No
Draft Local Plan Review
Representation ID: 4318
Received: 25/02/2017
Respondent: Sue McDermott
Object to housing Site 18 as development should take place where infrastructure already exists, not where roads are currently gridlocked at peak times with pollution affecting children at local school, pedestrians and cyclists will have increasing safety hazards, local schools and medical services are oversubscribed, and would result in loss of viable sports ground when there is a need to encourage exercise to combat obesity by retaining existing facilities.
Ref. LCP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
Whilst I appreciate the need for more housing in Solihull and understand the pressure that the Government is putting on local councils, the appropriate location of new homes is of key importance.
If more houses are to be built then the infrastructure should exist for a growing population where roads, schools, GP surgeries and the like need to be provided.
This is not so in Sharmans Cross Road.
* Roads
Sharmans Cross Road / Streetsbrook Road are gridlocked every morning. The traffic can tail back to Sharmans Cross Junior School (how bad is that pollution for the children now, even before additional vehicles join the queue?)
100 houses will add at least an additional 150 vehicles, plus visitors, delivery, workmen etc. onto an already congested road and junction.
Pedestrians and cyclists are posed with increasing safety hazards.
* Schools
Out of 100 houses, many will be family homes. Where are the children going to attend school? Blossomfield Infants, Streetbrook Infants, St. Alphege Infants are over subscribed. Sharmans Cross Juniors is the only KS2 School in the area. Tudor Grange has had an appeal system in place for many years.
New housing should be planned into areas where schools and GP surgeries can be integrated into the infrastructure. Dickens Heath is an excellent example of this.
* GP Surgeries
As above, but also considering that all surgeries in the area have huge waiting times for appointments. 200 couples, maybe 400 + family members could be moving into an area with inadequate care facilities.
* Loss of sporting facilities
How sad that in the times of obesity, lack of exercise and availability to facilities, Solihull Council is happy to withdraw a viable sports ground.
For many years the rugby club attracted all ages - from mini-rugby to well supported team fixtures. Youngsters could walk, bus or travel by train to this venue. They now have to be driven to out of town locations.
To hear that Solihull continues to fall in the national sporting league tables is disconcerting.
It would be a visionary move on the part of SMBC to reinstate this ground for an area of sport.
Indeed, it would be a visionary move on the part of SMBC to evaluate the use of land sites when drawing up plans for new house building.
LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18, Sharmans Cross Road is not the one.