Testun llawn:
I am writing to express in the strongest possible terms by objection to the proposed Gypsy site at GT04 on the site currently offered by Leamington Football Club. Even if you believe that the council are required to provide such facilities, that they are necessary and that the people involved in fact want them (all of which are more than debatable), there are some very grave inaccuracies and irregularities about the process and the proposals.
It is absolutely clear that the whole process has been engineered by Warwick DC to push the sites chosen to the very boundaries of the District. This will have two very clear benefits to Warwick DC, firstly it will eliminate any impact on their residents (and therefore voters) of these sites, and secondly it will push the costs for the provision of services such as schools, Doctors, Policing and other welfare onto neighbouring districts. Both of these objectives are utterly deplorable.
On order to achieve these aims, Warwick DC have clearly judged each site not on defined, creditable, consistent, stated and scored criteria, instead they have mixed and matched criteria and weighing to achieve the outcome that suits their own political agenda. Issues that are deemed as worthy of comment for one site are omitted for another, and initial proposals - right down to the actual land in question - have been adjusted to include or exclude sites as required.
Contradictions and inconsistencies
The latest consultation document is full of contradictions, for example, one site is ruled out due to high pressure gas mains, the next a site is altered to accommodate the fact that there is a high pressure gas main. Similarly, one minute the residents of the travellers site needs access to major road network, the next minute they do not or it is too noisy. The arguments made are clearly 'convenient' to suit the agenda of Warwick district council, which is clearly to push this provision to the farthest boundary and onto Stratford-upon-Avon DC and their residents.
The idea that Gypsies will be content to avoid the closest services for Doctors and Schools in Harbury and head to Bishops Itchington due to an arbitrary district boundary as are fanciful as they are preposterous.
Changing the definition of GT04
Furthermore there have been several differences between the initial proposals and the revised proposal, not least that the initial proposal at GT04 stated that the site would be opposite Barwell Farm and it is now limited to the football club. This devious provision of information meant that objections to the first proposal focussed on a different area to that which is now being proposed, which meant that some key factors may have been overlooked and some key arguments voided.
Specific contradictions when comparing sites (and paragraph 6.1)
There are enormous irregularities in the pro's and con's provided in the consultation, where considerations that are applicable to one site are equally applicable to another but ignored. The application list shown in 6.2 of the document highlights this perfectly. In fact, 6.2 is actually a list of further considerations that may or may not be referred to as appropriate to suit the councils agenda.
For example:
GT04 lies within a flood plane, so the 'new' proposed area, which is different to that considered in the first consultation, has been cherry picked to cover only the part that does not lie in this area. This approach has not been afforded to any other proposed site with flood considerations.
GT04 has issues around danger to wildlife, again the 'new' proposed area, which is different to that considered in the first consultation, has been cherry picked to cover only the part that does not lie in this area. This approach has not been afforded to any other proposed site with wildlife considerations.
Various sites mention a high pressure gas main. Only site GT04 has been sub divided to get around this 'problem'.
GT06 'may cause problems for viable agricultural unit'. Of course the land at GT04 could otherwise form prime agricultural land (if indeed that is a consideration) should the football club vacate and the provision of these facilities will of course have an impact on neighbouring agricultural land.
GT08 is flagged as being within 1km of a railway line. GT04 is also within 1km of a railway line.
GT08 is noted as being (potentially too) remote from transport links and the like. It is no more remote than GT04.
Various sites mention potential road noise from the A46 and M40, yet the Fosse Way (which is adjacent to the GT04 site) is one of the busiest roads in the area.
GT13 mentions failed planning applications previously. Without any detail it is impossible to say that those same reasons for failing to approve this site be any less relevant to GT04.
GT13 is noted as being too remote from services and facilities, remote from primary road network and on high quality landscape. All three of these reasons are more applicable to GT04 than GT13.
GT14 mentions contamination from use as a poultry Farm. This is nonsensical, what possible contamination could there be arising from a poultry farm?
Gtalt02. By far and away the biggest irregularities focusses on Gtalt02, which is marked as 'amber'. When compared to GT04:
* it is apparently remote from services, although no more remote than GT04,
* it would require the purchase of a timber business, whereas mention of the cost and disruption of re-homing a football club is conspicuous by it's absence
* the road may be dangerous even though mention of the Fosse Way, the most dangerous road in Warwickshire if not the Midlands - again not mentioned in GT04.
* Mention of the ancient woodland, although the view from Chesterton Windmill is completely omitted in reference to GT04. (but then I suppose that falls in Statford-upon-Avon DC so that probably doesn't count).
Gtalt03 appears to have not been delivered as 'green' on the basis of being on Greenbelt. If this is an overriding issue or is simply too difficult, then these sites should never have been considered in the first place - what is the point of including and then omitting anything on a green belt is not to force non-green belt sites through. This is consistent throughout the document.
Gtalt04 is stated as being remote from ALL services and facilities, despite being next to a railway station and in a village every bit as well served as anything within 2 miles of GT04.
The reasons given for Gtalt06 are so vague it is not worth commenting on, and all of the positive reasons for inclusion at other sites (such as proximity to services, near to transport links, not being on the greenbelt etc etc) have been completely omitted. Very clearly this is bowing to pressure from a landowner and as such this site should be reconsidered and judged in parallel to the other sites whereby pro's are considered in addition to just the 'cons'.
Gtalt07 mentions being 'open to views from the West'. This is a very odd reason and I cannot see why views from Chesterton Windmill have been entirely omitted in the case of GT04.
Gtalt09 (and others) I am intrigued about the mention of land being 'allocated for residential use'. How a gypsy site would not be considered 'residential use' is very odd, except of course if these is a windfall to the council in selling the land to a developer.
Gtalt10 mentions that the area excluded for risk of flooding but that this is going to be remedied, it is completely unclear as to why this is a problem.
Gtalt13 (excusing typo) - states that the road is not suitable to serve caravans, but these are to be fixed units . This is an enormous and concerning irregularity. Furthermore, it is incongruous that the council are seemingly not willing to improve a road but they are willing to move a whole football club with the costs that this activity would incur.
Gtalt15 - again these are no comments about how 'good' the provision of services would be at this site. Furthermore, there is no 'Olympus Way' in Leamington spa, but access from ' Olympus Avenue' would be ideal for residents.
Gtalt16 is far too vague to comment.
Gtalt22 is mentioned as being 'very open and conspicuous', as well as unpalatable to the neighbours. This is a complete re-write of the rules that all other sites have been judged by.
Consideration of Neighbours
I was alarmed, concerned and ultimately unsurprised when told by a representative of Warwick DC that they have travelled the length and breath of the country to similar sites to speak to traveller families, council officials yet not (even once) those local residents that are affected by the sites. This is entirely preposterous, a scandalous mis-use of public money and shows the utter discontempt for residents (especially those of neighbouring Districts) that will be impacted by these plans.
Ideal sites
The following sites should be utilised. In each case they are either already marked 'Green' or the reasons for being amber or red are extremely weak in comparison with other sites.
GT06 - none of the reasons given against using GT06 are strong enough to preclude the site as being Green. Utilising 6 pitches at this site would spread the burden of provision around the district.
GT11 - as above, none of the reasons given are strong enough to preclude the site as being marked Green. This site would give access to the plentiful services in Warwick and has access to facilities and transport links. The only real reason this has been excluded is the council do not want Gypsy's 'in their backyard', as well as probably objections to a current or potential developer.
GT19 - again, an ideal site and possibly small enough for the local community to absorb, although this should be carefully monitored.
Gtalt01 - already earmarked as a camping site but unlikely to be viable as a business. If indeed there is a requirement, desire and need for such facilities, this a very clear and obvious place that gives residents access to the plentiful services on offer in Warwick Town.
On this point, it is as astonishing as it is unsurprising that the district council has not been 'able' to find any 'green rated' sites that would mean that the provision of services is drawn from the council home of Leamington Spa.
Gtalt02 - again, none of the reasons given are strong enough to preclude the site as being marked Green. This site would give access to the plentiful services in Leamington Spa and has access to facilities and transport links. The only real reason this has been excluded is the council do not want Gypsy's 'in their backyard'.
Gtalt03 - again, reasons not strong enough to preclude the site as being marked Green. This site would give access to the plentiful services in Warwick and has access to facilities and transport links. Likely to be affected by the views of a potential developer.
Gtalt12 - Marked Green, although there does seem likely to be a significant amount of pressure put on services in Barford which I believe may fall in Stratford-upon-Avon DC area.
Gtalt15 - Again, it is not clear as to why this site is not marked as green as different criteria seem to have been given to this and other sites. To claim that some remote sites are close enough to facilities and services but then to not comment in relation to this site is entirely perplexing.
The proposed sites at GT17, GT18 and GT20 are all absolutely ideal for a development of this type. There is not a single criteria that are not met by these sites and it seems that the wishes of one group (in this instance the highways) are accepted and not questioned unlike the view of residents elsewhere.
Best mix
The best mix is to place up to 38 pitches all at GT17, GT18 and GT20. As an alternative, the following mix would best meet the needs of the travelling community, not impact disproportionally on the lives of small communities in and near to Warwick District. All of these sites would have significant space to expand.
GT06 Land at Park Farm, Spinney Farm - 6 'pitches' (currently AMBER)
GT11 Land at Budbrooke Lodge, Racecourse and Hampton Road - 5 'pitches' (currently AMBER)
GT19 Land adjacent Shell Petrol Filling Station, Birmingham Road, Budbrooke, Warwick - 5 'pitches' (currently GREEN)
GTalt01 Brookside Willows, Banbury Road - 15 'pitches' (currently GREEN)
GTalt02 Land off Rugby Road, Cubbington - 5 'pitches' (currently AMBER)
GTalt03 Henley Road/Hampton Road, Hampton-on-the-Hill - 5 'pitches' (currently AMBER)
GTalt15 r.o. department store, Leamington Retail Park - 5 'pitches' (currently RED)
That is if these facilities are needed at all - which frankly nobody believes.
Yours sincerely
James Skidmore