Removing either all or sensitive parts of BC3 need not mean that the overall proposed allocation of housing in Balsall Common cannot be fulfilled. In the submissions made in response to the Council’s Call for sites many landowners responded and many of those sites are far better placed in relation to the village centre and closer to services than site BC3, so far more sustainable. The site assessment for many of these sites is better or equivalent to the assessment for BC3, The council have not properly considered those sites in terms of sustainability and/or impact on the Green Belt
Amongst those sites are
Site 82 – Land at Kenilworth Road capable to taking around 70 dwellings
Site 422 – Land at Rose Bank Balsall Street capable of taking 20 dwellings
Sile 421 – Land at Silver Tree Farm Balsall Street capable of taking 20 dwellings
Site 1 – Land at Springhill 433 Station Road, Balsall Common - 20 dwellings
Site 43 – Land adjacent to Old Lodge Farm, Kenilworth Road – 40 dwellings

The proposed allocation of land at Kenilworth Road/Windmill Lane is not sound, positively prepared or sustainable and fails to accord with NPPF policies. The allocation appears to be based solely on the fact that the site is being promoted by a large volume house builder rather than any spatial logic. The allocation adds further unjustified pressure on the vital strategically important Meriden Gap.
While there a case could be made for the northern part of the site for around half the number of units to be released proposals for the extension of that for further housing into the southern part of the rest of the site into more open countryside is totally unjustified. While some parts of that southern section are suggested for public open space that is insufficient as a buffer of open land around the windmill which should become a much-needed country park.
The master plan proposals fundamentally disregard the impact on the proper setting of historic Berkswell Windmill and moreover it would extend housing development around the village of Balsall Common much further south away from village services and facilities, when there are better and more sustainable sites closer to the village centre which could and should be released. A number of those omission sites have been discounted on questionable grounds
The northern part of the proposed allocation site could be justified as integrating into existing recent residential development fronting Kenilworth Road and backing onto property in Kelsey Lane as well as linking through to the proposed allocation site BC4 at Pheasant Oak Farm which is also proposed to take 200 homes.
Green Belt
Balsall Common is destined to take a significant amount of new housing on 6 identified new sites all within the Green Belt which taken together would add more than 1600 dwellings in addition to land at Riddings Hill. There is already a narrow gap between the village and Coventry within the Meriden Gap and recently Coventry City Council have approved some 2400 new houses at Eastern Green so narrowing the gap even further.
Sustainability
The location of BC3 is remote from the main facilities in the village, and while anew primary school is proposed on BC1 Barretts Farm, access to other services in the village would require use of a car from much of BC3, adding to congestion in and around the village centre. As an unsustainable location the allocation of all of BC3 for housing cannot be justified under the NPPF.


Setting of Berkswell Windmill
The Concept masterplan has removed some originally proposed housing development at the southern end of the BC3 site but still leaves a southern tongue of land between existing housing development on Kenilworth Road frontage and some identified ecologically important area fronting Windmill Lane.
Leaving that tongue of potential development without strengthening the protection of ecological site would mean that further development pressures would arise in the future. The southern tongue of development land should be deleted from BC3. That way the full visual protection of the setting of the windmill will be properly protected and a country park developed as part of a proper comprehensive plan including closure of Windmill Lane at its southern end. The latter action will greatly mitigate the current noise and disturbance impact on the setting of the windmill from volumes of traffic using Windmill Lane as a short cut.
Ecological Assessment
Much of BC3 has been shown by a recent study by Warwickshire Wildlife to be an area of ecological value and as such it is questionable that the site be used for development. The area is characteristic of Arden Landscape and there is little information as to how biodiversity offset provision is going to be made. Significantly reducing the extent of proposed development would allow proper provision to be made on the site.