Object
Draft Local Plan - Supplementary Consultation
Representation ID: 7783
Received: 12/03/2019
Respondent: John Handford
1) ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC CONGESTION adding to the already congested roads of Streetsbrook and Sharmans Cross at peak times and particularly the dangers outside Sharmans Cross School.
2) MEDICAL & DENTAL FACILITIES in the area are already overstretched to capacity without adding more housing plus the cars which will add to the traffic and parking and pressure on the facilities.
3) GREEN SPACE. It is wrong to build on integrated sports/fitness facilities, pushing them further away even if they can be re-located, meaning they are more inaccessible and adding to traffic congestion and pollution.
I wish to register my objections to the proposed development of 100 houses on the rugby ground in Sharmans Cross Road.
1) TRAFFIC CONGESTION: My primary objection is the impact that such a development will have on traffic congestion. 100 houses means, perhaps, 150 cars potentially exiting onto Sharmans Cross Road at peak times.
Traffic is already heavily congested, queuing along Streetsbrook Road, well past Sharmans Cross, heading into Solihull. Exit from Sharmans Cross onto Streetsbrook at such times is already extremely difficult, without the possible increase of further traffic.
In the direction of Danford Lane and Prospect Lane, there is Sharmans Cross Junior School. At peak times Sharmans Cross Road is no more than a 1-way road with all the traffic dropping/collecting at the school. 2-way flow is nigh impossible! Then there is the congestion in all directions at the Danford/Prospect island. Therefore, the increase in traffic from such a new development will considerably add to these current problems and add to the considerable safety concerns for school children and parents who are all over that road at those peak times.
2) CAPACITY OF MEDICAL AND DENTAL FACILITIES: The number of GP and dental facilities in the area is very limited - particularly GPs.
Such a vast increase in housing as proposed is going to stretch the already inadequate availability of such services beyond acceptable limits. Irrespective, of whether new residents are able, or not, to sign up to such local services they, inevitably, will travel by car - adding to the same issues as in (1) above.
3) GREEN SPACE: Are we, or are we not, concerned about the health and welfare of the nation? Should we be taking away green space leisure and sports facilities to overload the area with densely packed housing? There is no way we are ever going to return housing to sports facilities, so I am very much of the opinion that we should preserve, develop and invest in the integrated green sports facilities in the area - which is investment, not only in health and wellbeing, but also in the availability of participation sports to occupy our youth who may otherwise not be so healthily occupied.