Development plans make no sense
Please tell me that I have got it wrong and am just confused.
The new preferred development plan for the town and surrounding districts ignores most of the previous careful and well reasoned planning of the past councils, apart from small areas,
It ignores the designated white belt area which is situated near the motorway and approach roads. It ignores the carefully developed industrial estates and technology park.
It ignores the close proximity of the Shires retail park, at least three supermarkets, the railway station, the motor dealerships, the builders merchants, a local hospital, several schools and many more amenities that over the years have been situated where future development was planned, that is to the south on white belt land.
The residents of that area were all aware that future expansion would be at the edge of their planned area. So to continue with this plan would upset very few people.
The green belt land to the north of the town has always been sacrosanct which is why it is undeveloped. It has only one overcrowded road in and out of town and no amenities. It only has the beautiful Avon valley with access by several well used footpaths. All this would disappear at a starting cost of around £28,000,000 for the new road linking it to the A46 to the west on the other side of the Avon. Where will the money come from?
This is required just to give access to the green belt to begin development. We are unable to count greater costs to the environment! There are species of bats. There are several ponds with newts. There are water vole holes along Avon banks. Otters have been reported. These are all protected species. What else is there?
We are told that in spite of many unsold new properties, the district must create more housing and this poses the following questions.
Why is the white belt land that is already expected to be developed by Tony Gallagher Estates, being virtually ignored? This is a company which claims to have something like 32,000 housing plots already with planning permission.
Why is the Duke of Northumberland/Earl of Warwick owned Heber-Percy Estate which is green belt with only a Taylor Wimpey option on the land and no planning permission being chosen?
Is the Duke planning to extend his property development interests into Warwickshire similar to those areas he already has developed in Northumberland? .
The lame reasons given at the recent public meeting at Trinity School for the green belt development just did not make any sense at all.
Are there are other reasons for this about face to the previous sensible local planning that we have still to learn about? Or is it just a change for effect. - Philip Page, via email.
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Wednesday 22 May 2013
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