Object

Solihull Local Plan (Draft Submission) 2020

Representation ID: 10636

Received: 19/11/2020

Respondent: Matthew Wood

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? Not specified

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Representation Summary:

The site includes sports fields, which will affect children and adults who use the fields.
The land is high grade Green Belt - should protect greenbelt and build on brownfield first
Development will be surrounded by LWS & Ancient woodland - so will impact wildlife
Road network cannot take further development
Site is in Flood zone 1
Mitigation measures in plan are not achievable, so the site is not sustainable. Other sites are more suitable
Character and setting of village will be adversely affected. Community feel and identity will be compromised. Village already had strong definable boundaries.

Full text:

Please find my objections listed to Site 4 Dickens Heath.

- There are numerous sports fields included so this will affect our children (and adults) who play rugby and football on these fields, including Old Yardleians Rugby Club, Highgate Football Club and Wychall Wanderers Football Club, as well as Fitbox boot camp on the rugby field.
- The land is high grade GREEN BELT – Government policy is to protect Green Belt and develop Brownfield land first.
- Site 4 is surrounded by Local Wildlife Sites and Ancient Woodland – this will be so detrimental to the deer, badgers, bats and other wildlife that roam in these fields and adjoining woodland.
- The narrow rural road network cannot take further development and is already overloaded.
- Site 4 is mostly in flood Zone 1, these fields flood every winter and whenever there is a particularly heavy rainfall as the area is of bolder clay that restricts permeability.
- Sustainability – Some of the mitigation measures included in the Plan are not achievable, therefore it isn’t sustainable. Other sites are more sustainable.
- The character and setting of the Village will be adversely affected and sense of community and identity compromised. There are strong, definable boundaries to the existing Village being the canal and the woodlands and ancient hedgerows.