Comments on draft local plan impacting on Shirley South
Comments re proposed new housing between Whitlock's End farm and Dickens Heath Road:

Our main concern is the loss of available public amenity land adjacent to Woodloes Road, Baxters Green and the Badgers Estate. This land has been enjoyed by locals for many years and if you consider Shirley as a whole there is little open land to the south. Shirley Park has diminished in size and is some distance away. If this public amenity were lost then no similar open space would exist until that at the other side of Dickens Heath leading onto Braggs Farm Lane. This is a valuable breathing space both well used and a buffer between this part of South Shirley and the ever developing Dickens Heath.

At this current time it is difficult to comment on problems of added road congestion as the proposals on the local infrastructure have not been detailed. However, local roads will have to feed into the current road system which is already under pressure from increased housing on Dickens Heath. This will require detailed consideration in the area of Bills Lane, Haslucks Green Road, Shakespeare Drive and Stratford Road.

It is unlikely the above will be alleviated by the public transport system as current park and ride systems are over subscribed. In an era of tight public expenditure controls additional funding for such schemes is unlikely to be forthcoming even if the valuable resource of land were made available.

We hope these comments will be noted when further consideration is given to the local plan.