Only developers will gain

First, according to the council’s own consultants the planned number of homes (12,900) is far greater than is required to accommodate local population growth. Most of the homes will be occupied by people moving into the area (mainly from Coventry) rather than by local residents. This will do nothing to alleviate the shortage of affordable housing.

Second, and again according to the council’s consultants, the Coventry Gateway project, which will take 670 acres of green belt land near the airport for commercial use, will increase employment of residents in the district by only 100-200 per year. Even if all of these jobs were taken by people moving into the area, building only 40-80 homes per year would be enough to accommodate them.

Finally, perhaps the greatest deception of all is the claim that this huge increase in building (equivalent to a new Woodloes or Warwick Gates every two years for the next 15 years) will somehow “improve” Warwick and Leamington.

The truth is that it will hugely increase congestion and pollution and put intolerable pressure on schools, hospitals and other local facilities which are already struggling to maintain adequate services. Only property developers, builders, landowners and retailers will gain.

Geoffrey Renshaw, Willes Terrace, Leamington