I wish to strongly object to the proposed development on the rugby/sports field area off Sharmans Cross Road as referenced above.
There are several points I wish to raise as part of my objection, as follows:
Loss of Green Space: The green spaces of Solihull are its lungs. However there is an acute shortage of such green spaces in Solihull relative to other conurbations throughout the UK and even less dedicated to outdoor sports, which has been proven to be important to the wellbeing of our citizens. The developers have been incredibly cynical in their management of the sports ground they purchased, having set uneconomic rents for its use by local sports groups, quoting rents as high as £60,000 a year to deter them from pursuing their applications, and have refused to engage with local sports groups in any form of dialogue. Yes they have religiously cut the grass year on year, having just paid lip service to the council, and even though when they purchased the land and promised the land would be used for sport, just two months after acquiring it they put in the first of their plans to build houses upon it. These "green lungs" once built upon are lost for ever. Have you ever heard of a housing estate reverting to green parkland? If you have, it is certainly a most rare occurrence!
Loss of this Natural Sponge for the absorption of surface water: There is an incredibly high water table in this area and the houses surrounding can often find that in periods of heavy rainfall, their gardens flood. This large expanse of well drained green space is important to the natural drainage of the surrounding area. If this green area is built upon, a serious level of investment will be needed to ensure adequate drainage is put in place to ensure neighbouring properties, which are effectively sitting on the flood plain of the Alder Brook (mostly sub-terrainian), do not flood. Any reduction in the surrounding deciduous trees, which also help tp soak up excess water, will also exacerbate local flooding. All the large deciduous trees around the tennis club should be subject to Tree Preservation Orders to ensure that they continue to perform this important function, but also to maintain the character of the area.
Suspicion that an additional road will be bulldozed through to Winterbourne Road: The proposal to build 100 properties (20 more than in their last failed application) is not only an extremely arrogant and aggressive stance to take with the people who live nearby and who successfully defeated Oakmoor's previous planning application, but it is screamingly obvious to anybody looking at the plans that Oakmoor will seek to purchase a property on Winterbourne Road and drive an additional road into what has always been a quiet and sleepy cul-de-sac, completely destroying the character of this quiet residential street. Apparently the developers have already made an approach to some house owners in Winterbourne Road who back on to the tennis club. Clearly they are not being honest in their intentions here and the full horror of what they are actually proposing to do has not been socialised with you as a committee or with the residents in Beaminster Road, Dorchester Road and Winterbourne itself. It is not on the plan today, and if it is then subsequently approved then those who approve this application must do so if they are set upon it on the strict understanding that they will not sanction the building of additional roads into the area over and above those which already exist.
Personal impact: Whilst it counts for nothing, my English Setter Blade is going to be very disappointed. His daily walk across the playing fields and frequent the sight of a resident Buzzard, or of the green woodpeckers dipping across the field in flight and the rabbits keeping close to their burrows amongst the blackberries and damsons, which we pick every year to make jam, are now going to be a thing of the past. It just makes me feel sad and all I can say to Oakmoor and anybody else who approves their plans is 'shame on you'.
Please re-consider this proposed housing development on this important "green field" site.