Yes

Representation ID: 101664

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Ms Zoe Leventhal

Support

No

Representation ID: 101767

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Mr Vincent Rollason

This development is not good for the area

Yes

Representation ID: 101877

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Bishop's Tachbrook Parish Council

Bishop’s Tachbrook’s high-quality farmland must be protected. The land in SG09, SG10, SG11, X1, and X2 is vital for food production and sustainability. National policy prioritises lower-quality land for development, yet much of this area is among the best for growing food. If reassessments later reveal higher quality, development could cause irreversible damage by destroying valuable, irreplaceable soil. With rising costs making homegrown food increasingly important, safeguarding this land is essential. Residents must act now to ensure its protection for future generations and prevent the loss of a critical local resource.

Yes

Representation ID: 101920

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Mrs AMANDA VENABLES

Grade 3B land should also be protected though.

Yes

Representation ID: 102062

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Miss Isabel Collins

i agree

Yes

Representation ID: 102084

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Mr Simon Walkden

We have issues over loss of agricultural land already so the protection of productive farm land is essential and protected from development.

Yes

Representation ID: 102115

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Miss Anne Page

N/A

No

Representation ID: 102225

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Hallam Land

Agent: LRM Planning

As presently drafted, the relationship between the first and second bullet points is not clear.
Where land has been allocated for development, and presupposing the development proposed accords with the intent of the Local Plan, it should not then be necessary to demonstrate that the benefits of the proposed development outweigh the loss of best and most versatile agricultural land. That judgement will have been inherent in the site’s selection in the first instance.

No

Representation ID: 102320

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Mr George Taylor

Any agricultural land with a grade of 3 or higher should be protected for food production. Only levels 4 and 5 should be considered for development. This country needs to increase its food security and this will only be achieved by retaining all the land with higher quality soil for agricultural use.

No

Representation ID: 102547

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Mrs Karen Rollason

What about the protection of valuable farmland within the identified growth strategy/settlement sites?

Yes

Representation ID: 102686

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Mrs Penelope Beswick

Agricultural land in the Green Belt should not be released for development and must be protected for the future food requirements of the nation.

No

Representation ID: 102708

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Hatton Parish Council

The provisions for the protection of agricultural land should be strengthened

No

Representation ID: 103027

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Mr David Bailey

I think that large-scale renewable energy developments are essential and therefore should not be sidelined to 'poor-quality agricultural land'. The Local Plan should firmly encourage conversion of farmland from grazing to arable and greenhouses, to mitigate the effects of Climate Change.

Yes

Representation ID: 103640

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Mrs Jenny Stevens

With massive UK food insecurity agricultural land has to be kept as such

Yes

Representation ID: 103707

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Mrs Laura Nicholas

We need to be less reliant on importing foods that we can grow here and support out farmers. We need to protect agricultural land from being used for developments of buildings.

Yes

Representation ID: 103729

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Mr Philip Wall

Prime Agricultural land should be retained and have punitive level of scoring against development of any kind

Yes

Representation ID: 103782

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Mrs Deborah Carter

Must protect ALL agricultural land for national food security

Yes

Representation ID: 103810

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: H Crook

in the current and foreseeable political future we need to safeguard our agricultural land from building and solar farms.
Solar panels should be predominantly on buildings, over carparks, on leisure centres etc. There already is electrical infrastructure in these areas.

with global warming and water shortages longterm impacting our ability to grow crops - we need to ensure plenty of agricultural land available as yields may diminish so may need a bigger area.

Food security needed so protect agricultural land fro crops and grazing.

Yes

Representation ID: 104022

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Mr Amarjit Gill

Land suitable for agriculture should be protected to ensure long term agricultural sustainability

Other

Representation ID: 104136

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Ms Donna Green

I agree with the first 2 bullet points but not the third

Yes

Representation ID: 104254

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Ms Margaret Halligan

Agree

Yes

Representation ID: 104371

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Mr Stephen Norrie

There is plenty enough Grade 3b agricultural land for renewable and other developments, so I have no problem with this policy.

Yes

Representation ID: 104414

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Ms Rachel Pope

This policy highlights why housing development in SG06 should not be permitted. It is high quality, largely Grade 2, agricultural land. It contributes to sustainability and food security. Allowing development on this land would not be outweighed by the public benefit of more housing as this benefit can be achieved by building in other locations.

Yes

Representation ID: 104939

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Miss Ann Colley

agree

Other

Representation ID: 105111

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Barbara Wyatt

I am concerned about Policy 49 regarding agricultural land and solar energy collection, particularly its impact on wildlife. Given the current political climate and potential food security issues, it is crucial to preserve as much agricultural land as possible, especially category 3a and 3b. The large solar development near Radford Semele threatens to reduce open areas and alter the village's character. I suggest exploring less obtrusive locations for solar panels to balance green energy goals with wildlife conservation. The proposed area is crucial for many bird species, including priority species under the NERC Act 2006.

No

Representation ID: 105118

Received: 27/02/2025

Respondent: St Philips

Agent: Lichfields (Birmingham)

St Philips recognise the importance of best and most versatile (BMV) agricultural land, in relation to economic and environmental benefits, but consider that the SWAs approach is not necessary.

The NPPF is clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by “recognising the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside, and the wider benefits from natural capital and ecosystem services – including the economic and other benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land…” (Para 187b). Notwithstanding this, the SWAs should have regard to paragraph 16(f) of the NPPF (i.e. serve a clear purpose and avoid ‘unnecessary duplication). St Philips believes a policy that largely duplicates the protections for BMV in the NPPF would not ‘serve a clear purpose’, nor avoid ‘unnecessary duplication’ as the decision taker would need to have regard to the requirements of the NPPF in any event.

Other

Representation ID: 106394

Received: 06/03/2025

Respondent: Rachael Newsome

Once farm land has been consumed with building it cannot to reverted back, we need farmers to provide food.

Yes

Representation ID: 106682

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Warwickshire Property and Development Group

Agent: Framptons

Yes.

Other

Representation ID: 107134

Received: 24/02/2025

Respondent: Natural England

This policy direction can be strengthened by providing more protection to best and most versatile (BMV) agricultural land and recognising the important role soils play in carbon storage, flooding and other environmental elements such as climate change, green infrastructure and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).
Sustainable soil management should aim to minimise risks to the ecosystem services which soils provide, through provision of suitable soil handling and management advice. The planning authority
should ensure that sufficient site-specific soil survey data is available to inform decision making. To include, for example, assessment of suitability of soil properties for type of landscaping and planting proposed to inform beneficial re-use, appropriate soil management, and drainage, where required.
Provide protection to Peatlands as they help to store carbon.

Other

Representation ID: 107282

Received: 07/03/2025

Respondent: Cotswolds National Landscape Board

In principle, the Cotswolds National Landscape (CNL) Board agrees with the approach outlined in Draft Policy Direction 49.
However, we have some concerns regarding the statement that ‘the large-scale renewable energy development will be prioritised on the poor-quality agricultural land (Grades 3b, 4 and 5)’. This statement should be framed in a more qualified / less absolute way to ensure that large-scale energy development isn’t inadvertently directed towards assets of particular importance, such as the CNL.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) gives great weight to conserving and enhancing the landscape and scenic beauty of National Landscapes.97 In contrast, it just says that areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality.98 In other words, the weighting given to conserving and enhancing the landscape and scenic beauty of National Landscapes is stronger than the weighting given to using poorer quality land.
It is also important to note that the NPPF frames the preference for using poorer quality land in the context of ‘where consistent with other policies in this Framework’.99 We recommend that Draft Policy Direction 49 should explicitly reflect this wording.
Large-scale renewable energy schemes would constitute major development in the context of paragraph 190 of the NPPF. Such development should only be permitted in exceptional circumstances and where it can be demonstrated that the development would be in the public interest.100 A key consideration, in this regard, is whether the scheme would meet a need that could not be addressed elsewhere (i.e. outside the CNL) or in some other way.101 There is no equivalent ‘exceptional circumstance’ in relation to BMV land.
Furthermore, relevant authorities have a statutory duty to seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of National Landscapes. There is no equivalent legislative requirement in relation to BMV land.
All other things being equal, if there was a choice between allocating or permitting a large-scale renewable energy scheme on (i) poorer quality land in the CNL (or in the setting of the CNL, where views from the CNL would be adversely affected) or (ii) higher quality (BMV) land outside the CNL, preference should, in principle, be given to (ii).
It is also important to note that the phrase ‘poor-quality’ land can also be misleading. Land that is not classed as ‘best and most versatile’ (BMV) can be just as productive as BMV land. The main difference is that BMV land is more versatile.