We support the ‘Kelly Plan’

I would like to inform your readers that the district Labour group fully supports the principle of this proposal and I will urge the council leader, Cllr Andrew Mobbs, to thoroughly consider it.

There are some green belt issues with this proposal, but it is about time that these issues are dealt with head on, because the more they are not tackled, it will only give councillors more headaches in the future. Readers need to be aware that the proposed site at Kings Hill will be close to new employment opportunities at the Gateway subject to the outcome of the planning appeal. The proposal does not increase the current housing figures outlined in the draft Local Plan as the local Member of Parliament indicates. If we can build on this proposed site, then we can look once again into the spread of development proposed in the draft Local Plan and remove some from areas that have caused councillors to make some difficult decisions, particularly around the south of Warwick. I do realise that the “Kelly Plan” will not sit well with some residents of our district, but it will with others and if all the issues can be ironed out and the land becomes available, there is another difficult decision for councillors to make.

I have also asked officers at Warwick District Council to analyse the new data released from the Office for National Statistics and they will mean with reference to the Draft Local Plan. This work is going on as a matter of some urgency and the outcome will be known by the end of June or early July. The Labour group will look at the results in detail and act accordingly in the best interests of the residents within Warwick district.

Cllr John Barrott, Leader, District Labour Group