Plan urgently needs updating

The plan voted upon was based on mid-2011 ONS estimates and I asked that we wait for the mid 2012 figures which were about to be published.

I was convinced by the diligent work of planners, economists and accountants in the campaign groups that population growth and migration would be very much less than predicted by WDC officers.

The campaigners’ predictions have been amazingly accurate in that the latest figures show Warwick’s population projection is now 28.7 per cent less than the consultation draft Local Plan, which is now no longer up to date.

All the other authorities in the Housing Market area are also showing similar reductions in their population projections, including Coventry after allowing for the temporary student bulge. Overall it is 36.6 per cent lower than the Joint Strategic Housing Marketing Assessment.

I asked leader Cllr Mobbs why WDC’s plan uses a density of 1.661 persons per household when the 2011 Census showed WDC household population figures arriving at a density of 2.294 persons per dwelling. This obviously makes a significant difference to the number of houses we require. I am awaiting his response.

I believe that the housing numbers in the draft plan can now come down and will show a definite five-year housing land supply. We still require affordable housing but this should be spread equitably across the district and near to shops and services instead of expensive car-dependant suburbia.

As a matter of urgency we now need to change the Local Plan to match the new ONS projections, otherwise I believe that our final submission will be found to be unsound by the inspector.

Cllr Linda Bromley (Ind) Warwick District Council South Ward