Congratulations on well-thought out plan

Congratulations to Warwick District Council in producing balanced and sustainable proposal for housing development in the district; brownfield development in urban areas to make sensible use of land that becomes available, urban expansion close to jobs development (not to be confused with urban extension synonymous with the mile on mile of suburban sprawl in UK before post-war planning controls or in other countries such as the US) and vitalising villages through the co-location of work and accommodation.
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Aug 2012, 12:03 BST

These principles must be upheld during the process leading to the publication of a draft local plan in 2013.

The Leamington Society chairman is quoted as saying that this is a recipe for almost entirely private motoring, which is convenient if you can do it but is going to hugely increase congestion.

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However, housing development sited near to jobs development rather on land that happens to be available minimises car travel and congestion. Our local MP is quoted as saying that tighter restrictions on where houses can be built will reduce the number of homes that will be needed to be built. However, the current local plan constraints do not appear to have produced this desired outcome.

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In Warwick District, around 85 per cent of the population live in urban areas and town centres, which represent only 11 per cent of the total land area. This reduces to around six per cent when gardens, which are no longer classified as brownfield land, are taken into account.

Those who call for restrictions on greenfield development not to be relaxed should identify sustainable brownfield alternatives (no longer gardens, which puts more pressure on the remaining urban land) or a feasible policy for reducing housing demand in the district.

It is also important to note that the West Midlands Spatial Strategy identified that 25 per cent of housing demand in Warwick district was driven by out migration from the major urban areas (Coventry, Birmingham, etc.).

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Could it be that the silent majority of urban residents, who do not enjoy the benefit of a substantial garden, will continue to suffer from adverse environmental and safety impacts of continued overdevelopment in urban areas? Our local MP has yet to respond to an invitation to see, at first hand, one such impact of past housing development policies.

If Warwick District Council could work with other local authorities and encourage them to adopt similar plans to its own, it should be possible to achieve a win-win situation, including easy access to walks and green spaces for all and building on the green belt last. - Robin Richmond, Leam Terrace, Leamington.

Related topics:Warwick District CouncilLeamingtonBirminghamCoventry