Dear Mr Page
Re:- Allocation 26 for new houses to be built on land of Bills Lane
Firstly, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for removing Allocation 13 from the proposed sites under the Local Growth Plan to enable the local community to continue to benefit from the recreational green space and also to protect the large amount of wildlife in the area.
We have now been informed that a new allocation number 26 has been proposed which is in effect on the edge of Allocation 13. Whilst we understand that the Council is obliged to meet its growth targets for housing developments, we must strongly object to this proposal for the following reasons:-
* Infrastructure - During busy times of the day, the road systems are heavily congested with traffic where Bills Lane is used as a thoroughfare for traffic from Wythall, Hollywood, Redditch, Longbridge and other areas in both the Worcestershire and Birmingham areas to gain access to the Stratford Road. Using one of the other two alternative routes such as Burman Road or through Dickens Heath is not an alternative as these routes also struggle to cope with the present volumes of traffic. In the mornings queues develop down Shakespeare Drive from traffic coming from Bills Lane to access the Stratford Road. Similarly in the afternoon/evening queues develop in Shakespeare Drive from traffic trying to access Bills Lane on the homeward bound journey. Another 800 cars competing to undertake this journey would cause extra congestion and chaos not to mention the impact on other facilities eg. Doctors and schools. We are now seeing an increased traffic flow from the development at Tidbury Green. Once the allocation of 400 houses has been completed this will result in c 800 extra cars using Bills lane and the lane through Dickens Heath in addition to the vehicles from the development at Lowbrook Lane which has just started. These two lanes cannot cope now with any increase in the volume of traffic let alone once the Tidbury Green/Lowbrook developments have been completed. Therefore any futher allocated developments which would increase traffic down these two lanes would just cause absolute chaos not to mention the increased noise and pollution to the residents of "Dickens Heath Village". The proposed roadway to this development has its access route on Bills Lane and would cause a great deal of congestion.
Cont...

* Environment. The proposed development encompasses an area rich in wildlife and birdlife with a large population of muntjac deer and is also a feeding ground for the badgers from the local setts. For the last 40 years the cuckoos have returned to the area and use both the area which was called Allocation 13 but also the land which is under allocation 26 as their breeding ground. We need to protect this legacy for future generations. Since the 1980's the cuckoo numbers have declined by 65%. This breed is now on the RSPB red list as being in danger of dying out. As one of the last strongholds in the Solihull areas, we need to protect the land for the cuckoo and the host nests as well as the other wildlife.

To summarise, we understand the need for housing growth but this needs to be done in the right areas where the road network can cope. With the two housing developments in progress detailed above, this corner of Solihull cannot cope with any further increase in volume of traffic and we have given up substantial pockets of green areas for development in this area. Surely, any further development must now be sourced out to other areas under the council umbrella?



Yours faithfully

KG Bushell/Miss HE Cooke