Most people think of London when they hear the words "Great Fire" but Warwick was also decimated by fire in 1694. With this history, it is somewhat surprising that the decision was taken to close the Warwick Fire Station.
This week, at the Warwick Area Forum, we discussed the District Council's Local Plan. More information on this can be found at . Within the plan, there are three suggested scenarios which outline low, medium and high growth for Warwick District, which means at least 250 new homes and 4 hectares of land for new business. In the high growth scenario, around 800 new homes would be built and 5 hectares of land would be found for business.
So what does all this mean for Warwick? Well, for a start, what people have told me is that there is a severe lack of affordable housing, and we need more low-cost housing, not expensive new housing. With 3,000 people on the waiting list in the District for council housing, there is a demonstrable need for affordable housing.
One resident remarked at the meeting that it would irresponsible of the council to build more houses in Warwick without a fire station to protect us. She wasn't arguing the case for no development, far from it, but expressing frustration with the consultation process which asks for residents and stakeholders to state preferences for levels of growth without clarity regarding the infrastructure requirements.
After the Great Fire, Warwick was re-built and the designs were declared a "triumph for urban design," and the town planners were praised for their vision. We should aim for the same praise with this Local Plan.
