Half-baked plans will overrun town

This local plan is meant to be a blueprint for the future development of Warwick and Leamington. As the discussion progressed, it appeared that the plan being presented was a rehash of the regional structure plan - now discredited - drawn up at the behest of the previous government. The councillors have little faith in the numbers used for house builds per year, and have asked that the latest government statistics be used as an evidence base, also the ‘Joint Strategic Housing Planning Process’ be used. If the above have not been used in the process, then it suggests that the planners have just copied them from the discredited plan of four years ago.

We also learnt that the council had been threatened with legal action if the greenbelt to the north of Milverton was touched. This sets a precedent in that the land south of Warwick is owned by the Henry VIII and Oken trusts, set up for the benefit of the people of Warwick. This area of land was set up as an area of restraint when the Technology Park was built. The charities are openly championing the building over of their land, intended for our benefit.

Just to add to the confusion, it was said that this plan is the work of the executive - understood to be the paid public servants of the council, and the elected councillors had no power to stop it. If the councillors are not in a position to represent us, has democracy failed?

This whole thing seems to be a can of worms, driven by half baked defunct plans and unclear national policy. The voters are having their town overrun by new development, aided and abetted by their own public servants and local charities.

Tony Robinson, The Malins, Warwick