There are far too many housing sites being planned for the area, without Allocation Plan 26, in the Blythe Ward. Why is this case? In addition why is the Ward to received 38% of the proposed housing allocation? This is estimated at putting some extras 4,000 more cars on the areas roads. This is a disproportionate amount of housing for the Ward compared to others in the Borough.
The whole environment will become one huge concrete housing estate and car park. At present the area around Bills Lane has a good balance of housing and open areas for the benefit of all. There is fauna, flora and wildlife and places for people and children to roam: thus enhancing the quality of life in the area. Why is this not been taken into consideration?
When the local authority are stating in the press that they are intending to spending ratepayers money on enhancing the existing borough with bulbs etc., maintain areas of greenbelt why are they then so intent on building all over the open spaces in Shirley forever changing the environment to the detriment of all residents?
Additional housing is needed, but Shirley is taking the brunt of the allocation, when KDBH is not. This is grossly unfair allocation and seems that postcode B90 is treated as the poor relation that can be ridden roughshod over. What park Shirley did have has been reduced and there is little other open land in this area of the Borough. The allocations are not being evenly distributed across the borough.
Yes, we need more houses but they should be the right type and in the right place. With no new employment areas proposed in the Local Plan and little existing local employment, residents have to drive to their work, which is predominantly located to the east of the Borough, causing commuter chaos in this area along rural roads that were not designed for such volumes of traffic. This is an unsustainable situation now without the additional proposed developments exacerbating this situation.The area is already gridlocked, heavens knows how much worse the area will become if the proposed allocation goes ahead. Extra people/traffic will exacerbate congestion through the Dickens Heath Village, on the A34 and surrounding roads including Bills Lane especially at peak times when surrounding roads are used as rat runs. This is not being addressed by SMBC and the new Local Plan does not seem to realise the scale of this problem (or even that it exists).
The pollution, disruption, reduction in POS and the effect on the environment will be immense.
Bills Lane, Shakespeare Drive, Haslucks Green Road, Tanworth Lane struggle to manage now and the problem will only be shunted further into the area. The recent fractured gas main in Shakespeare Drive is a case in point: because the infrastructure is already heavily overloaded the whole area was gridlocked and even backed up into the neighbouring Birmingham Yardley Wood. The current infrastructure cannot cope at present and can therefore take no further increase. Even if significant sums were to be put into the project, the existing infrastructure will be able to cope, thus people's lives will be dramatically affected.
The overall quality of life of the people already living here will be grossly affected. Asthma is already a huge problem for people and children; Asthmas sufferers have had their conditions worsen over the years with the level of additional traffic in the area. The incidents of childhood asthma are on the rise and this is only going to become significantly worse with the additional volumes of traffic.
In the introduction of council document under 370. V 11 ( Health and Supporting Local Communities), it states that;
There are many factors which contribute to creating healthy communities and the NPPF recognises the importance of promoting healthy communities and the role that the Local Plan can play in creating healthy, inclusive communities. The Health and Social Care Act (2012) gave local authorities new duties and responsibilities for health improvement and requires every local authority to use all the levers at its disposal to improve health and wellbeing, and the Local Plan is one such lever.
How is this case; when open spaces and green fields are to be built all over, people to be crammed in like sardines, the volume of traffic to be increased and the quality of air and life in general will be dramatically affected?
371. The health of Solihull residents is generally good and is getting better, however, good health is not consistent across the borough, and the health of some of our residents is significantly below an acceptable level. Premature deaths, work limiting illness and disability and acute morbidity are issues that still disproportionately affect some parts of our population.
This is a case in point; the general good heath of the residents will be dramatically affected, e.g. Asthma. Should the proposed developments go ahead life for people in this area of the borough will regress rather than improve.
375. The draft Local Plan contributes to supporting communities and promotes health through its spatial strategy and policies. These include policies relating to the location of new development, sustainable development, infrastructure, provision of new homes, jobs, town centres and sustainable travel (promoting public transport, walking and cycling). These policies demonstrate that improved health outcomes are integral to the local plan and meeting its vision and objectives.
People in Shirley Blyth ward do not feel in the slightest supported by the SMBC or the Local Plan; instead we feel we are being significantly let down and completely ignored in favour of the more affluent areas like Hampton in Arden and KDBH (whom the council seem to listen to as per the newspaper article the 7th March 2019) We are being ridden rough-shod over and housing developments are being foisted upon us regardless of SMBC's above statement.
Where are we to walk and cycle? How is our health to be improved by increased traffic, pollution, flooding and density of dwellings? In addition may have a huge motorway service station imposed on us at junction 4 of the M42 yet.
All of the points in the Policy P18 Health and Safety are being purposely disregarded by the housing proposals for Shirley. The people of Shirley Blyth ward are being actively discriminated against as we are to be disregarded by this policy. The housing proposals are prejudiced to the health and welfare of the local community. This flies in the face of the councils '
374. The Council recognises the importance of health and wellbeing and the Local Plan has a key role to play in implementing strategies to help people lead healthier, active lifestyles. Many of the policies in the Local Plan will have an impact on health and wellbeing and in drafting the local plan policies, this has been given due consideration to ensure that, the overall impact of any new development should result in positive health outcomes.
The proposed areas are known flood plains-the over spill ending up on to the junction of Haslucks Green Road/Snowford Close and Bills Lane. The road under the railway bridge in Bills land floods regularly with heavy rain.
The local sports club recently wanted to improve amenities for residents by building new facilities and more pitches, however, this was reused by SMBC on the grounds of the detrimental effect it would have on the local fauna, flora and wildlife. The council have now 'about-faced' totally ignoring this policy and want to build all over the area. This is gross hypocrisy as the proposed housing will cause far more environmental damage, add to the flooding problems and wildlife will be devastated.