Publication Draft Local Plan: Focused Consultation

Object

Representation ID: 67253

Received: 12/12/2014

Respondent: Jaguar Land Rover

Agent: Gerald Eve LLP

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Concern proposed allocation could prevent expansion of Longbridge Sewage Treatment Works. STW have indicated to Jaguar Land Rover that these the sewage works at Longbridge will need to be upgraded and expanded in order to accommodate the additional needs of the District (and neighbouring authority areas) over the plan period. This includes the proposed development at Gaydon /
Lighthorne Heath (within Stratford District) incorporating 3,000 dwellings and 100 ha of land to facilitate the expansion of Jaguar Land Rover at Gaydon over the plan period. These would both be feeding into the local sewerage system. Therefore object to the allocation unless it can be demonstrated any necessary future expansion of the treatment works will not be impacted on.

Object

Representation ID: 67488

Received: 12/12/2014

Respondent: Jaguar Land Rover

Agent: Gerald Eve LLP

Legally compliant? No

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? No

The Strategic Employment Land Study identifies Fen End as a key Strategic Employment Allocation providing 10ha of existing employment land within the District. The SELS Update provides numerous references to the automotive industry being seen as a key growth sector that will drive the demand for strategic employment sites in the short, medium and longer term. Fen End is now
owned and operated by Jaguar Land Rover and has significant potential to provide further advanced facilities to further strengthen the District's role in the automotive sector. The Council has revised the Green Belt boundary as part of the emerging Local Plan. The policy sets out 13 sites which are to be removed from the Green Belt which includes land in the vicinity of Coventry Airport (sub regional employment site) and the University of Warwick. We object to the draft policy on the basis that the Fen End site, which has been identified as an important investment site in the Updated SELS is not included as a site to be removed from the Green Belt. It is considered that the Fen End site as a whole together with the extant planning permission does not make a significant positive contribution to the Green belt as set out in para 80 of the NPPF. It is considered that this site does not perform any of the functions of including land within the Green Belt for the following reasons;
* The site is contained by strong defensible boundaries. There is no potential for urban
sprawl;
* The allocation of the site would not cause the merging of neighbouring towns;
* There would be no future encroachment into the existing countryside as the site is
contained by the test track, part of which which runs along the south east boundary of
the site;
* The allocation of the site for employment uses associated with Jaguar Land Rover would
not impact on the character of historic towns; and
* The allocation of the site for employment would not have a detrimental impact on urban
regeneration as the Council has already clearly identified the site as an important
Strategic Employment Site and the need to release suitable sites from the Green Belt. In order to ensure that draft Policy DS19 is 'sound' the entire Fen End site should
be removed from the Green Belt to ensure that the site's future use is secured and that future development of employment generating uses are not restricted.

Object

Representation ID: 67491

Received: 12/12/2014

Respondent: Jaguar Land Rover

Agent: Gerald Eve LLP

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Jaguar Land Rover welcome the identification of the Former Honiley Airfield as a key employment site in the District which plays an important role in the local, sub-regional and national economy.
Draft Policy MS2 sets out that in the case of the Former Honiley Airfield there may be very special circumstances to justify further development. Furthermore, the policy states that the range of uses will be restricted to the automotive and motorsport industries and employment associated with these industries.
Within the policy, the Council has acknowledged that the site has an important role in delivering the aims of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), in relation to the growth of manufacturing, particularly in the long term through the implementation of the planning permission.
Within the explanation text of the policy, paragraph 3.153 sets out that some small scale development will
be necessary adjacent to the test track to assist in operations, but that the Council will ensure that the
openness of the Green Belt is maintained.
An automotive and research related employment site such as Fen End needs to ensure that it can adapt quickly to external forces such as technological advances and changes in market demand. It is crucial that the site is expanded to create confidence to attract investment. This employment site has the potential to contribute to the aims and objectives of the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP. It is considered that the Council as a minimum re-examines the
boundary of the MDS to include the test track as part of the overall site. It would be more appropriate, however, to go further than this and seek to remove the entire site out of the Green Belt to ensure that the site's future use is secured and that future development of employment
generating uses are not restricted by the Green Belt or MDS allocation