RE: SOLIHULL LOCAL PLAN REGULATION 19 CONSULTATION
Proposed housing land at Grapes Villa Farm, 170 Kenilworth Road, Balsall Common and land adjoining at the rear of 152 Kenilworth Road – known within the Solihull Council call for sites as Site 82.
I write to you as part of the Solihull Local Plan for housing development, within the parish of Balsall Common. The site that I own (above), alongside the land adjoining it at the rear of number 152 (owned by Mrs Irene Thompson) has been overlooked in each of the call for sites within the Balsall Common area over the past 15-20 years. My request is that the site is reconsidered on the basis that it is more suitable for development than those currently under consideration by Solihull Council.
Myself, and my parents before me, have lived at Grapes Villa Farm, 170 Kenilworth Road, Balsall Common since the late 1950’s and over that time have seen several housing developments built within the village over that period. Between 1974 and 2004 we ran an Agricultural retail business from the premises, Grapes Villa Farm Supplies Limited, and paid business rates on the premises over that time, having been granted an acre of Agricultural and Horticultural retail business permissions in the 1970’s by Solihull Council.
Since selling the business in 2004, my wife, myself and our family have continued to live at the premises as a family home. Grapes Villa Farm comprises a large farmhouse and 5 large outbuildings that formed part of our retail business prior to 2004. The location is within the existing envelope of the Balsall Common village, being c400 metres from the village centre and shops, and c800m from Berkswell Railway station and the 2 main village schools. Access onto the main A452, can easily be gained through a neighbouring property on Kenilworth Road, which the Highways department have already deemed acceptable to them.
During the SHLAA call for sites, there were objections to the site that were no different to other sites that have since gained permission for development. When I put the site forward as a former brownfield site in 2017, the only grounds on which it was not accepted was that the land was now kept as a garden i.e. I cut my grass regularly. Members of Balsall Parish Council, including the current Chairman, have visited the site and have no objections to it. The site is flat ground, with several existing outbuildings, fully defensible boundaries and runs to over 2 hectares in size, which I believe could be capable of taking as many as 70 dwellings. The site is available immediately, and there are only 2 landowners involved on the site, both of whom are prepared to put their land forward as part of the Balsall Parish neighbourhood development plan.
I believe that this land – Site 82 – would be a sensible and appropriate alternative to even part of other proposed housing allocations around Balsall Common should those sites fail the Examination in Public. If you have any questions, or would like to visit the site, this can be easily accommodated by contacting me on 07798 652006, or on the email from which this letter has been sent.