Ref: Proposed Housing Allocation 18

As a resident near the junction with Winterbourne Road I am writing to express my objections regarding the proposed housing development on the old rugby ground on Sharmans Cross Road, Solihull.

My objections are:

1. The development will destroy the character of the area. The housing density proposed is approximately 5 times that of the houses in the Winterbourne Road, Beaminster Road and Dorchester Road area which to me means that the site will be over developed. All the houses in this area are 'owner occupier' whereas I understand that 50% of the proposed development will be 'housing association'

2. The additional traffic, perhaps 200 resident's vehicles, plus deliveries and visitors etc. will lead to increased traffic problems on Sharmans Cross road which is already congested at times with parking by parents delivering and collecting children from the school. The junction of Sharmans Cross Roaf and Streetsbrook Road is already extremely busy and dangerous at peak times and this situation is made worse by the 2 other roads (Stonor Park Road and Dorchester Road) which are very close to it.

3. The potential loss of about 70 parking spaces for the Arden Club will result in parking and the resultant further congestion on Sharmans Cross Road and Winterbourne / Beaminster Road (from where people will be able to access the new site via the footpath from Winterbourne Road to the existing Arden Club facilities).

4. Although I no longer have children of school age I understand that the local schools are already over-subscribed and this development will only exacerbate the situation. The closest doctor's surgery (Northbrook Road) is certainly over-subscribed and it is extremely difficult to get an early appointment when necessary.

5. My own garden floods during heavy rain and increased housing development is likely to worsen the situation.

6. I understand that, in addition to access to the development being from Sharmans Cross Road, the developers (Oakwood) have approached the owner of one of the two houses adjacent to the footpath leading from the Arden Club grounds to Winterbourne Road which is opposite the end of Beaminster Road. I assume that this is because they propose to demolish this house and create an additional access to the site. Were this to be the case, Beaminster Road (which is currently only used by local traffic for Beaminster and Winterbourne Roads) would see a substantial increase in traffic from the development. More significantly, a lot of traffic would probably divert off Sharmans Cross Road (to avoid the busy/dangerous junction with Streetsbrook Road) and go through the new development and down Beaminster Road to join up with Dorchester Road (and visa versa in the opposite direction). Beaminster Road is quite narrow and when cars or delivery vehicles are parked outside houses the traffic often has to weave around them. There are also a lot of young children living in the three roads who would be put at risk when riding bikes or going to and from school etc. Dorchester Road already suffers from high numbers of vehicles (I have regularly counted up to 20 queuing cars when I am walking the dog in the morning) using it to avoid Streetsbrook Road leading up to the traffic lights with Ashleigh Road / Station Approach and the roundabout at the junction with Blossomfield Road.