No

Draft Local Plan Review

Representation ID: 531

Received: 30/01/2017

Respondent: Mr Martin Archer

Representation Summary:

object to the level of development in Knowle as it is too much and requires infrastructure such as road improvements, parking improvements, but believes that no transport assessment has been carried out to identify this.
Site 9 should have approx 300 homes and site 8 should have 300 homes on them as the appropriate number of new housing

Full text:

I write to express my objection to the number of new houses proposed for Knowle under the Solihull Local Plan.

I accept there is a housing shortage in the UK and that Solihull and Knowle need to make a contribution towards the total Government Plan. However 1050 new houses in Knowle is disproportionate and unreasonable

1050 houses is 17% of the total allocation for Solihull. If you include the houses that have been recently built in Knowle Dorridge and Bentley Heath or are at present under construction or have planning permission to commence then this brings the total number of houses to 1900 which is a 25% growth in the housing stock. This exceeds Government guidelines for ne housing development in a particular locality.

There has been very little change to the infrastructure in Knowle and Dorridge since the late 1950's when i was a schoolboy in the area. Chiltern Railway, and Sainsbury's car park at Dorridge, some road widening at Dorridge. some additional car parking in Knowle and the installation of a few roundabouts pretty much sums it up. The infrastructure is struggling to cope at present with the volumes of traffic and car parking in Knowle and Dorridge and Bentley Heath is inadequate.

I have not seen any plans for improving the roads and parking to cope with the new developments which are likely to increase the population by 2500 -3000 people. I understand in fact that no transport assessment has been carried out

Two sites have been recommended for development at Arden and Hampton Road.

There is much to be commended about the Arden proposal. Improving education is an absolute priority for the UK in order to be able to compete in the world economy. Arden is a very well performing school which needs better facilities and larger capacity. I support the rebuilding of the school and the construction of a new primary school. However I do not accept the building of 750 additional house on this site. The school themselves are asking for 450 to fund their rebuild. I am not sure how they have reached that figure. Originally it was 250 then increased to 350 and now 450.I think 350 houses are the absolute maximum that should be built on that site together with the school rebuilds. Bearing in mind that Taylor Wimpey are at present building 110 homes at Middlefield and this makes the total 460 houses. We should remember of course that the land is at present Green Belt.

The existing Arden proposal recommends the closure of the Solihull Mind site which at present occupies a 3.5 acre field at Middlefield. .Mental Health is an area of healthcare which has been neglected in the UK as highlighted by the recent speech by the Prime Minister and it is a very important that this site should be retained for its current use.

With regard to Hampton Road the infrastructure problems are very significant particularly the increased volumes of traffic that will be needing to turn onto the Warwick Road through Knowle. I understand however that Knowle FC are not unhappy to sell their land and be rehoused so I would accept this development as reasonable if infrastructure issues can be resolved.

In summary my view is that 1050 houses is an excessive percentage growth in the housing stock ( bearing in mind the recent number of new houses built) and the existing infrastructure will not sustain it. It removes a large swathe of Green Belt Land and the Solihull Mind site. I accept however that Knowle has to make a contribution to the Housing shortage and believe that 350 houses at Arden and 300 at Hampton Road plus the school redevelopments would be fair and reasonable in the circumstances.