread it around' as opposed to identifying the best available land , it does not appear that the council have explained properly why it considers there are exceptional circumstances to permit the development of precious Green Belt land.

Distributing development around the district is not a planning policy as set out in th NPPF but a lazy attempt to be fair.
The council has therefore ignored the importance of the status of Green Belt land and its importance to the character of the town itself. The status of Green Belt land is to prevent urban sprawl and the council have wilfully ignored this in order to appear to be politically correct.

3. The councils projections for the need for new housing are taken from projections that are no longer valid. These projections were taken at a time when the area was at a point of exceptional expansion.
Even if the councils projections for housing needs are accepted, the units proposed for the green belt could be deleted without causing a deficit., even if not alternative sites are substitute.

The village of Old Milverton and it's environs should be protected . It's very nature as a village would be destroyed.

4 The current infrastructure cannot support the proposed new development. The further destruction to the area by the construction of new roads and the cost of providing the new infrastructure does not make economic sense , when areas to the South of Leamington have already been established eg Warwick Gates. For years we were dogged by an inefficient sewage and drainage system caused by expansion and it took years to actually get to the point where the Council acknowledged that development could not be supported by the existing sewage and drainage system. The amount of resources to develop an adequate infrastructure for housing on Green Belt land does not make economic sense.

Conclusion

If new development is needed for housing needs then we would say that it would be better suited to land in other parts of the town. Warwick Gates is at the moment a bit out on its own surely it would benefit newer developments . At present it is rather out on its own developing land nearby and the available sites near Sydenham would enrich these communities and help them develop a sense of community. To vandalise areas of outstanding natural beauty already deemed to be Green Belt is an assault on the whole community's amenity, the individuality of the town of Leamington and Kenilworth and seems to be based on the assumption that development must be spread around the town, when it is clear that there are wide gaping tracts of wasteland to the south of Leamington that would fulfil housing needs without having to destroy the ever decreasing Green Belt to the North.

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.

We strongly oppose the proposed development north of Leamington. This is the last area of outstanding beauty not to be spoiled by buildings and is much loved and used by residents, who wish to walk locally and not use the car to drive out to the country. The approach to Leamington from Kenilworth is a beautiful drive which will be desecrated by these proposals.
The area south of Leamington which has already lost much of its beautiful countryside from development is surely the right area to continue developing, as it has already been spoiled!!
As the area around Europa Way has been designated for development, it should continue here rather than sacrificing Green Belt areas.
Urban sprawl to the north of the town MUST be avoided. Please don't spoil our future generations' enjoyment of this lovely area

I want to register my objection to the development plan for housing in North Leamington and Blackdown and the plan to build roads through Old Milverton.

We have lived here for the last 17 years and moved here from Birmingham. One of the reasons for enjoying where we live in Leamington is the ease with which we can access green belt land from our doorstep without having to get in the car and add to congestion and polution. When friends visit us they often comment on how lucky we are to enjoy walking access to great shops in Leamington whilst also being able to walk and cycle from our doorstep into countyside.

Your proposal for North Leamington housing and road building will seriously interfere with my enjoyment of the amenity of my immediate environment. I will lose the ability to do my regular walks up towards Old Milverton, past the allotments on the right and then right across fields eventually coming out on Northumberland Road. I also walk down to the Saxon Mill and then come back up via the church at Old Milverton. Your road building will change this environment moving it from rural to urban, reduce my enjoyment of my area and build on green belt when you do have alternatives.

In addition to enjoying walking out from my home I also cycle to work on the Warwick University campus. I use the cycle plath past the Saxon Mill ( thank you for making this) and then up into Leek Wooton , Kenilworth and on to the Uni. If you travel this route you will see that I get access to a great deal of variety ; there are distinct diffferences between the Saxon Mil part of Warwick , Leek and Hill Wotton, Kenilworth - your plans will result in a coalesance of these urban areas. That is such a shame , it really is a prize worth holding onto to be able to live in a district that has such a variety of localities with their own personailitie . You run the risk of being the group of elected Members and Officers who destroyed the difference between these adjoining localities and created one large urban blob. Just what I left behind in Birmingham.

So , I would ask you to note my objection to the local plan to develop housing in North Leamington and Blackdown and road construction in Milverton on the grounds it will reduce my enjoyment of the local area for recreation and make it harder for me to access open green space for walking and cycling . I also object on the grounds of loss of enjoyment because it will result in coalescence of urban areas