No

ID sylw: 105384

Derbyniwyd: 03/03/2025

Ymatebydd: AZZA EL-GINGIHY

I object to the proposed development in Old Milverton.

Building in this area is a destruction of the open space available to the population of Leamington Spa.

To build on the green belt is not acceptable and show no consideration for Leamington Spa residents who use the space for walking, jogging & relaxation.

Building on the green belt will push the local residents to drive their cars for long distance and cause more pollution in order to reach the country side and breath fresh air.

Please, keep our green belt safe from greedy builders.

No

ID sylw: 105736

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Ned Pope

I disagree with the inclusion of SG06 for several reasons. South Warwickshire's housing needs can be met without developing green belt land, indicating no exceptional circumstances exist for SG06's release. The area lacks sustainable public transport access, leading to increased car traffic through Leamington, which the town centre cannot handle. Additionally, the high-quality agricultural land in Old Milverton and Blackdown is vital for food security. The area also supports rich wildlife, including endangered species, and is a special green belt accessible to the public, with more footpaths per hectare than the wider West Midlands Green Belt.

No

ID sylw: 105800

Derbyniwyd: 05/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Mr J C Clack

The site is in greenbelt and the Inspector was right in turning it down at the previous examination. The loss of green belt will lead to the destruction of agricultural land and benefits the countryside offers in terms of tranquil footpaths and open field enjoyed by people of all ages and valuable habitats for wildlife. We do need more affordable homes but there needs to be a balance between the provision of homes and protecting the greenbelt. Traffic in Leamington is already a problem causing people to miss trains, hospital appointments and children missing school.
The area in question, SG06, is physically in the wrong place for a large housing estate, the migratory routes for the majority of services & any surrounding commuting road networks are already at capacity.
Provision for a wildlife corridor between urban sprawl is essential in the protection of established & future species. Food producing crops are mandatory in what unspoilt land mass we have left, human life depends on it.

No

ID sylw: 105930

Derbyniwyd: 11/02/2025

Ymatebydd: Mr Alan Augustin

I firmly believe the proposals should exclude this Green Belt Land for the following reasons:

1 The Strategic Plan (24 strategic growth locations and 12 new settlement locations across South Warwickshire) has the capacity for enough homes without building on Green Belt Land

2 It is not lawful to build on such land if capacity can be met elsewhere

3 It is not feasible to meet the emissions targets set out in the ‘sustainable location’ criteria and net increases will occur - a key feature of the development plan is unachievable

4 Infrastructure for transport management in the wider local area is severely affected by too few river crossings and opportunities for a solution have been missed to ease traffic congestion especially at peak periods

5 Plants and the rich wildlife habitats will be destroyed, missing another key priority of the development plan - to enhance the environment and encourage an increase in biodiversity

6 As demonstrated during the Covid pandemic restriction period, the footpath network provided an essential provision for the thousands in the local community to get outside and enjoy leisure time in the countryside - a trend that continues today, with a larger footfall than before, possibly following the growing awareness of mental health issues and much more

7 The important conclusions from previous surveys and reports about conserving the green belt are being abandoned/rejected/ignored without proper justification or due regard.

No

ID sylw: 106109

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: M.B. Winn

we need to keep a balance between urban and rural in this region (Warwick, Kenilworth and Leamington) and we have exceeded it as evidenced by the poor road communications and pressure on local public services such as hospitals, schools and primary care health services.
we have large swathes of the urban landscape empty and /or abandoned ie in the Shires, the Priors etc. People are CHOOSING not to use these shops so why not use the space for housing instead of spending a lot of money trying to revive something people do not want
the farming land is of good quality and we need to make sure that we can grow enough for our food security
having rural space here gives children the opportunity to learn about where their food comes from
there is some wild life still remaining which is important for bio diversity , crop pollination and wild life habitat
this space serves as al lung for the town which is already highly polluted
people use this space heavily for walking, jogging and dog walking. This is important for the health of Leamington citizens and others . We are constantly told how we should frequently exercise and how beneficial green spaces are to out mental health. If we lose these spaces where will peope be able to go instead?
more houses mean more traffic. There is already something of a respiratory crisis in Leamington. Ask any doctor. More building on fresh air would make it worse
We need to limit more housing for university of Warwick students in Leamington. we have reached capacity now
There are many empry properties and sites that should be used before considering biting into green belt. People will have to drive further and more (more pollution) to get out into the countryside , which we are all urged to do
the countryside is NOT A LUXURY. It is essential for our health and well being

No

ID sylw: 106173

Derbyniwyd: 04/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Mr David Nicolson

I am submitting my concerns about the proposal to build up to 5000 homes on areas SG06 and SG05. I believe the plan is flawed due to inadequate access via Sandy Lane, which cannot handle the increased traffic, leading to safety issues for children and pedestrians. The development does not meet the '20 minute neighbourhood' requirement, with local services being too far away. Additionally, there are no plans for new schools, healthcare facilities, or green spaces, and the agricultural land should be preserved for food production. Building on Green Belt land is unnecessary, as there are suitable alternatives.

No

ID sylw: 106180

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Ms Nicola Davies

It is not clear if this the correct place to submit an objection to the proposed SG06 and SG05 development areas? I object to the potential loss of open space and the erosion of distinctive boundaries between north Leamington, the open countryside and nearby villages. The road infrastructure is insufficient to manage increased traffic volume and the loss of open space and accessible public footpaths would be a significant loss to the well being of existing residents.

No

ID sylw: 106272

Derbyniwyd: 03/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Andy Rogers

I am particularly against the development of SG06 for the following reasons:-

It is not necessary to remove Green Belt land in North Leamington from the West Midlands green belt for the purposes of the plan,
It's not a sustainable location, because I believe that building houses in this area would promote car use rather than reduce it.
The green belt around North Leamington continues to fulfill the stated purpose of Green Belt land. It adheres to the five purposes of Green Belt land and local analysis shows that this area still meets all of the above criteria for Green Belt land.
Legal precedent makes it clear that green belt land to the north of Leamington Spa makes a strong contribution to the Green Belt.
This farmland is high quality agricultural land and makes an important contribution to the sustainability and security of food supply.
These proposals were rejected by the planning inspector in 2017 what has changed? Nothing.
This particular area contributes to the s, w, l, p, principles of healthy, safe and inclusive and biodiverse and environmentally resilient land. Allowing development on this land would undermine important principles that the local plan is elsewhere seeking to follow.

No

ID sylw: 106381

Derbyniwyd: 05/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Mrs Elizabeth Wilding

To whom it may concern:
I am writing to formally object to the South Warwickshire Local Plan, specifically area SG06 - development of Greenbelt land. As custodians of this country, it is our duty to protect these precious areas for future generations. The protections for Greenbelt land were established to prevent our generation from destroying the local countryside, ensuring that these natural spaces remain unspoiled and accessible for all.
The proposed development threatens to undermine the very purpose of these protections. Greenbelt land serves as a vital buffer against urban sprawl, preserving the character and beauty of our rural landscapes. It also provides essential habitats for wildlife and contributes to the overall environmental health of our region.
Furthermore, this land is extensively used by the local community for walking, dog exercising, and other recreational activities. These spaces play a crucial role in promoting positive mental health for many residents, offering a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Allowing development on this land would set a dangerous precedent, potentially opening the door to further encroachments on protected areas. We must uphold the principles that have guided our land use policies for decades and resist any attempts to weaken these safeguards.
I urge you to reject this planning application and reaffirm our commitment to preserving Greenbelt

No

ID sylw: 106425

Derbyniwyd: 28/02/2025

Ymatebydd: Shoaib Shamsi

KEY ARGUMENTS AGAINST DEVELOPING SG06

1. South Warwickshire's housing need can be met without building on green belt land.

The Local Plan is pursuing a spatial growth strategy of 'Sustainable Travel and Economy'. In pursuit of this it identifies 24 potential Strategic Growth Locations as well as 12 potential New Settlements that conform to this strategy.

The Local Plan needs to make provision for 30,000 additional new dwellings in South Warwickshire to meet government targets (Section 4.1, Table 3). These will be located in the strategic growth locations and new settlements.

The Local Plan's own Sustainability Appraisal shows that:

Strategic Growth Locations which are NOT in the green belt have capacity for 48,500 dwellings (Table 5.1).

New Settlements which are NOT in the green belt have capacity for a further 6,000 dwellings (Table 6.1).

This means that it is possible to meet housing need without building on green belt land. Sufficient capacity exists at Strategic Growth Locations outside the Green Belt to meet the Local Plan dwelling requirements to 2050. Therefore, exceptional circumstances cannot be met to release green belt sites to meet the housing requirements of Warwick District and Stratford on Avon District.

We are aware that South Warwickshire is bounded by Coventry and Redditch and there may be unmet needs from those areas that have to be accommodated. However, it is clear from comments on this matter in the previous Inspector's Report (2017), that development to meet the unmet needs of Coventry will need to be located adjoining Coventry, rather than the edge of Leamington. The same principle would apply to Redditch.

In short, it is not necessary to remove green belt land in North Leamington from the West Midlands Green Belt for the purposes of the South Warwickshire Local Plan.

2. SG06 is not a 'sustainable location'.

The Local Plan puts sustainability at its heart and wants new developments to be "20-minute neighbourhoods", where local services, including train stations and bus routes, are within a 10 minute walk. SG06 is not a sustainable location. It is a 30 minute walk to Leamington train station from the closest point and a one hour walk from the furthest.

While the nearest transport hub is at least 1.5 miles and up to 2.7 miles away from points in SG06, the SWLP's Housing and Economic Development Needs Analysis notes the short distance to the M40/A46 junctions (paragraph 4.52). This suggests an underlying acceptance of a continued reliance on cars, which in turn would exacerbate already unsustainable levels of traffic.

The original layout of the town and the subsequent development in the 19th and 20th centuries precludes the construction of major new cross-town access routes. This would be an issue if more houses were built north of Leamington because they would need to access the retail and employment sites which predominantly lie to the south of the town.

We believe that building houses in SG06 would promote car use rather than reduce it.3. The Green Belt around North Leamington continues to fulfil the stated purposes of Green Belt land.

The five purposes of Green Belt land are to:

A. check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas

B. prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another

C. assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment

D. preserve the setting and special character of historic towns

E. assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.

An analysis commissioned by Old Milverton & Blackdown Joint Parish Council at the last round of consultation shows how SG06 meets all five of the above criteria.

In addition to SG06, numerous other sites along the A452 were put forward in the Call for Sites. Once land is removed from the Green Belt for development this cannot be undone and a precedent is set which makes it easier for adjoining swathes of land to be built on. Therefore, were development to go ahead, the amount of green belt land ultimately lost could be far greater than just the 360 acres of SG06.

4. The Green Belt Review informing the Plan is flawed.

There are fundamental flaws in the Green Belt Review carried out by Arup in 2024.

1) Definition of 'large built-up area'

The main flaw is the rationale for excluding Leamington Spa, Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon from the definition of 'large built-up area' on the basis that they '...sit on the edge of the Green Belt, rather than within it'.

This leads the Green Belt Review to the presumption , that the Green Belt was not intended to prevent their growth, and thus it does not seem appropriate to consider them as part of the "large built-up area"

This 'presumption' does not stand any logical scrutiny. If land on the northern edges of Leamington, Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon was not intended to prevent their outward 'sprawl' it would not have been designated as Green Belt. Their growth was to be accommodated to the south and constrained by Green Belt to the north. In terms of being large built-up areas, Government Planning Inspectors have found other similar sized towns in the West Midlands Green Belt to be 'large built-up areas', most recently at a planning appeal at the start of this year [APP/E1855/W/22/3310099] The Planning Inspector denied planning permission, finding that a site on the edge of Kidderminster (popn 57,000) makes a major contribution to Green Belt Purpose A. (Leamington Spa's population is 54,000).

2) Assessments of SG06

Of the four parcels of land at SG06, three are assessed as making 'a moderate contribution" to the purposes of the green belt, and one 'a weak contribution'. The assessment was primarily desk-based, with just one visit to a single viewing point at each site. The viewing points were:

the entrance to the footpath off Bamburgh Grove

the lay-by north of North Leamington School

the entrance to the footpath off Leicester Lane

the entrance to private fields off Westhill Rd, described in the report as 'a derelict site'.

The essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence, and at least three of these viewing points give no sense at all of the openness of each location. This continues the practice of relying on desk-based judgements without an understanding of the local area. The same thing happened in 2023, when assessments for the North Leamington Green Belt, tucked away in a 477 page appendix to the Sustainability Appraisal, made inaccurate judgements such as:

development at these locations would be "unlikely to lead to coalescence of settlements".

development would give rise to "a minor negative impact on the recreational experience associated with these, and surrounding, footpaths".

Legal precedent makes it clear that green belt land to the north of Leamington Spa makes a strong contribution to Green Belt Purpose A. There needs to be a more informed analysis of the contribution of green belt land at SG06.

Old Milverton & Blackdown Joint Parish Council is continuing to analyse the Green Belt Review and will provide further updates.

5. The farmland is high quality agricultural land and makes an important contribution to sustainability and security of food supply.

National policy remains clear that where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality should be preferred to those of a higher quality (NPPF, 2024). The highest concentration of ALC Grade 2 land around Leamington Spa and Warwick is to the north and east of Leamington Spa. The land making up these sites is, therefore, considered to be a scarce resource of high value for sustainable food production. The Government seeks to protect against the loss of such land from non-agricultural development. This policy will continue to grow in significance as the cost of imported wheat and grain drives up domestic food production needs.

6. The same proposals were rejected by the Planning Inspector in 2017.

The Planning Inspector's 2017 response to the existing Local Plan for Warwick District states that there is a need "to maintain the separate identity of surrounding villages such as Leek Wootton and Cubbington and avoid significant reductions in the gap to Kenilworth" (p. 18, para 91). It also states that: "Development of the land in question would involve a substantial expansion of the built up area into currently open countryside to the north of Leamington Spa. It would have a significant adverse impact on the openness of the Green Belt and the character and appearance of the area" (p.34, para 201).

This area has already suffered significant damage to openness and character with the construction of the HS2 railway line causing interruption of farmland and wildlife habitat. Further adverse development in the area would compound the significant adverse impacts that the Planning Inspector referred to in 2017. If anything, arguments for maintaining the Green Belt's contribution to the openness of the countryside, food production and biodiversity are stronger now than eight years ago when these comments were made.

7. SG06 contributes to the SWLP principles 'healthy, safe and inclusive' and 'biodiverse and environmentally resilient'.

These are two of the five 'overarching principles' of the Local Plan. SG06 contributes to them as follows:

i. A healthy, safe and inclusive South Warwickshire: In surveys residents say that the open Green Belt location is the thing they value most about living in this area, with benefits for both physical and mental health. Use of the public footpaths increased markedly during the Covid 19 pandemic lockdown and has continued since.Area SG06 is distinctive green belt land because it is traversed by two miles (3.2km) of rural footpaths. Calculating this in terms of metres of footpath per hectare, we see that SG06 has a higher proportion of footpaths than the West Midlands Green Belt as a whole:

Land in the West Midlands Green Belt overall = 16m per hectare Land in SG06 = 22m per hectare

This makes it much more than fields providing openness and views. It makes a direct contribution to the health and wellbeing of the thousands of people who use the area each year. The views of some of them are summarised here.

ii. A biodiverse and environmentally resilient South Warwickshire: A recent local study, carried out over the course of 2023-2024 has observed a diverse range of plant and wildlife in SG06. The hedgerows, field margins and managed meadows provide habitats for:

roe deer, Reeves muntjac deer, badgers, rural foxes and otters

birds on the RSPB 'red list' including skylarks, swifts, fieldfares, house sparrows and starlings

birds of prey such as sparrowhawks, peregrine falcons, kestrels, buzzards and red kites

butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies

plants which are vital for conserving the wildlife chain, for example musk mallow, bush vetch and yellow archangel.

The high quality agricultural land is now farmed by a single modern, established farming business. The land continues to provide rural employment and undergo diversification of farming techniques. Its use for modern arable, grazing and wildlife refuge benefits the environment as well as helping to preserve the characteristics of a rural Victorian village in Old Milverton.

Allowing development on SG06 would undermine important principles that the Local Plan is elsewhere seeking to follow.

No

ID sylw: 106756

Derbyniwyd: 04/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Mr. Peter Swinbourne

It seems perverse to include green belt land in the plan when adequate provision is made elsewhere. In addition, if development takes place in this location the access to work/retail will be through the already congested town to the south retail/industrial/office area.

No

ID sylw: 106766

Derbyniwyd: 02/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Carolyn Gifford

I am writing in response to the consultation on the South Warwickshire Plan and in particular further developments around Leamington Spa. Although I have lived in the town centre for more than 50 years and enjoy its amenities, I frequently visit other towns in the area and am familiar with its continuing expansion. I am particularly concerned about the possible development of either part of SG06 and suggest three arguments why it should not be developed:

1. Loss of the Green Belt
Both parts of SG06 are currently part of the Green Belt, with good reason, as they have so far prevented Leamington from sprawling all the way to Kenilworth and engulfing Old Milverton. As Green Belt, they are productive agricultural land and as they both have well-maintained footpaths, both are much used as an amenity by residents of Leamington and far beyond. If they were developed, they cannot be replaced either as an amenity or as agricultural land, and the loss of biodiversity would be disastrous.
2. Any new development must be sustainable in itself
Where major large developments are planned, part of that planning should result in the creation of a new community that is cohesive and sustainable because there is an established infrastructure that has the capacity to absorb it. However, building several hundred new houses on either part of SG06 will not be creating a new community – it will merely be adding to the fringe of Leamington’s footprint. There will be no infrastructure of improved roads, no public transport service, no additional schools, no additional shops and no medical centre. Having grown considerably over several decades, all those features of Leamington are already under severe strain and there is no capacity to absorb the numbers of houses envisaged. If built, at best each part of SG06 would be a large housing estate that offers its residents no amenities and is therefore a dismal prospect.
3. Any new development should be a sustainable addition to existing housing
Building several hundred houses on either part of SG06 will add no beneficial features to those whose homes border on it. At best, the new developments might offer a narrow ribbon of ‘nature park’ which is no way replaces the expanse of open countryside. These areas to the north of Leamington are already poorly provided by public transport. Inevitably, additional housing will involve more people having to travel by car for school, for work and even for leisure. Given that Leamington was a Regency and Victorian town until the 1960s and has quite a high population density, this additional burden will have an impact not just on those on the edge of the new housing estates, but on all of Leamington.

To summarise, developing either part of SG06 will offer little to its new residents other than a roof over their heads. It will offer no amenities and they will have no alternative but to join the traffic on the already blocked main and link roads. There may be employment available, but north Leamington’s schools are already at full capacity and cannot expand. Likewise doctor’s surgeries. The only hospital in Warwick District – in Warwick – struggles to meet existing demand and cannot expand on its existing site to even meet existing demand for parking.
To build on either part of SG06 would be unsustainable for those moving in, and for Leamington as a whole. I urge you to select a site that offers residents (new and existing) a better prospect and quality of life.

No

ID sylw: 106790

Derbyniwyd: 05/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Alison Conway

1. Housing Need
South Warwickshire's housing need can be met without building on green belt land. The Local Plan's own Sustainability Appraisal shows that:
• Strategic Growth Locations that are not in the green belt have capacity for 48,500 dwellings.
• New Settlements that are not in the green belt have capacity for a further 6,000 dwellings.
This means that it is possible to meet housing need without building on green belt land and therefore, exceptional circumstances cannot be met to release green belt sites to meet the housing requirements.

2. Sustainable Locations
The Local Plan purports to put sustainability at its heart and wants new developments to be "20-minute neighbourhoods", where local services, including train stations and bus routes, are within a 10 minute walk. Site SG06 does not comply with this; it is a minimum 30 minutes’ walk to Leamington train station.

3. Green Belt
The green belt around North Leamington continues to fulfil the current stated purposes of green belt land, to:
• check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas
• prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another
• assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment
• preserve the setting and special character of historic towns
• assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.
SG06 clearly meets all five of the above criteria.
In addition to SG06, numerous other sites along the A452 were put forward in the Call for Sites. Once land is removed from the Green Belt for development this cannot be undone and a precedent is set which makes it easier for adjoining swathes of land to be built on. Therefore, were development to go ahead, the amount of green belt land ultimately lost could be far greater than just the 360 acres of SG06.

4. Flaws in the Green Belt Review
There are fundamental flaws in the Green Belt Review carried out by Arup in 2024.
The main flaw is the rationale for excluding Leamington Spa, Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon from the definition of 'large built-up area' on the basis that they sit on the edge of the Green Belt, rather than within it.
The assessments of SG06 is also unsound. Of the four parcels of land at SG06, three are assessed as making 'a moderate contribution' to the purposes of the green belt, and one 'a weak contribution? The assessment was primarily desk-based, with just a single visit to a viewing point at each site.

5. SG06 is high quality agricultural land and makes an important contribution to sustainability and security of food supply.

6. The same proposals were rejected by the Planning Inspector in 2017.
The Planning Inspector's 2017 response to the existing Local Plan for Warwick District states that there is a need "to maintain the separate identity of surrounding villages such as Leek Wootton and Cubbington and avoid significant reductions in the gap to Kenilworth".
This area has already suffered significant damage to openness and character with the construction of the HS2 railway line causing interruption of farmland and wildlife habitat.

7. Contribution to 'overarching principles' of the Local Plan.
SG06 contributes to two of the five 'overarching principles' of the Local Plan: 'healthy, safe and inclusive' and 'biodiverse and environmentally resilient' as follows:
i. A healthy, safe and inclusive South Warwickshire: In surveys residents say that the open Green Belt location is the thing they value most about living in this area, with benefits for both physical and mental health. Use of the public footpaths increased markedly during the Covid 19 pandemic lockdown and has continued since.
Area SG06 is distinctive green belt land because it is traversed by 3.2km of rural footpaths. Calculating this in terms of metres of footpath per hectare, shows that SG06 has a higher proportion of footpaths than the West Midlands Green Belt as a whole, which in turn is far higher than the national average.
Thus SG06 makes a direct contribution to the health and wellbeing of the thousands of people who use the area each year.
ii. A biodiverse and environmentally resilient South Warwickshire: A local study, carried out over the course of 2023-2024 has observed a diverse range of plant and wildlife in SG06. The hedgerows, field margins and managed meadows provide habitats for:
◦ roe deer, Reeves muntjac deer, badgers, rural foxes and otters
◦ birds on the RSPB 'red list' including skylarks, swifts, fieldfares, house sparrows and starlings
◦ birds of prey such as sparrowhawks, peregrine falcons, kestrels, buzzards and red kites
◦ butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies
◦ plants which are vital for conserving the wildlife chain, for example musk mallow, bush vetch and yellow archangel.
The high quality agricultural land continues to provide rural employment and undergo diversification of farming techniques. Its use for modern arable, grazing and wildlife refuge benefits the environment as well as helping to preserve the characteristics of a rural Victorian village in Old Milverton.

No

ID sylw: 106840

Derbyniwyd: 03/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Mrs vivien bryer

Nifer y bobl: 193

These signatures give you a hint of the opposition to developing SG06. I could have got plenty more if my poor old legs had held out.

Everyone was very keen to sign, some said they had tried to go on the online consultation but had found it impossible to navigate, and some said they had not even heard about the proposals, which is worth considering from the point of view of democracy.

Other

ID sylw: 106914

Derbyniwyd: 06/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Historic England

CONCERNS: development of Western parcel would harm significance and setting of: LBs in Old Milverton; Guy’s Cliffe RPG (GII); and Royal Leamington Spa CA. Less concerns for eastern parcel.

Recommend: HIA prior to allocation.

No

ID sylw: 107141

Derbyniwyd: 21/02/2025

Ymatebydd: Judith Howarth

The individual areas will be swallowed up by the a more remote larger, less focussed council. As for the development areas of SG05 and SG06 it is obvious I would not want to lose the green space opposite Leicester Lane. The local infrastructure is not able to support SO many new houses. There would have to be more schools, more GP surgeries, more NHS dentists. More consideration given to the road usage (already in chaos due to HS2 closures) Not to mention the loss of green fields and the subsequent loss of food production. The sewers and mains water pipes would need to be upgraded. There would of course be a loss of quality of air which is already an issue along Leicester Lane and the A452. Please reconsider these ill thought out plans.

Yes

ID sylw: 107417

Derbyniwyd: 16/02/2025

Ymatebydd: Moreton Morrell Parish Council

No objection

No

ID sylw: 107701

Derbyniwyd: 19/02/2025

Ymatebydd: Ms Zoe Adams

Additional housing in Lillington would be detrimental to wildlife, businesses and the already increased traffic causing it to be dangerous.

No

ID sylw: 107980

Derbyniwyd: 02/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Abigail Young

SG06 is not a sustainable location. It is a 30 minute walk to Leamington train station from the closest point and a one hour walk from the furthest. We believe that building houses in SG06 would promote car use rather than reduce it.

The Green Belt around North Leamington continues to fulfil the stated purposes of Green Belt land.

The Green Belt Review informing the Plan is flawed.

Legal precedent makes it clear that green belt land to the north of Leamington Spa makes a strong contribution to Green Belt Purpose A. There needs to be a more informed analysis of the contribution of green belt land at SG06.

The farmland is high quality agricultural land and makes an important contribution to sustainability and security of food supply.

SG06 contributes to the SWLP principles ‘healthy, safe and inclusive’ and ‘biodiverse and environmentally resilient’.

Allowing development on SG06 would undermine important principles that the Local Plan is elsewhere seeking to follow.

No

ID sylw: 108003

Derbyniwyd: 06/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Anthony Cleary OBE

Light Industrial use opposite Dial House Farm:

(a) Current use: The proposed change is simply not understood. The land between the B4115 and the A46 is currently under agricultural use and forms a natural, green, barrier. The appropriateness, let alone the need, for a commercial development on this land appears to have no justification. Commercial development in Kenilworth is sited in defined areas of the town. It is there that any further ‘light industrial’ exercise should be considered.I sense that once the area, however small, is developed in this way, commercial development will ‘creep’ along the B4115, leading to further wholesale destruction of the green belt.

(b) Movement of commercial traffic from the A452 onto the B4115 is at its limit already, and the configuration of that part of the B4115 (which is a ‘blind’ bend) militates against an access point opposite Dial House. Substantial road re-alignment (and the resulting damage to the existing area) would be required if there were to be any, let alone ‘light industrial’ development on the designated area.

No

ID sylw: 108053

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Mrs Andrea Hillyard

This is Green Belt and should be protected - apart from the natural beauty, the area is used daily by local people for recreation. Other non-Green Belt areas should be used before this is even considered.
Traffic will increase as there is no local work/ industry of any significance, therefore the congested road network will be added to. Access from Offchurch Road will be limited and dangerous.
The field behind Rugby Road has historically been left fallow to mitigate flooding of the fields from local springs - drainage would be a major issue.
Schools will be oversubscribed if they aren't already, along with the associated traffic congestion / road safety issues.
The nearest doctor is in Lillington, which again is no doubt full.
The nearest large shops are all south of Leamington - the congestion and queues when trying to get to them is already significant and will only increase. Not everyone wants home delivery and people should not be forced into this option - this will happen if these houses are built.
Cubbington and Lillington are two separate villages - Cubbington especially has its own identity and community. Adding all these extra houses in the are will destroy the community feel of the village and it will just be taken over by urban sprawl which the fields at least currently prevent.
The fields would be difficult to develop due to the sloping nature of the site, no doubt adding to the cost. Drainage is a real issue here too, with many natural springs especially in the field behind Rugby Road. Flooding would be a major problem after decades of it being managed properly through leaving the field fallow.
The development of HS2 has already blighted the area and surely the village has already had more than its fair share of construction traffic, disruption etc.
Plot SG06

No

ID sylw: 108154

Derbyniwyd: 04/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Mrs Morag Clarke

Allowing development on SG06 would undermine important principles that the Local Plan is elsewhere seeking to follow:

1. Housing Need
South Warwickshire's housing need can be met without building on green belt land.
The Local Plan is pursuing a spatial growth strategy of 'Sustainable Travel and Economy and identifies 24 potential Strategic Growth Locations as well as 12 potential New Settlements that conform to this strategy. To meet government targets the Local Plan needs to make provision for 30,000 additional new dwellings in South Warwickshire; these to be located in the strategic growth locations and new settlements. However, the Local Plan's own Sustainability Appraisal shows that:
• Strategic Growth Locations that are not in the green belt have capacity for 48,500 dwellings.
• New Settlements that are not in the green belt have capacity for a further 6,000 dwellings.
This means that it is possible to meet housing need without building on green belt land and therefore, exceptional circumstances cannot be met to release green belt sites to meet the housing requirements.
Furthermore, it is clear from comments in the previous Inspector's Report (2017), that development to meet the unmet needs of Coventry will need to be located adjoining Coventry, rather than the edge of Leamington.
Overall, there is no need nor justification for removing green belt land in North Leamington for the purposes of the South Warwickshire Local Plan.

2. Sustainable Locations
The Local Plan purports to put sustainability at its heart and wants new developments to be "20-minute neighbourhoods", where local services, including train stations and bus routes, are within a 10 minute walk. Site SG06 does not comply with this; it is a minimum 30 minutes’ walk to Leamington train station.

3. Green Belt
Since the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 allowed local authorities to include green belt proposals in their development plans, subsequent green belt allocations have served the nation well. The green belt around North Leamington continues to fulfil the current stated purposes of green belt land, to:
• check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas
• prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another
• assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment
• preserve the setting and special character of historic towns
• assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.
The Government attaches great importance to Green Belts. SG06 clearly meets all five of the above criteria.
In addition to SG06, numerous other sites along the A452 were put forward in the Call for Sites. Once land is removed from the Green Belt for development this cannot be undone and a precedent is set which makes it easier for adjoining swathes of land to be built on. Therefore, were development to go ahead, the amount of green belt land ultimately lost could be far greater than just the 360 acres of SG06.

4. Flaws in the Green Belt Review
There are fundamental flaws in the Green Belt Review carried out by Arup in 2024.
The main flaw is the rationale for excluding Leamington Spa, Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon from the definition of 'large built-up area' on the basis that they sit on the edge of the Green Belt, rather than within it.
This leads the Green Belt Review to the presumption '...that the Green Belt was not intended to prevent their growth, and thus it does not seem appropriate to consider them as part of the "large built-up area". This is illogical. If land on the northern edges of Leamington, Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon was not intended to prevent their outward 'sprawl' it would not have been designated as Green Belt. Their growth was to be accommodated to the south and constrained by Green Belt to the north. In terms of being large built-up areas, Government Planning Inspectors have found other similar sized towns in the West Midlands Green Belt to be 'large built-up areas’.
The assessments of SG06 is also unsound. Of the four parcels of land at SG06, three are assessed as making 'a moderate contribution' to the purposes of the green belt, and one 'a weak contribution? The assessment was primarily desk-based, with just a single visit to a viewing point at each site. The viewing points were:
◦ the entrance to the footpath off Bamburgh Grove
◦ the lay-by north of North Leamington School
◦ the entrance to the footpath off Leicester Lane
◦ the entrance to private fields off Westhill Rd, described in the report as a derelict site.
The essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence, and at least three of these viewing points give no sense at all of the openness of each location. The practice of relying on desk-based judgements without an understanding of the local area is unreliable.
Legal precedent makes it clear that green belt land to the north of Leamington Spa makes a strong contribution to Green Belt Purpose A and this must surely include SG06.

5. SG06 is high quality agricultural land and makes an important contribution to sustainability and security of food supply.
NPPF, 2024 is clear that where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality should be preferred to those of a higher quality. The highest concentration of ALC Grade 2 land around Leamington Spa and Warwick is to the north and east of Leamington Spa. The land making up these sites is a scarce resource of high value for sustainable food production. The Government seeks to protect against the loss of such land from non-agricultural development and thus another reason why development is such locations is contrary to the guidance.

6. The same proposals were rejected by the Planning Inspector in 2017.
The Planning Inspector's 2017 response to the existing Local Plan for Warwick District states that there is a need "to maintain the separate identity of surrounding villages such as Leek Wootton and Cubbington and avoid significant reductions in the gap to Kenilworth". It also states that:
"Development of the land in question would involve a substantial expansion of the built up area into currently open countryside to the north of Leamington Spa. It would have a significant adverse impact on the openness of the Green Belt and the character and appearance of the area".
This area has already suffered significant damage to openness and character with the construction of the HS2 railway line causing interruption of farmland and wildlife habitat. Further adverse development in the area would compound the significant adverse impacts that the Planning Inspector referred to in 2017. If anything, arguments for maintaining the Green Belt's contribution to the openness of the countryside, food production and biodiversity are stronger now than eight years ago when these comments were made.

7. Contribution to 'overarching principles' of the Local Plan.
SG06 contributes to two of the five 'overarching principles' of the Local Plan: 'healthy, safe and inclusive' and 'biodiverse and environmentally resilient' as follows:
i. A healthy, safe and inclusive South Warwickshire: In surveys residents say that the open Green Belt location is the thing they value most about living in this area, with benefits for both physical and mental health. Use of the public footpaths increased markedly during the Covid 19 pandemic lockdown and has continued since.
Area SG06 is distinctive green belt land because it is traversed by 3.2km of rural footpaths. Calculating this in terms of metres of footpath per hectare, shows that SG06 has a higher proportion of footpaths than the West Midlands Green Belt as a whole, which in turn is far higher than the national average.
Thus SG06 makes a direct contribution to the health and wellbeing of the thousands of people who use the area each year.
ii. A biodiverse and environmentally resilient South Warwickshire: A local study, carried out over the course of 2023-2024 has observed a diverse range of plant and wildlife in SG06. The hedgerows, field margins and managed meadows provide habitats for:
◦ roe deer, Reeves muntjac deer, badgers, rural foxes and otters
◦ birds on the RSPB 'red list' including skylarks, swifts, fieldfares, house sparrows and starlings
◦ birds of prey such as sparrowhawks, peregrine falcons, kestrels, buzzards and red kites
◦ butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies
◦ plants which are vital for conserving the wildlife chain, for example musk mallow, bush vetch and yellow archangel.
The high quality agricultural land continues to provide rural employment and undergo diversification of farming techniques. Its use for modern arable, grazing and wildlife refuge benefits the environment as well as helping to preserve the characteristics of a rural Victorian village in Old Milverton.

No

ID sylw: 108264

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Sovereign Man Simon of the family Thomas

There are many more reasons for the proposed developments in SG05 and SG06 not to proceed and the proposal for greater development around Hampton Magna and Hatton makes much more sense due to the proximity to road and railway networks as well as removing congestion from town centres by building on a better located site allowing proximity to local towns and facilities.

No

ID sylw: 108684

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Mrs Judith Woodfield

Do not support development at SG06