Revised Development Strategy

Object

Representation ID: 54885

Received: 29/07/2013

Respondent: Bloor Homes

Agent: Pegasus Group

Premature to be proposing an interim housing figure before Joint Strategic Housing Market Assessment completed. Key purpose behind the Joint SHMA is to ensure that all of the housing needs within the housing market area are met, and therefore this may require districts such as Warwick to meet unmet need arising in adjoining areas, particularly Coventry, should this prove to be necessary.

Object

Representation ID: 55260

Received: 29/08/2013

Respondent: Bloor Homes

Agent: Marrons Planning

Unable to comment on whether it considers this proposal would meet the requirements of paragraph 182 of the Framework in respect of meeting the full and objectively assessed needs in the housing market area.

Object

Representation ID: 56440

Received: 29/08/2013

Respondent: Bloor Homes

Agent: Marrons Planning

These submissions relate to the proposals for meeting the housing requirement referred to in Policy RDS1. This proposal will need to be reviewed by the Council following the proper assessment of the housing requirement for the District. However, the following comments are made on the basis of the proposal at this stage. The proposal contains a heavy reliance (23%) on sites not identified or to be allocated within the final plan (i.e. windfalls), and it is questioned whether such an approach is consistent with the Framework in requiring the Council to demonstrate it is planning positively to meet the development requirements of the area.

Moreover, the evidence base to support the assumptions about windfall rates does not justify the level of growth indicated as it is primarily informed by past trends in a stronger economic climate and a far more relaxed planning policy context towards windfalls.

By way of example, on the basis of the evidence put forward in the GL Hearn Employment Land Review Update 2013, the vast majority of employment sites will be protected by the Council for such uses in the future and therefore rates of redevelopment of large sites for residential development are not likely to return to previous levels seen prior to 2007 and the adoption of the current Local Plan Policy SC2. If the Council are to rely on such levels of windfalls delivering the housing growth it requires to meet its needs in its draft Plan, it will need to demonstrate that the other policies of its Plan are framed in such a way as to enable such proposals to come forward.

Support

Representation ID: 56441

Received: 29/08/2013

Respondent: Bloor Homes

Agent: Marrons Planning

Continues to support the general direction of the strategy, and its distribution of growth across the District including within and/or on the edge of some villages. This continues to represent the most appropriate strategy having regard to the sustainability appraisal and evidence of the nature of the urban areas and their capacity to accommodate and deliver the scale of housing growth required over the plan period in accordance with the definition of sustainable development.

The proportion of the growth distributed to the villages will need to be reviewed by the Council following the proper assessment of the housing requirement for the District.

Support

Representation ID: 56442

Received: 29/08/2013

Respondent: Bloor Homes

Agent: Marrons Planning

The Council's development strategy and proposals within RDS1, RDS2 and RDS3 will fail to be effective and sound unless the proposed housing allocated to the villages is delivered.

It is noted at paragraph 4.3.16 that the Council intends to allocate specific sites adjacent to the relevant villages, including those within the Green Belt, within its draft Plan. Endorse this approach as it is critical to the soundness of the plan that these sites are allocated in order to demonstrate the plan is deliverable in accordance with the Framework, and to enable these sites to come forward in a timely manner through the plan period.

It is also essential therefore that when determining the choice of allocation of housing to the villages significant weight is attached to the availability of suitable land for development, particularly land that is being promoted by a developer or house builder who is able to clearly demonstrate to the Council its ability to deliver the housing required within the plan period.

By way of example, a large rural village may have a range of services and facilities, be accessible to the main towns, and have its own ambitions to grow. However, if there are no suitable sites that are available and evidenced as being able to be developed within the plan period, the village or its allocation will not contribute towards delivering the strategy to meet the housing need.

The draft Settlement Hierarchy Report and the proposals that currently flow from it within the Strategy do not have regard in detail to land availability and suitability, although it is acknowledged at paragraph 4.3.15 that the Council are currently undertaking detailed assessments of potentially suitable sites that will inform further iterations of the Report and the content of the draft Plan.

In preparing its draft Plan, the Council must ensure that the settlement hierarchy chosen does not constrain the potential of suitable and available sites in sustainable locations from being developed to meet the housing need. The availability and accessibility of existing services today is an indication of whether a village can be regarded as sustainable in transport terms, however, the scale of growth appropriate to allocate to the village must be led by the suitability of land available and its relationship to the size and character of the existing settlement. This is particularly important given one of the purposes of allocating housing to the villages is to make a difference to rural service provision by improving or sustaining services over the plan period.

Considers the output from this further detailed work will be a critical component in determining the scale of housing growth allocated to the villages, and urge the Council to review a fresh its proposals' present arbitrary groupings of settlements and apportionment of growth as referred to in the Settlement Hierarchy Report (Draft) following the completion of this further work.

Support

Representation ID: 56443

Received: 29/08/2013

Respondent: Bloor Homes

Agent: Marrons Planning

Support the categorisation of Bishop's Tachbrook as a sustainable location for new housing.

In assessing the suitability of the village as a settlement for growth, it should also be noted there is a Branch Surgery of the Croft Medical Centre that serves the village, but this is not recorded within the Settlement Hierarchy Report (Draft). It is considered this compliments the range of existing services available within the village which support its growth.

Whilst it is noted the village may benefit in accessibility terms from the range of services and facilities proposed within the southern strategic urban extensions, the Strategy clearly seeks to avoid the coalescence of settlements and to retain the individual identity of the villages. In this respect, Bishop's Tachbrook as a village in its own right and with a good range of services is clearly a sustainable location for new housing irrespective of whatever decisions are to be taken in respect of urban extensions to the south of Warwick and Whitnash.

Happy to share evidence on the suitability of the land for residential development, and ability to deliver housing within the plan period.

Support

Representation ID: 56444

Received: 29/08/2013

Respondent: Bloor Homes

Agent: Marrons Planning

Support the categorisation of Leek Wootton as a sustainable location for new housing.

Community interest in a village shop as set out in the Parish Plan. Largest village in the District without a local shop, and new housing development could make a significant contribution to addressing this shortcoming through potentially assisting with delivery of a new shop, as well as increasing its chance of being viable through an increased customer base within the village.

Noted that the majority of pupils are from outside of the village due to the limited number of pupils now living within the village. Concern that this position may stagnate or indeed deteriorate unless the provision of new housing is of the right scale, type and mix to make a difference to the age and demographic profile of the community. The Council should therefore review the allocation to Leek Wootton in order to ensure the strategy is the most appropriate having regard to the particular circumstances of the village and its services.

Happy to share evidence on the suitability of the land for residential development.

Support

Representation ID: 56445

Received: 29/08/2013

Respondent: Bloor Homes

Agent: Marrons Planning

Supports the categorisation of Hatton Park as a sustainable location for new housing.

One of the largest villages within the District, and therefore is considered of a scale to be able to accommodate limited housing growth on suitable and appropriate sites without having a significant impact on the character or appearance of the settlement. This is in contrast to the nearby village of Hatton Green, which although benefiting from a primary school and church, is of a scale where new housing would have a significant detrimental impact on its character and appearance. Hatton Park is not constrained in this way, but of course benefits from the close proximity to those services within Hatton Green as well as the regular train services serving nearby Warwick Parkway.

It should also be noted that the Hatton Arms is within easy walking distance of the village, and this should be recognised within the Settlement Hierarchy Report (Draft).

Happy to share evidence on the suitability of the land for residential development.

Support

Representation ID: 56478

Received: 29/07/2013

Respondent: Bloor Homes

Agent: Pegasus Group

Support criteria for broad location of development set out in RDS3.

Bloor Homes is preparing a planning application for an area of land north of Common Lane in Kenilworth, known as the "Crackley Triangle".

This site accords with the criteria set out in draft Policy RDS3 in that it is on the edge of an existing urban area, is not in the Green Belt and is thus an alternative which is suitable and available, and is in a location which will not lead to the coalescence of settlements.

Support

Representation ID: 56479

Received: 29/07/2013

Respondent: Bloor Homes

Agent: Pegasus Group

Alternative site at Common lane, Kenilworth is consistent with RDS2 in that it will contribute to windfall target of 2800.