Dear LAMAG Supporter
Here we are some 15 months since the application to build a Marina at Lowsonford was submitted to Warwick District Council, and we still can not confirm when the application will be heard.
This is the current status:
There are four applications that have been submitted, to build marinas in the general Solihull area. Two are with Solihull District Council, at Grove Farm, Jacobean Lane and at Stripes Hill. Both have been heard and planning has been refused. Both have gone to appeal and the inspector has confirmed refusal at Jacobean Lane due principally to the affect that the Marina would have on the openness of the Green Belt.
The two local to us are at Sands Farm, Hockley Heath (HH) and our own, and these have been submitted to Warwick District Council. The developer (Common to both applications, but with different land owners) has been granted almost unlimited time to make his case. Because HH was submitted in November 2009, it has tended to make the running, and there has been sustained and vigorous opposition from local residents, led by Tony Pledger, who have made a strong case for refusal. Clearly the refusal to grant and the Inspectors support for refusal in Solihull has considerably strengthened the case for refusal here and at HH, in fact the HH application was finally, to be presented to the WDC planning committee last month, but was pulled out at the last minute because of the inspectors decision at Jacobean Lane. The developer is now seeking to demonstrate an overwhelming need for marina berths in the area to support his application at HH, and thus overturn Green Belt policy. Our best guess at present is that the HH application will be heard in August.
It is our view, that the Lowsonford application will be heard after the decision on HH; that is probably September. We are in a much stronger position to gain refusal as we are not on the urban fringe, have no local facilities and have no public transport, as well as the common issues of green belt incursion, access etc. Although we can not be certain, it seems to us very unlikely that there will be a marina at Lowsonford, but we will continue to follow the situation closely.
We will update you with any significant developments as they occur
Your LAMAG Committee – July 12th 2011
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