Ashlawn Road Development - Letter by Bill Lewis

To the Editor of the Rugby Advertiser
Published on 06 February 2014

Dear Sir,

The report in last week's Advertiser clearly shows that there is very strong public opposition to the proposal by DavidWilsonHomes to build up to 1,000 houses and a primary school on the fields between Ashlawn Road and Hillside.

The Hillside and Rokeby Community Association (HARCA) has called a public meeting to hear residents' views and to plan a way forward in a co-ordinated manner. The aim is to decide on a way to prepare a structured response to the developer's proposals. The meeting is on Wednesday 12 February 2014 at 7pm at RokebyPrimary School, Anderson Avenue, CV22 5PE.

The public exhibition put on by the potential developer and the planning consultant did little to allay the concerns of the residents, both local to the site and those further away. The Christmas/New Year edition of the Focus newsletter for the Rokeby and Overslade Ward, which is the way the Liberal Democrats keep in touch with residents all year round, was first to break the news that a developer had approached the Borough Council and was showing an interest in building on the fields.

The responses to the article in Focus and subsequent leaflets are still coming in by post and e-mail. On an initial count approximately 93% are 'against' the proposal with the rest 'for' the proposal or 'don't know'. Although the majority of the responses are from Hillside and Rokeby and Ashlawn Road there have also been replies from residents further afield who walk their dogs, ride their horses or just walk along the bridle path which crosses the fields.

Some of the concerns most frequently expressed are:

• The loss of 90 acres or so of green space, which is a valuable community resource and the resulting environmental damage.
• The increase in traffic on Ashlawn Road, Dunchurch Road (towards Rugby and towards Dunchurch), Barby Road on top of that expected due to the development of the Radio Station site and the opening of the crematorium. The Rugby Southern Bypass may be a step closer because of this additional proposed development.
• Flooding due to more rapid runoff from hard standing areas replacing the more absorbent soils in the fields. There are already problems with flooding off the fields during heavy rainfall in some locations on Hillside.
• Why is development being considered in this location where transport links are so poor when there are better links, such as the Western Relief Road, elsewhere?
• Are these houses really required when there are so many being built or due to be built at EdenPark and the Radio Station site?
• Where are all the extra people going to work?
• Are there enough spare places in our secondary schools for the extra children?

Please come to the meeting on 12 February to make your views known and to help decide what future actions should be taken.

Yours faithfully,

Bill Lewis