No
Draft Local Plan Review
Representation ID: 3103
Received: 15/02/2017
Respondent: David Gee
Object to housing Site 18 as resubmission of failed application rejected as unsuitable, will have detrimental affect on local area through loss of recreational/sporting facilities in area short of suitable pitches, use should be retained in line with lease and covenant, will exacerbate traffic congestion and pollution at junctions at both ends of Sharmans Cross Road at peak times, density is out of character with surroundings and will require high rise overlooking properties, increased built area will worsen flooding in heavy rain, and will destroy rich natural break between built-up area and Pow Grove and displace/destroy wildlife.
Site 18
I write to register my objection to this site being put forward for development. The site should be removed from the LDP as it is merely a re-submission of a failed planning application, rejected because of the overwhelming evidence of the unsuitability and availability of this site.
My objection is based on the detrimental effect on the local area, losing recreational and sporting facilities, increasing traffic and being an altogether inappropriate development, out of character and with a higher density when compared to the surrounding properties. The area would also lose a valuable haven for wildlife.
Increased traffic and pollution - Existing traffic at peak times is already an issue, with it taking me often half an hour to cover the couple of miles across Solihull to the motorway, where my journey really begins. The extra 150 or so cars generated by this proposal will exacerbate the already paralysed junctions at both ends of Sharmans cross road, with an additional queue on a side road feeding into the existing queues . Longer queues mean more exhaust pollution.
Loss of covenanted sporting site - The pitches at this ground are leased with the condition that the ground is for sporting use only. As a member of local football teams over the last 20 years, there has always been a shortage of suitable pitches in the local area. Most of the local teams I have played for have been forced to train and play outside of our locale. This site should beretained as promised by the council, for sporting use and the developer stripped of this lease as they blatantly ignore any application to play there and clearly intend not to allow it to be used for sport. On no account should it be included in any development plans, there is a shortage of pitches already.
Out of character with local area - with a proposed density five times greater than surrounding properties, any development here would destroy the character of this neighbourhood. To achieve this density there would need to be high rise accommodation, overlooking other residential properties.
Flood risk - Sharmans Cross Road prone to flooding in heavy rain and the increased built up area would feed even more surface water into a system that currently doesn't cope too well.
Haven for wildlife - the area is an attractive, nature rich site, and it's a very pleasant area to walk through and enjoy its flowers, vegetation and wild animals. .
It provides a natural break between buildings and the edge of Pow Grove woodland, and is home to a wide variety of wildlife (foxes, hedgehogs, rabbits) and also many species of wild birds, including not so common ones such as hawks woodpeckers and falcons. Development of this natural area will displace and destroy this wildlife, which is much valued by the locals who walk and exercise there.
This site should not be included in the LDP - we have lost too many open areas already from within the local community over the last few years.