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Draft Local Plan - Supplementary Consultation
Representation ID: 8975
Received: 15/03/2019
Respondent: Meriden Parish Council
Following our consultation response in 2017, infrastructure issues remain: transport, traffic, schools, GP access, Post Office, banks.
Primary school is limited in space already and the GP surgery is at capacity.
Local transport facilities continue to dwindle, e.g. Ring and Ride
Continued quarry expansion will increase quarry lorry movements that presently stand at 732 PER DAY.
Further impacts need to be considered from possible HS2 Bridge across Meriden Road, Motorway Service Area, M42 junction 6, potential new developments in Hampton in Arden, Balsall Common and Eastern Green, all of which will increase traffic, noise, dust and pollution.
With increasing traffic, it is a must that a turning circle be installed possibly at Strawberry Fields junction.
With increased HGV use of Berkswell Road to commercial businesses sited in Berkswell, a pedestrian footpath should be installed between Heart of England Club and Berryfields.
Need to take account of emerging Meriden NDP and supporting evidence.
We gratefully acknowledge that Solihull Council has considered our comments on your Draft Local Plan made back in 2017 and the evidence which features in the Meriden Parish Plan (2009), Meriden Parish Design Statement (2011), Meriden Parish Council's straw poll results to the Call for Sites and the Meriden Neighbourhood Plan Survey 2016. You should now also consider the results of our Housing Needs Survey published in 2018 and adopted by Meriden Parish Council in January 2019.
This encourages us to believe that you agree with our comments made in 2017 that infrastructure issues remain: transport, traffic, schools, GP access, Post Office, banks. The primary school is limited in space already and the GP surgery is at capacity and further residents in Meriden will add to that pressure. Access to social amenities within the community is a requirement for the growing older population, but local transport facilities continue to dwindle, loss of Taxi Bus Ring and Ride and the current potential threat to the 89 service/Blue Bus which replaced it.
Continued quarry expansion will increase quarry lorry movements that presently stand at 732 PER DAY.
These figures do not include the haulage routes to Mancetter Quarry North Warwickshire, use of Fillongley Road serving DeMulders, Brailes Farm and Heart of England Show Ground. Additional HGVs access Berkswell Road via the Village Centre to Home Farm Container Storage and Pettifors. All these additional road networks are not covered by the Meriden Quarry Routing Agreements.
Further threats to Meriden Gap and Green Belt comprise possible HS2 Bridge across Meriden Road, Motorway Service Area, M42 junction 6, potential new developments in Hampton in Arden, Balsall Common and Eastern Green, all of which will increase traffic, noise, dust and pollution.
With increasing traffic, it is a must that a turning circle be installed possibly at Strawberry Fields junction as there is no turning facility anywhere in the Village. With the increased HGV use of Berkswell Road to commercial businesses sited in Berkswell, a pedestrian footpath should be installed between Heart of England Club and Berryfields.