Solihull Draft Housing Plan - Balsall Commo

Having lived in Balsall Common since 2003 I feel compelled to comment and express my feelings about the proposed building of 1350 new houses in this lovely semi rural village.

When we chose to live in Balsall Common it was because we wanted to live in a village with beautiful swathes of green belt but with good access to the facilities of towns like Solihull, Coventry and Kenilworth. Over the past 14 years there has been a steady addition of new housing developments but on the whole in a reasonably thoughtful and controlled manner. This latest development appears to have been given little thought and will result in Balsall Common becoming more like a town but without any of the facilities or the infrastructure to cope with this change.

I feel most strongly about the proposed building on Barratt's Farm. This is a beautiful piece of greenbelt which is enjoyed by myself, my family and many many other ramblers and dog walkers. This area of greenbelt enhances the village with a feeling of openness and permanence. Indeed isn't that the value of greenbelt that it prevents urban sprawl by keeping the land permanently open.

Where will the many people who enjoy this green open space now walk? Due to all this development our options are diminishing as is the pleasure we get from living here.

How will the Barratt's farm site be accessed? It is surrounded by houses and small roads which are unsuitable for the number of vehicle which will need to access this site.

How will our village shopping centre cope with the drastic increase in the number of cars that will enter the village? The village centre is already dangerous and unable to cope with the present level of traffic and quite often is an unpleasant place to be.

How will our surgery cope with the increase in population when at present I struggle to get an appointment on the day that I need one?

This increase in population will need facilities.... More restaurants, shops, leisure facilities but even if money is made available to provide these facilities there simply aren't the local sites to house them? The village centre cannot expand because it is surrounded by houses.

This increase in population will mean that the village will need an improved road network and an increase in public transport, has any thought been given to this?

I feel that Solihull Borough Council has a duty to the residents of Balsall Common to give full consideration to and address all of the above issues before approving such a dramatic increase in this village's population. An increase of 1350 more houses will be an historic change to this village and will change the lives of many of it's inhabitants. I cannot speak for other residents but my husband and I have already decided that we feel so strongly against the proposed development of Barratt's Farm that we will move.