Dear all,
Please object to OUT/2022/0713 – 260 homes at Manor Farm, Bennetts Rd, Keresley by (15/5/22). Please see some top line bullets below (more details here):
- There is grave doubt about the population forecasts for Coventry and any need for this housing. On the precautionary principle it would be reckless to make decisions now, on bad data, ahead of the census, which will very shortly resolve the matter.
- The Local plan states retention of ancient hedgerows is “essential” but the masterplan for the estate removes ancient and important hedges [H2,H3, H3, & H8]. It is a breach of local plan policies H2 and GE3 which protect “ancient hedges and important hedges, without qualification – the policies say they will be retained, not ‘when practical’ or ‘possible’.
- the Transport modelling systematically underestimates future traffic. Major sources of traffic growth are omitted. Local junctions are currently over capacity and likely to get worse even with mitigation, if the true scale of traffic growth is assessed.
- The government this week announced a dramatic change of policy – that housing targets will no longer be enforced and the people will have control. As such, irrevocable planning decisions motivated by past targets, should be paused until the new freedom of the local authority to make its own decisions, and the powers of the public to accept or reject such decisions, are clear. It would be folly to sacrifice the last best piece of the Warwickshire countryside, – CCC’s own words – when the compulsion to do so is gone.
- Coventry Secondary Schools are oversubscribed. There will be nowhere nearby for children to go to secondary.
- It is more and more doubtful that the new primary school promised for Keresley will be built. Four years ago, Mark Andrews promised that it would happen, that the council was urgently seeking a sponsor, but still no one has agreed to deliver the school. It is an old story. The same thing happened at Banner Brook, and Marconi, where promised schools, and surgeries never materialised. It is unsustainable to build homes, and hope that schools and surgeries will follow.
- the NHS has no capacity for additional growth. Both UHCW and Warwick Hospital are running at 100%. Covid ought to have taught us not to be casual about spare capacity for emergencies . Doctors surgeries are all full up too.
Please email your objections to the planning department (planning@coventry.gov.uk) and cc Emma Spandley (emma.spandley@coventry.gov.uk).
Many thanks
CanSue