LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I am writing to formally object to the proposed development on the sports field that is accessed from Sharmans Cross Road. I am the owner, with my partner Karen O'Rourke, of 45 Sharmans Cross Road which backs directly on to the site. Whilst I am firmly of the belief that its current lack of use is both undesirable and unacceptable, the proposed development is jaw-droppingly unsuitable for the site. The density of homes built will place unbearable demands on local facilities and road network and will be completely out of character with the area. I understand that a proposal for a development that intended to build less houses than this was declined in 2009. I cannot understand how shoe-horning yet more houses on to the site can make this more desirable.

As things stand, it is impossible for me to pull out of my drive and head towards Streetsbrook Road after 7:45am as stationary traffic trails way past our house and up towards the junior and infant school. The proposed development would lead to the cars of 100 homes to pull out directly into this stationary traffic. There is no other way to get to Sharmans Cross Junior and Infant School other than Sharmans Cross Road and recent research into the effects of traffic pollution must surely give cause for thought.

Even with the ample current parking available at the Arden Club, parking spills down Woodside Way all day on weekdays and one side of Sharmans Cross Road is completely blocked during school drop-off and pick-up times and on Saturdays when Solihull Town are playing at home. The impact of the cars of another 100 homes will only exacerbate this to intolerable levels.

The paving over of a large area of green land can only increase the already high risk of flooding and the inevitable loss of the protected bats which fly nightly over our garden also needs to be taken into consideration. Not to mention the scores of ancient, cherished and protected trees which do so much to give the area its desirable character.

Finally, I understand that you formally minuted that you would not sell the freehold of grounds used for sport in 2013. This could be a wonderful resource for grass roots sports in the area and I know of a number of local junior football teams that have to play their "home" fixtures outside of the local area. Just think how many junior football pitches could fit on this site. The reasons for the previous applications being withdrawn and indeed refused were sound then and remain sound now. I urge you to turn down this application.