Object

Draft Local Plan - Supplementary Consultation

Representation ID: 6732

Received: 20/02/2019

Respondent: Mr Jeff Sant

Representation Summary:

Concern over flooding due to more housing.
Environmental concerns regarding the garage being potentially removed which will require the removal of the underground fuel tank. The site is also green belt and should remain so.
The proposed exit from the site onto Tanworth Lane is an accident waiting to happen. The road is narrow with a blind bend and is already having to cope with the excess traffic now exiting the previously mentioned development between Tanworth Lane and Coppice Walk.

Full text:

Flooding
Should the site eventually be considered for re-development, possibly the strongest (and justified) objections will come from residents of Coppice Walk.
The lay of the land means that in times of only moderate rainfall, water will flow from the garage site and enter gardens. This is evidenced by the fact that the garage owner dug a trench alongside a part of his site to try and prevent this happening. It failed. There are often times when our gardens are so boggy from this additional water flow that they are practically unusable.
If yet more land in the proposed site is concreted over, the situation will only get worse.
We are already under siege from the River Blythe with its inability to handle flood waters in times of heavy rain. Cllr. Ken Hawkins, in his latest newsletter made reference to several balancing ponds being required in the Shirley area to prevent so much water entering the brooks and rivers surrounding Cheswick Green and Dickens Heath. He says he is on the case but I will not be holding my breath!
The effects of new (and still under construction) development stretching from Coppice Walk to Tanworth Lane is still to be tested in times of heavy rainfall. We have had moderate rainfall since the deluge of May 2018 and I understand from some residents that the balancing ponds didn't even pass that test. Since then many more houses have been built and land which once soaked up water is now concrete.
Environment
As I am sure you appreciate there are also environmental concerns regarding the garage (part of the proposed site) which has underground fuel tanks requiring removal plus I am informed that the site is currently green belt and should remain so.
Safety
The proposed exit from the site onto Tanworth Lane is an accident waiting to happen. The road is narrow with a blind bend and is already having to cope with the excess traffic now exiting the previously mentioned development between Tanworth Lane and Coppice Walk.