Reference : The Draft Local Plan in respect of further development in KDBH
I write to express my view with respect to the plans to add 1000+ properties to the KDBH villages.
I am, frankly, staggered that a development of this size and nature is being planned by our Local Authority, the very people in whom we trust as custodians of our local area and environment. I offer some simple and basic facts with respect to the planned developments for your consideration.
Traffic & Infrastructure
The addition of 1000+ properties to the area will mean a minimum of TWO THOUSAND extra vehicles on the local roads EVERY DAY. Given the remoteness of the areas being considered for development from any but the most basic forms of public transport infrastructure it is not a defence to suggest that many, if any residents, will consider using public transport. It is a certainty that every household will have at least one car, in the instances of properties where families reside we can expect there to be three or more cars. The average family car is 3.6 metres long, two thousand cars at this average length pressed bumper to bumper equates to a queue of traffic 7.2 kilometres in length which would stretch most of the way to Birmingham City Centre. Every weekday morning and evening the vast proportion of these vehicles will use the local main roads and subsequently the rat runs when congestion occurs. Most of the school children in the village walk to school - that's a minimum of TWO THOUSAND extra chances of FATALITY or INJURY amongst our children EVERY DAY, let alone the other generations that make up this close knit community. The Council have nothing to offer to compensate for this - an extra zebra crossing or speed bump interspersed across the local area will have negligible effect.
The infrastructure of a Conservation Area High Street by its very nature is not fit to cope with such enormous traffic volumes attempting to cross the village every day to access the motorway and Birmingham conurbation. The existing motorway junction is already straining, any further development of any kind in the KDBH area cannot even be considered without a significant upgrade of the motorway junction prior to development being undertaken and I ask for the Council to instigate a consultation with Highways England in this regard. It is abundantly clear that the new traffic volumes will back up on to the motorway network itself, causing further disruption to the M42 and adding further misery to users of the jewel in the crown of our region the NEC - something I am shocked that the Council does not seek to protect.
By copy of this letter I make a Freedom of Information request for a copy of the Contract the Council placed with it's Highways Consultants regarding the effect of the proposed developments on the local roads. Any suggestion in the reports the Council has received from their advisors that the planned developments will not have a detrimental effect on the local road infrastructure may, in my opinion, be Professionally Negligent. I sincerely hope that the Council has not taken advice from Highways Consultants that were engaged by the Developers associated with the success of these proposals.

Arden School
I am saddened that the Headteacher of Arden school sees fit to stake his career on backing the Development. The existing school facilities are of a standard that would make the larger portion of academic facilities in the UK exceptionally jealous. The suggestion that what currently prevails is outdated and outmoded must be very upsetting to those pupils and parents who currently use the school. Money has never been lacking from the local authority and local community for any upgrade to Arden's schooling facilities - it is our jewel in our crown - to suggest that the existing facilities are not good enough and have not been good enough for some time by the Headteacher leaves me dismayed on behalf of all of those over the years who have supported the establishment and made it what it is today.
Arden school should not be used as a pawn in the Council's and any Developer's game to secure the go ahead of the KDBH schemes and anyone linking the School, the beating heart of our community, to the very thing which may shatter the local community should be ashamed of themselves.
Hampton Road site
I understand there are plans to move Knowle FC and provide a new site for them with enhanced facilities including floodlit pitches. Our football team is a small, well run football team(s) serving the community. ALL small, well run, community football teams would like to see themselves playing in facilities to rival Manchester United and I understand why they would seek to move to enhanced facilities. But quite simply it is wrong and incompatible with village life. We know from the floodlit pitches at Light Hall School in Shirley the damage that pollution from such installations can do to the surrounding environment (being a former resident of Shirley myself), I find it hard to see how the Council can consider granting permission for such a scheme.
Given the appalling light pollution these installations create, can the Council confirm that Birmingham Airport approves of such an installation in close proximity to the flight path into the airport? Distracting and/or blinding pilots on the flight path and causing a subsequent media frenzy on the subject will not end well for the Council if this turns out to be the case and I request confirmation this has been considered.
Housebuilders
As a professional in the Construction Industry with some 20 years experience I can categorically assure the Council that any suggestion of a housing shortage in KDBH, Solihull Borough and indeed the United Kingdom is a complete myth and is founded purely on the basis of self preservation on behalf of the Housebuilding companies in this country. Housebuilding companies exist for one thing only, to build property and make profit. At some point in the future there will be a day when no more houses can be built in this country, either because local people say 'enough is enough' or because we simply run out of land. Only one of those two options is going to occur and this will sound the death knell for many of these enormous organisations and until that day comes they will do everything in their power to continue to make profits for their shareholders by spending many millions of pounds with well equipped PR companies to scaremonger the british public and civil servants into believing that there is a housing crisis in this country.
The Buy to Let market means that at any one time thousands of properties across our country are empty. Our housebuilders simply wish to continue churning out property to support their business models. The Council seem oblivious to this simple fact.
Accordingly I call upon the Council, were it to ignore the wishes of local residents and grant the go ahead for further development of KDBH, to place the following stipulations in the Planning Consents for any Development :
* All property must be owner occupied.
* The widths of the roads in any given development MUST match the AVERAGE width of roads in the KDBH area.
* The widths of the pavements in any given development MUST match the AVERAGE width of pavements in the KDBH area.
* All roads in any new development must have a pavement on both sides.
* Off street parking for two vehicles for EVERY household must be provided.
* All new houses must sit a minimum of 3 metres from the edge of the pavement outside the property.
* Cycle paths must be provided through the new developments.
* The existing road network must be upgraded at the DEVELOPERS cost to accommodate the increased capacity required PRIOR TO DEVELOPMENT COMMENCING. TO BE CLEAR - the Developer is not to contribute a token gesture sum of money to the Council for this, the Developer is to pay for the final cost of this work, once out-turned by the Council's and Highways Englands appointed Contractors. Upon the work being completed, only then may any Development proceed. Such infrastructure needing to be in place not only to accommodate the vehicles of new residents but also the approximate ten years of construction traffic that will be using the roads in the construction of these Development(s).
Conclusion
For our Local Authority to give serious consideration to Developments that will be far reaching in their damage to the area of KDBH is an appalling abuse of the trust placed in it by the KDBH residents. I am firmly opposed to anything that seeks to denigrate our community and the local environment - which is the reason many residents here have chosen to call KDBH their home.
I urge the Local Authority to listen to the many voices who oppose further development of KDBH in any form; concreting over another plot of our wonderful Borough is not acceptable.
Enough is enough.