Solihull Local Plan review - consultation

You wrote to me on 8/12/16 asking for my views on the draft Local Plan and in particular proposed housing allocation 9, South of Knowle

I am opposed the proposed development and support the view submitted by the KDBH Neighbourhood Forum in their response to the draft plan.

My objections are as follows:

Disproportionately large number of houses in Knowle

- Far too many houses in Knowle as a proportion of the total proposed (over 1,000 out of 6,000)
- The proposed housing is too densely packed

Negative impact on infrastructure

- The housing allocation 9 will hugely increase traffic through Knowle High Street - it would be better to build to the other side of Knowle, close to the motorway
- The impact on infrastructure has not been considered, the additional demands on doctors surgeries / infant and junior schools has been ignored
- The Councils own sustainability report states that large scale expansion of rural settlements is a poor option

Impact on the green belt

- Building on the Green Belt should be a last resort

Housing Allocation 9

- There is no need for a new school - any community benefits (none of which have been identified by Arden Academy) are clearly outweighed by the negative impact on the infrastructure of Knowle as above
- Pedestrian access to the school will largely be by the bridleway on Station Road, leading to parking problems and dangers to children at drop off and collection times
- New houses will not be "affordable" if located in Knowle -they will be well over the national average, benefiting only the developer
- Any funding for new school facilities arising from new housing must be shared with the infant and junior schools in Knowle, Dorridge & Bentley Heath (not just St Teresa's)
- The proposed loss of the Solihull Mind facility is very disappointing and goes against the Governments stated goals of supporting mental health provision.

Inadequate evaluation procedures by Solihull Council

- Proposals are inconsistent with the Spatial strategy which itself is inconsistent with other council strategies and the draft local plan
- The scale of the proposed development is not justified by the Councils methodology and study findings
- The site selection methodology is unclear and its application flawed
- The views of residents expressed in the KDBH residents survey have not been taken into account
- Inadequate consideration has been given to other patters of distribution
- The above indicates that an improper procedure is being undertaken by the Council.

I trust you will take these views into account and ensure that proper evaluation procedures are undertaken. I look forward to hearing from you