This article was written by Ann Wilson, Objector on behalf of Coventry Tree Wardens.
Having sacrificed the beautiful Windmill golf course to housing at their last meeting, the Planning Committee has now given over the last bit of important open green space on London Road to developers.
On 2 September they completely ignored the pleas of 3 local councillors and 6 residents, including local tree wardens, who were desperate to retain this land as public open space for the health and well-being of local people as well as all the wildlife that lives there. Trees, hedges, shrubbery and a wildflower meadow, all of which take up water, absorb pollution, store carbon and help prevent climate change will now be lost, including a woodland planted by the Council.
The biodiversity on this site is irreplaceable.
Many issues in the officers reports were questioned. All the objectors stated that the housing numbers exceeded those in the Local Plan, but were told they were not maximum figures. Air quality and biodiversity questions remained unanswered and flooding also was of little concern, even thought the proposed building is on a flood plain. Extra traffic, it was said, would not affect one of the worst congested roundabouts in Coventry.
So, the Council will make a bit of money destroying this beautiful land, but at what cost to the health of local people and the health of our planet?
And to quote one of the other objectors, “They seem to be in complete denial of climate change.”