The Commission has now completed its review of Warwickshire. I am pleased to announce the publication of the Commission’s report setting out our final recommendations for Warwickshire County Council, which is published today. A full copy of the report and a summary is available on our website, http://www.lgbce.org.uk/current-reviews/west-midlands/warwickshire/warwickshire-county-council. An interactive map of final recommendations is available at https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/3224

The changes proposed for Warwickshire County Council must now be implemented by order subject to Parliamentary scrutiny. A draft Order – the legal document which brings into force the recommendations – will be laid in Parliament. The draft Order will provide for new electoral arrangements for Warwickshire to be implemented at the local elections in 2017.

We would also like to invite you to participate in our online opinion survey. This survey seeks feedback on the review processes and procedures, in order to identify improvements that can be made. We would be grateful if you could spare some time to visit our website, at http://www.lgbce.org.uk/about-us/lgbce-opinion-survey to complete the survey.

If you require a paper copy of the opinion survey please contact Heather Fuller on 020 7664 8534.

David Owen

Review Officer

reviews@lgbce.org.uk

020 7664 8532

New Settlement Proposal at Gaydon/Lighthorne Heath
Draft Supplementary Planning Document
Informal Consultation

Monday 16 February to 5.00 pm Monday 30 March 2015

The District Council is undertaking an informal consultation about the scope and content of the Gaydon/Lighthorne Heath (GLH) – Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
The Council’s Submission Core Strategy sets out at Proposal GLH the policy basis for the development of a new settlement at Gaydon/Lighthorne Heath that will incorporate up to 3,000 new homes and a substantial expansion of Jaguar Land Rover’s operations.
The SPD takes the form of a Framework Masterplan to guide developers and the local planning authority in respect of environmental, social, design and economic objectives as they seek to create a new community at Gaydon/Lighthorne Heath.

The draft SPD looks at:
·         the GLH site and its context
·         site constraints and opportunities
·         vision and principles
·         an illustrative masterplan with key design and sustainability principles
·         delivery

This informal consultation is part of the ‘Involve and Engagement’ stage of SPD preparation. It is designed to ensure the wider engagement of local communities and stakeholders in the preparation of the SPD. Comments are invited on any aspect of the SPD.

The consultation document can be viewed on the District Council’s website. It is also available to inspect at the District Council offices – Elizabeth House, Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6HX.

Drop in sessions will be arranged in the local area during the consultation period.

How to Comment

·         Responses can be made via an on-line comment form using the link above – or
·         by downloading a form and emailing it to planning.policy@stratford-dc.gov.uk – or
·         by post to: FREEPOST RSLH – ZYKJ – TYAZ, Stratford on Avon DC, PO BOX 5341, Stratford upon Avon, CV37 1LE – or
·         handed in at the District Council offices in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Please note that comments on the inclusion of Proposal GLH in the Core Strategy, or on alternative sites, are not sought at this time.

The views expressed in the consultation will be reported back to The Cabinet and appropriate changes to the draft document will be made.

What happens next

Further progress will depend on Proposal GLH being confirmed in the Core Strategy. The Examination hearings into the Core Strategy finished at the end of January 2015 and the Inspector’s Report is awaited. The SPD can only be adopted if the Core Strategy is adopted with Proposal GLH included. If this is the case, a second more formal period of consultation will then take place, as required by the Development Plan Regulations. The amended draft SPD will also have an accompanying Sustainability Appraisal and Consultation Statement.

Comments must be received by the District Council by 5.0 pm on Monday 30 March 2015.

Dave Nash
Planning & Housing Policy Manager

The Soap Box Derby will now be held on Saturday 20th June 2015.

For further information and an entry form please see the Soap Box Derby page.

The prospective purchasers of The Avon Public House have written an open letter to the residents and parish council of Avon Dassett:

Gary & Seona, for Avon Dassett residents

A public meeting to discuss the future of The Avon Public House in Avon Dassett was held on Saturday 24th January at St John the Baptist Church.

A presentation and discussion of the questionnaire results may be found here.

Warwickshire County Council hereby proposes to make a Temporary Traffic Order closing C51 Northend Road, Fenny Compton, from the junction with Brook Street to the junction with Blacksmiths Lane, to vehicular traffic. The closure is required for carriageway resurfacing.

The Order will commence on 24 February 2015 and will last for a period of 18 months, or until the works are completed, whichever is the earlier.  However, it is anticipated that the works will be completed by 6 March 2015.

Pedestrian access to and egress from properties and land situated adjacent to the length of road to be closed will be maintained at all times. Vehicular access will be maintained where possible.

An alternative route will be signed and is available via: Blacksmiths Lane, Bottom Street, Dassett Road, Village Road, Dassett Road, Banbury Road, Dassett Road, Lower End, Church Hill, Avon Dassett Road, Bridge Street (and in reverse order). There is a map of the route here.

The Contractor dealing with this matter is Paul Kelly for Balfour Beatty (Tel: 01675 467523).

The Council regrets any inconvenience that may be caused.  The person dealing with this matter at Warwickshire County Council is John Grant, County Highways (Tel: 01926 412515).

A number of historic parish council records have been transferred to the archives at Warwick County Record Office. See here for a list of the deposited records.