Paws Off Our Green Belt

I recently received your flyer in regard to the housing plans for Shirley. Below is a draft of correspondence I was about to send to Solihull Council expressing my concerns. However, I think on reflection, it would be more appropriate to forward this to yourselves. I sincerely hope you can make voices heard at the appropriate level.

I would like to raise the issue of the proposed additional 1900 homes to be built on the greenfield sites at the Badgers Estate and by Whitlocks End Station (Allocation 13 and 4 respectively). I understand the commitment Solihull Council has to provide additional housing and in principle I have no firm objections.

However, I do not believe the current road system is ready for this. What sort of properties are going to be built at the Badgers location? I suspect they will not be 1 bedroom flats. More likely we will see developers building 3, 4 and 5 bedroom properties. This will inevitably attract families and affluent individuals/couples who are likely to have 2 cars.

How is the current road system going to cope?

Tanworth Lane is already difficult due to the Dickens Heath development and another 600 homes in this location is going to make Stretton Road and the roads that feed to it, as I see it, busier still. I am sure Solihull Council has not been as short sighted to not have not considered this.

The development at Whitlocks End Station is only going to exacerbate the situation. The likely roads the residents will use are Haslucks Green Road and subsequently Bills Lane and Shakespeare Drive. If you are not familiar with these routes then I will assure you that they not fit for purpose with the current traffic volume, let alone with additional cars needing to use them.

However, let's assume all the new residents work in Birmingham and will walk to the stations at Shirley and Whitlocks End. The current train network is really not geared up for this additional footfall. If you haven't travelled to Birmingham at peak time via train recently, I suggest you do just that.

The transport links are not my only concern. What about the schools? Woodlands is already fully subscribed and as a longstanding resident of the area I sincerely hope my daughter will secure place in September 2019. Can Burman Road, Tidbury Green and Dickens Heath cope?

As stated previously, I understand and appreciate the need to build additional houses. However, does Shirley have to accommodate everything? Are there no other acceptable development sites?