Balsall Common centre needs masterplanning to indicate how the additional residential growth can be serviced. There needs to be updating, car parking, traffic management, crossings, environmental enhancement.
The Riddings Hill site or Barretts Farm site should provide railstation carparking, this is already overspilling. If train frequency and carriage capacity are increased in response to development this will be essential. The bus service is too poor and too lengthy a journey to travel to Solihull for work.
The environment of Balsall Common's residential streets should be enhanced or at least protected. They are characterised by mature trees, many oaks, often in open frontages. Meeting House Lane is unique and should be closed to vehicular traffic at the Catholic Church point. This could create a pedestrian area between the Lant (occupied by the Berkswell and Balsall Sports and Community Association and new developments on Barratts Farm. The BBSCA site sees extensive community use involving large numbers of pedestrians (summer Fete, Lions bonfire) as well as frequent sports training for children and the venue for an after school club.
This pedestrian link connects the existing footpath network on Barretts Farm with the footpath from Meeting House Lane to Kenilworth Road and the secondary school.