Object

Representation ID: 14335

Received: 14/12/2020

Respondent: Rosconn Strategic Land

Agent: DS Planning

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Development here would result in the coalescence of Dickens Heath with Whitlocks End and Majors Green.
The intrinsic character of the village would be lost through an illthought out addition to the west of the village, having no relationship with the original concept or masterplan. This is an insensitive treatment for an award winning settlement.

BL1 has previously been dismissed as an allocation at a number of Public Local Inquiries over many years since the Solihull Local Plan has been reviewed. Former site 13 (Solihull Draft Local Plan 2016, which included Three Maypoles Farm) was deallocated as it was deemed too important to keep a gap between any urban extension and Dickens Heath. The impact of BL1 would be considerably more devastating and the perceived coalescence with Dickens Heath, Whitlocks End and Majors Green would be the result.
To attempt to overcome issues of coalescence, master planning has continually reduced the development areas but the latest reduction in developable area has not reduced the site capacity. Irrespective of what the Site Assessment commentary suggests, the perception of coalescence remains.
Relocation of sports pitches on the site have not been identified, local or otherwise. The 3 football pitches on the site have not been relocated due to impact on LWS. This situation has not been addressed at any point in the Local Plan Review process and should have been resolved before the site was allocated within the DSP. This calls the delivery of the site into question either at all or within the plan period.
There is a concern for the impact of development on the highway system.