Cllr. Howard Roberts

Cllr. Howard Roberts

Sunday 30 December 2012

THANKS FOR THE HARD WORK AND HAPPY 2013

I would like to place on record my thanks to all of the staff at Warwickshire County Council and Rugby Borough Council for their hard work and dedication over this past year. I also salute the numerous volunteers who tirelessly donate their time and effort to our communities.

The combination of council employees and community activism means that Rugby enjoys remarkable services throughout the seasons. It is a pleasure to hear enthusiastic reports from residents who enjoy a level of service that often surpasses their expectations.

I wish everyone in Rugby and the surrounding villages a happy Christmas and prosperous 2013.

Friday 14 December 2012

PLANS SUBMITTED TO BUILD OVER DUNCHURCH FIELDS—A CALL TO ACTION



Re: Plans submitted to build 50 properties on Rugby Road, Dunchurch

The council’s Planning Office has received an application from agents acting on behalf of Bilton Grange Preparatory School. The submission applies for permission to build 50 properties on the field adjacent to the school’s drive on Rugby Road. Everybody in Dunchurch should be alarmed by this proposed development. I am encouraging villagers to join me in a campaign to fight the plans.

This development would obliterate a green space important to the village. Furthermore, it would blur the delineation between Rugby and Dunchurch and increase traffic onto Rugby Road, Northampton Lane and Cawston Lane, especially at peak times. Parking in the village, already a problem, would become more difficult and local amenities would be stretched at a time of cutbacks.

In addition to these immediate problems, the broader future of Dunchurch is threatened. Residents enjoy living in an independent village, separate from Rugby and with a distinct identity. If this development is approved, the precedent for building on green spaces in Dunchurch will have been set.

Once  development has taken place on Rugby Road, we could easily expect developers to target the fields opposite existing homes on Cawston Lane and Northampton Lane.  Dunchurch could also be expanded in a South-Westerly direction, in the area of Sandford Way and Southam Road. This would see Dunchurch rapidly increase in size, becoming an extension of Bilton to the North and Cawston to the West.

This is very real threat: the government has recently legislated to liberalise national planning laws. Community action is therefore more important than ever.

I urge villagers to join our campaign to fight this development by signing the petition that will shortly be circulated. It would also be very valuable if you could write with your objections to Rugby Borough Council’s planning department. In my role as Borough Councillor I will be making waves in the council chamber and lobbying for refusal. I will keep you updated with any news.