I am responding to the Council's Draft Local Plan with specific reference to Q15:

"Do you believe we are planning to build homes in the right locations? If not why not, and which locations do you believe shouldn't be included? Are there any other locations that you think should be included?"

I wish to object to the development of site 2 (Frog Lane, Balsall Common) and would propose that serious consideration be given to the development of site 240 (Wootton Green Lane,Kenilworth Road), as an alternative.

The reasons for my objection are below:

1) Balsall Common fails to meet the Council's own specified criteria for high frequency public transport and therefore is not a settlement with good accessibility. As such, the allocation of circa 20% of new housing in the Borough to Balsall Common, is in breach of SMBC's policy that "all new development should be focused in the most accessible locations".

2) Moreover it is a settlement with limited employment opportunities and therefore most people have to commute to work by car. A significant expansion will add unnecessary pressure to the road network as well adding to the carbon footprint. There are no proposed Sprint Runs to mitigate for this.

3) The proposed allocation of 3 greenfield sites in Balsall Common, when there are 14 PDL (Previously Developed Land) sites available, would strongly suggest that due consideration has not been given to these sites. As such, the "very special circumstances" to justify inappropriate development in the greenbelt have NOT been demonstrated. In light of the recent white paper on the future of house building across the country in which it is stated that Green Belt land should only be used in exceptional circumstances and when there is no alternative, surely the council must now look again at the 14 brownfield sites in and around Balsall Common that were submitted in the call for sites.

4) Solihull Councils latest transport strategy publication,Solihull Connected, acknowledges that the south of Balsall Common is the most congested part of the village. The development of site 2, being in the south of Balsall Common, will add to the congestion hotspots on the A452 and B4101 caused by northbound traffic heading to the main employment centres. Several of the 14 PDL sites available including site 240 (Wootton Green Lane/Kenilworth Road) are located in the less congested north of the village.

5) The development of site 2 (150 units), in addition to the two sites currently under construction on the Kenilworth Road (115 units) and the proposed site 3 Windmill Lane/Kenilworth Road (200 units), will inevitably cause delays to drivers trying to access the A452 particularly past Balsall Common Primary School on Balsall Street East. In this area at school drop off and pick up times the congestion is severe at present with traffic often in grid lock. Accidents have already occurred due to this situation and with the additional traffic caused by these sites in the south of Balsall Common the risk of accidents will only increase.

6) Site 2 being 1.5 miles from local amenities scores poorly in relation to all accessibility criteria, as defined by SMBC, apart from the Primary School. As such most journeys to the shops, medical centre and railway station will have to be by car, adding to the existing congestion and parking difficulties.

7) Using the same criteria as the Council to assess sites, part- PDL site 240 outperforms site 2. Given that the area is larger than site 2, this site should be re-assessed by the Council with a view to allocation instead of site 2.

8) The phasing of all 3 proposed allocations for development to take place in years 1 - 5, at the same time as HS2 and the site at Riddings Hill, will place intolerable strain on the settlement. There will be insufficient time to effectively plan for and deliver the necessary improvements to both infrastructure and facilities, which are already overstretched. In particular, the current Primary School provision is wholly inadequate. This directly contravenes SMBC's stated intent to "manage the growth."

In light of the above, I would request

1) A re-assessment is made of the appropriateness of significantly expanding Balsall Common, given its poor accessibility using public transport

2) If there is justification for significantly expanding Balsall Common, then an holistic view is taken as to where housing is best located, with due consideration to be given to the re-use of PDL sites in preference to "greenfield" as well as congestion hot spots

3) The phasing of any development must recognise the impact and disruption of HS2

4) The necessary infrastructure to support any significant expansion must be identified and planned for alongside any development.

5) SMBC consults on ALL PDL SITES, which fall within or are adjacent to Balsall Common, with a view to potential allocation with immediate effect to ensure the community is fully engaged.

6) Site 2 is removed from the Draft Local Plan as it is not compliant with both National and Borough planning policies and, as such, is not sustainable.