I wish to object to your proposal to include in your Local Development Plan, 67/100 houses on the Rugby Ground in Sharmans Cross Road. In fact, I wish to object to any housing development on this site for the following reasons.

The permanent loss of sporting facilities which I believe SMBC formally minuted in its policy in 2013 as ground to be used only for sport with the freehold retained by SMBC. Therefore, how can this be an appropriate site for a housing development?

A housing development would result in many mature trees being lost together with what is now a very safe environment for bats and badgers. Once this habitat has been destroyed, it can never be recovered.

I have grave misgivings concerning the increased traffic and safety on Sharmans Cross Road which is already a very busy one and has children, some unaccompanied walking to and from the local Sharmans Cross School.

The extra traffic would also pose an increased risk to cyclists.

Local schools and health centres are already oversubscribed and this proposed development will greatly add to already stretched facilities.

Sharmans Cross Road has problems with drainage and flooding when there is heavy rain and any housing development will only compound this problem.

The criteria for Sustainability are not met in that The National Policy Framework requires that developments have access to local amenities within 800m/10 minutes walk away. This site is 1000m from the train station and 1700m from Solihull town centre.

Bearing all these points in mind, I ask that the 2013 all party committee meeting which affirmed the policy that they would not sell the freehold of the site or lift the covenants regarding the site only being used for sport be upheld and that this plot of land is left, as intended for sports use only.