18 Solihull - Sharmans Cross Road

I am responding to the letter received from you, dated 8/12/16, concerning the above - in particular the Sharmans Cross Road site. I see from the map of the proposed allocation that this includes the Solihull Arden Club and grounds as well as the old rugby club grounds and my response is relating to that. I did try to reply through the on-line portal but I confess that I was completely unable to work out how to view or make any comments.

I have 3 main objections to building on this site - road infrastructure, school places and sports facilities.

Road Infrastructure
The present roads are unable to cope with the volume of traffic at certain times of the day, especially at school starting and finishing times. To add another 100 houses could potentially mean another 200 cars trying to access the road system which the present infrastructure would be unable to sustain.

School Places
As I understand it the existing schools, both primary and secondary, are oversubscribed. As it appears that the proposed houses will include a substantial proportion of affordable housing and starter homes that would appear to suggest that many families would be acquiring the houses with the result of a considerable increase in the demand for school places which will be difficult to meet.

Sports Facilities
Rugby pitches - It is a great shame that, since Birmingham and Solihull Rugby Club ceased using the rugby pitches, no other sporting club has been able to agree a reasonable rent with the current owners of the land to enable the pitches to be used. I know that Silhill Football Club was very interested in playing on those pitches but the rent demanded by the current owners (who I understand are Oakmore) was prohibitive. It is interesting that the first comment under "Likely infrastructure requirements" is "Re-provision of sports pitches if not in surplus". I have my suspicions that the current owners of the land deliberately set the rate at an exorbitant level to ensure that no club could afford to play there and so they could say that the pitches were unused for many years and therefore in surplus. At a time when the importance of getting people to exercise more is so widely recognised surely we could use these pitches for some form of sporting facilities which would be far less costly than a re-provision of sports facilities elsewhere. Also, I understand that following the last appeal against the proposed development of this site, Sport England designated the land for use solely for sporting purposes. Surely this must be considered and acted on?

Solihull Arden Club - I am very surprised that this club and grounds are included in the map of the proposed allocation. I can only say that the club is widely used as both a sports club and a social club and the cost of compensating the members for moving to another facility - should one be found - would presumably be huge and I can't understand why this would even be considered.

I look forward to hearing the outcome of the consultation period in due course.

Dear Spatial Planning Team, With regard to the above please note our response as below:

Thank you for your recent letter in respect of the Solihull Local Plan Review - Draft Local Plan Consultation.

We wish the following to be recorded as our response to this consultation as a stakeholder and occupier of potentially affected premises and land referred to within this plan (18 - Sharman's Cross Road, Solihull).

At this point in time we recognise that the plan in question refers to the whole site, part of which our clubs premises and its sporting facilities/grounds occupy. However at this present time, we wish it to be known that we have made no commitment whatsoever to such development plans and fully reserve our rights regarding the land and premises which we own and occupy. As such we reserve our rights to comment / respond to plans in due course.

However we wish to clarify further that we do have specific criteria which are essential for us to be included or complied with in order for us to proceed further or offer cooperation regarding future whole site developments. These are as follows:


-Tenure of the land occupied by the club comparable to existing arrangements i.e. Freehold
-Beneficial improvements to the structure and buildings of the clubhouse and its associated playing and fitness facilities.
-Ease of access into and out of the site.
-Significant improvement regarding car parking arrangements.
-Significant improvement to the club's potential for future sustainability.

Once the consultation period is concluded and any potential plans for development of the site are clearer and/or more detailed we will then review our position at that time in the light of the plans and their possible impact upon Solihull Arden Club and its members.

see attached letter

Complaint / Proposed Development in Sharmans Cross Road on the rugby club site
Firstly, even though I work in IT as a business analyst I have found your response process in the consultation document impossible to follow. It initially took me too long to actually find the document that I needed to review and then there is no obvious pen icon in order to enter my comments. I think you should review both the prominence of the Draft Plan review process on the website, your help files and finally improve the ease of submitting comments and asking questions.



I would like to ask a question about the development area that is on the site of Solihull Rugby Club. I have read the note that states that the area shown on the map doesn't necessarily mean that the whole area will be developed. In this case the obvious development site is where the two dis-used rugby pitches are. The marked area however includes the whole of the existing tennis club land. It is possible to explain whether the tennis club is to be demolished and all the courts removed to be replaced by housing? Or at the other extreme is the development going to be focused on the old rugby pitches and adjoining land where the rugby clubhouse stood and they had their car park?

The rising levels of obesity and associated health problems such as diabetes are putting an enormous strain on the National Health Service and Solihull Social Services.
Evidence of the huge health benefit of exercise - even small amounts - is increasing every year.
The national and local cost of poor health due to a sedentary lifestyle is rising exponentially and yet this issue seems to have been largely ignored in the draft local plan (December 2016).
Indeed, it is even suggested that the Arden Sports Club in Sharmans Cross Road, that currently provides keep fit classes, squash courts, a gym and tennis courts, should be pulled down to build houses.
It is also proposed that the playing fields in Sharmans Cross Road are destroyed. These playing fields are not being used at the moment and the Council should buy the lease back from Oakmoor so that proper use of this scarce resource, so important for the health of future generations, can be planned.
We need to drastically increase the number of playing fields and sports facilities and the Council, in conjunction with the NHS, should be proactively seeking ways to address the ticking time bomb of obesity.
The plan to remove sports facilities, at a time when we should be increasing such provision, is totally irresponsible.
Everyone recognises the need for extra housing in the West Midlands but it is reckless to remove playing fields and sports facilities when there are large areas of brown field sites in Birmingham that are not designated by Birmingham Council for housing.

see attached letter received via email

Proposed major development on Solihull Rugby club ground.
I feel the proposed development would further add to the already traffic chaos and
dangerous situation which is Sharmans Cross road at certain times of A.M. and P.M.
Sharmans Cross Road and Solihull Road vary between a rat run and parking lot
at varying times.
With development currently on Woolmans sight and the proposed Rugby Club sight
there is likely to be upwards 250 or more vehicles joining the group.
The road is too narrow for what is currently allowed to take place and any further
addition of housing will create a more serious situation .
i have listened to the varying objections from the Action Group and support their
views although I live far enough away not really effected other than for my views
detailed above.

Planning application for development - Sharmans Cross Road
I have been made aware of a development scheme on the former rugby field on Sharmans Cross Road and I wish to register my objection to this for the following reasons.
1. I thought this land is designated for the playing of sports and I would very much like this to remain so as I believe there are a number of local sports clubs looking for affordable fields.
2. I am extremely concerned about the increased level of traffic exiting onto Sharmans Cross Road and any other roads involved in the development and the resulting impact on safety, noise and pollution.
3. Our local services of schooling and medical which are already under pressure would only suffer further with such a development.
4. I feel that this high density of housing is totally out of keeping with the surrounding area.

I trust you will consider my objections and reject this development.

see attached letter

Proposed Housing Allocation 18 Sharmans Cross Road Solihull
We wish to raise objections to the application by the developers 'Oakmoor' for the combined Rugby Club and Solihull Arden Club grounds off Sharmans Cross Road to be approved as a potential residential development site within the Local Development Plan.

It is our understanding that the developers seek to move the Solihull Arden Club facilities onto part of the existing Rugby Club land and build approximately 100 new homes on the remaining land with access to those homes from Sharmans Cross Road. This would result in the complete loss of the rugby pitches.

Our objections are as follows:-

1) There is already a shortage of sports pitches in Solihull, being less than the national targets eg. for rugby.

2) Other than this rugby club, there is only one set of sports pitches in Solihull with changing rooms, and none with facilities for women.

3) Moving a pitch to the outskirts of the Borough makes it more difficult for young people to get to it, particularly by public transport.

4) We have been told that when Oakmoor negotiated taking a lease on the rugby club pitches some years ago (at a peppercorn rent) they pledged to SMBC that they would keep the land as a sports facility. However, they have refused to communicate with several parties interested in renting, leasing or developing this land for sports purposes, or they have put off interested parties by suggesting excessive rents. They reportedly now allege as part of their application that there is no longer sufficient demand to use it for sport when it appears that their tactics have been to suppress that demand.

5) We have been informed that Sport England did not support Oakmoor's previous application as is stated in the current application.

6) Sharmans Cross Road is already very congested throughout the school year when pupils are being taken to, and collected from, school by car. The additional traffic from the proposed 100 or so homes will all funnel out onto this road and make the situation much worse.

7) There are no places for the significant number of children that 100 homes will bring into this area, particularly if half of the houses are to be 'affordable' thereby attracting younger families. In addition, the nearest infant school is about a mile away.

8) There is little or no spare capacity in any of the local GP surgeries.

9) It appears that in order to fit 100 dwellings onto the site, and to provide 'affordable housing' the application will need to include blocks with at least 3 storeys. Such blocks would be out of keeping with a large surrounding area.

10) The 3 storey blocks will potentially overlook surrounding existing properties.

11) If Solihull Arden Tennis Club move from the freehold land that they currently occupy onto the leasehold land of the rugby club (with its restriction of use for sports purposes only) they will be giving up very valuable land in exchange for virtually no land asset. Members of the Tennis Club have said that they have not been properly consulted about such a change.

12) If the application is successful, the Tennis Club moves onto the rugby club land, and the new houses and flats are built then the Tennis Club will be closely bounded on three sides by housing. This could well lead to friction and complaints from the householders regarding noise, traffic etc as has happened at the West Warwickshire Sports Club.

objection to housing development at Sharmans Cross Road (Proposed Housing allocation 18 in the Draft Local Plan)
I understand that this proposal has been submitted before several years ago but was refused. I believe the objections that were submitted then to the plan still exist.
They Include:
1. All of the site at Sharmans Cross Road has SMBC covenants regarding its use solely for sporting purposes.
2. The developer, Oakmoor Estates confirmed in writing to SMBC in June 2008 that the land would continue to be used for sporting purposes.
3. Solihull Arden Club has objected on the basis of the major damage it would do to their very existence.
I am a member of the Solihull Arden Tennis club and have been a member for 20 years.
I believe the housing development would impact on the club in the following ways:
* There will be disruption during the development in terms of noise, access, and parking facilities
* Once built, objections may be raised by residents concerning noise from social events in the clubhouse, evening play (floodlighting), parking and access to the club through there estate.
* Shared parking facilities between the club and the housing estate could lead to conflict between residents and club members if parking spaces are limited.
in addition to these points the housing development will have a severe disruptive effect upon the local infrastructure such as:
* increased traffic within the surrounding area - it is already difficult to exit the junction of Sharmans Cross road unto Blossomfield Road.
* impact upon schools and doctors surgery within the local area - there are already lack of places in all secondary schools in the area and there are no infant schools within a mile of the site which would impact on traffic during school start/finish times
* lack of sports grounds facilities for football/rugby in the local area - there is already a shortage of these which will have an impact on the development of youngsters in the area into wider area/national squads
I also understand that the developers (Oakmoor Estates) have expressed an interesting in swapping the land with Solihull Arden Tennis Club so that we occupy the leasehold land (existing ex-rugby club land) and the houses are built on the freehold land that is currently occupied by our club. This would have a severely detrimental effect on our club's future existence in years to come especially upon the expiry of the lease and the cost implications this will have. It will also prevent the freedom of the club to expand/develop the club in the future should the members wish to do so as we will not have the freedom and choice to perhaps change or expand the club as we may wish. I would object to this proposal in the strongest terms possible.
Given all of the points raised above, I request that my objection be noted by the planning committee regarding this particular proposed housing development and ask that it considers refusing planning permission on the grounds cited above.

As a member of the Solihull Arden tennis club and a local resident with connections to Sharman's Cross School , I am writing to object to the proposed housing development by Oakmoor Estates on the land of the former Rugby Club in Sharmans Cross Road. (Proposed Housing allocation 18 in the Draft Local Plan)
There are many objections to the plans . Many are the same as the objections to proposal submitted before several years ago but was refused. For example
1. The tennis and sporting club has been a local sporting and Community asset which has recently been refurbished . All of the site at Sharmans Cross Road has SMBC covenants regarding its use solely for sporting purposes.
2. The developer, Oakmoor Estates confirmed in writing to SMBC in June 2008 that the land would continue to be used for sporting purposes.
3. Solihull Arden Club has objected on the basis of the major damage it would do to the club and all the groups using it . The disruption noise , dust , access and parking will be awful .
4. Housing in this area is a consideration but the social and sporting events may be the cause of conflict and disruption between residents and club and community users of the club in terms of parking , noise floodlights etc.

5. The local infrastructure such as:
* increased traffic within the surrounding area - it is already difficult to exit the junction of Sharmans Cross road unto Blossomfield Road.
* impact upon schools and doctors surgery within the local area - there are already lack of places in all secondary schools in the area and there are no infant schools within a mile of the site which would impact on traffic during school start/finish times
* lack of sports grounds facilities for football/rugby in the local area - there is already a shortage of these which will have an impact on the development of youngsters in the area into wider area/national
I understand from committee members of the club that :

* Solihull Arden Tennis Club is on freehold land and the housing development wishes we swop to the leasehold land (existing ex-rugby club land) and the houses are built on the freehold land that is currently occupied by our club. This would have a severely detrimental effect on our club's future existence in years to come especially upon the expiry of the lease and the cost implications this will have. It will also prevent the freedom of the club to expand/develop the club in the future should the members wish to do so as we will not have the freedom and choice to perhaps change or expand the club as we may wish. This has no advantage to the club members or the local community . It is only an advantage to the developers .


I object to this proposal in the strongest terms and request that the planning committee refuse planning of this development .

LDP-ProposedHousingAllocation18
Objections to Prososed Housing Allocation on Sharmans Cross Road

The density of the proposal, is out of scale and character for the area available, severely affecting surrounding properties.

Traffic congestion on Sharmans Cross Road, has increased over the last 2 years. 100 households, inevitably some with 2 cars, can only make this significantly worse., adding to pollution, effecting pedestrian and highway safety.

I very much doubt there will be sufficient parking for both the Arden club and new properties, where will the overflow park? The side roads are already congested.

Our Property is opposite the site, our garden flooded after every heavy rainfall, I would expect the proposed site to provide sufficient drainage for the site itself, but my concern is that the proposed density of build will push water into surrounding areas.

Schools and medical centres are already stretched in the area, if a development of this density was to be considered, plans to increase the capacity of these services should be included.

I understand SMBC agreed the ground would be protected for sporting use, it would be a great pity, for whatever reason, if the Council were to now go back on this undertaking.

Proposed Development - LDP Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I wish to strongly object to the proposed development on the rugby/sports field area off Sharmans Cross Road as referenced above.
There are several points I wish to raise as part of my objection viz:
Flooding: My property is situated in the cul-de-sac area on Winterbourne Road. The water table in the surrounding area is very high, the gardens retain several inches of water after heavy or sustained rainfall, until the ground/trees can absorb the excess. My concern is that this will be greatly exacerbated with the laying of concrete foundations, roads and pathways that a new development will bring, without any means to drain off the excess.
Increased traffic and pollution: Building 100 new properties will greatly increase the number of vehicles in a small area - with several adults possibly occupying each property there could be up to 300/400 extra vehicles using/polluting the proposed estate and environs. The extra vehicles could have a serious affect on highway safety and increase the gridlock which already exists on Sharmans Cross Road, Streetsbrook Road and into Solihull centre - traffic creeps along these roads between 7.45am and 9.00am churning out fumes and pollutants. The safety and health of many children living in the area will be at extra risk - we encourage children to walk to school to improve their fitness and cut down on traffic but they would encounter more risk crossing roads and breathing in fumes. The proposed development is very close to Sharmans Cross Junior school and Sharmans Cross Road is used by many children going to this school and the senior schools in the area - Tudor Grange and Alderbrook.
Suitability: The development of 100 properties will destroy the character of the neighbourhood, buildings of more than two stories will increase overshadowing, leading to loss of light and privacy to surrounding properties. I am concerned by the loss of existing trees and hedgerows surrounding the field. They are a known habitat for bats, badgers and a buzzard.
Pressure on facilities: With 100 proposed properties the affect on local facilities will be detrimental. How will existing schools cope with the increase in places required? We do not want to go back to class sizes of 40+. There will be a similar strain on local doctor's surgeries with an increased localized population.
Please re-consider this proposed housing development on this site.

LDP- Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I would like to protest at the application for 100 dwellings to be built on the Solihull Arden tennis club and adjacent rugby pitches for the following reasons
1 Further housing would mean increased traffic in the area. At present this area, including the crossroads of Streetsbrook Rd, Sharmans Cross Rd, Stonor Park Rd and Dorchester Rd is a gridlock from approximately 8.00am to 9.15am most days. This will only get worse as Touchwood Phase 2 comes on line. If potentially another 100 to 200 cars try to join this route the situation will be horrendous and potentially dangerous.
I took photographs this morning at approximately 8.30am which demonstrates what is going on. People are having to push out into the traffic which is a dangerous situation.

LDP-Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I write to formally object to the LDP-PHA 18.
My reasons are
1 TRAFFIC
The junction between Streetsbrook Road, Sharmans Cross Road, Dorchester Rd and Stonor Park Road is already severely congested in the rush out period with traffic backing up along Streetsbrook and Sharmans Cross.
The plans to extend Touchwood can only increase traffic flow.
This junction is dangerous to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists particularly in the winter months and bad weather.
More houses and therefore car owners will worsen this situation .
Parking on Sharmans Cross at school times is already causing difficulties which would be exacerbated by more traffic
2 PLAYING FIELDS
This would be a permanent loss of sporting facilities in the borough and SMBC are already failing in this regard I understand that the council formally minuted in 2013 that the grounds would be for sporting purposes only and the freehold would not be sold. I see no reason for this view to be changed.
3 INFRASTRUCTURE
Apart from the traffic problems, there is a lack of schools and doctors to support further houses in the area.
There is already flooding on Sharmans Cross and the water table on Streetsbrook is very high in wet periods-further houses will worsen this .

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
Please accept this e-mail as a formal objection to the proposed plan for building houses at the rugby ground site on Sharmans Cross Road.

1. SMBC has formally stated in 2013 that the grounds were to be used for sports only and so the freehold will NOT be sold at any cost. This policy should be reaffirmed that has strictly said that any such development is NOT appropriate for inclusion in the local development plan.

2. The site will not be within walking distance to Solihull town centre or Solihull train station which breaches policy set by the National Planning & Policy Framework of having local amenities within an 800m distance.

3. The area will lose its entire character and appearance if the suggested number of properties are built in such a small space. This will specifically cause disruption, loss of light, privacy, traffic, incidents, potential crime, pollution and the general cleanliness of the surroundings left compromised.

4. Solihull is a naturally green area and having big building projects such as these will destroy the surrounding habitat, trees, natural vegetation as well as local wildlife dwellings. Endangered species of bats and badgers will be at great risk.

5. The traffic volume will increase which will cause further disruption to an already busy network of roads and pose hazardous for children that attend Sharmans Cross Junior School from increased threat from more vehicles on the road. Parking will also become difficult if residents park on the streets and in front of other resident homes.

6. Sharmans Cross Road has been subjected to flooding when rain has been heavy so over developing here will only add to this problem.

7. Sporting facilities in the area will be at great risk where local residents are passionate about sport and are recognised by being in the 3rd quartile nationally for over-16's involvement which is observed by national league tables.

8. Schools and medical centres are already oversubscribed in the local vicinity so further development will lead to a degradation of service for the current residents.

There are many negative consequences for this development as pointed out above. Consideration should be given first and foremost to the current residents and not developers interested in their own gains.

SMBC Planning Dept. Housing allocation 18.
I refer to the proposed housing allocation 18 on the site of Arden Tennis Club and the former Rugby Club grounds off Sharmans Cross Road.
One previous planning application for the Green site was refused and another was withdrawn, this was several years ago.
I recently attended a residents meeting concerning the proposed development as above. I was amazed to hear that once again developers are planning to build on land which is covenanted for sporting purposes. There are precious few of these sites in the Solihull conurbation. Those that are left deserve preservation. Further more as SMBC are the leaseholders of the Green site I don't know why they are even entertaining any proposal to build on such land.
Since developers obtained the lease they have maintained the rugby field. However it has been six or more years since and NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD TO USE THE SITE. This would suggest a deliberate act, by making the fee for use so exorbitant that no amateur organisations can afford it. The Developer can then say that no one has used the facility, so it would aid their application. This is very underhand. Is it legal? My comment about this has been included because one of the persons present at the meeting is running a youth football league of about twenty four teams. He mentioned he had attempted to rent the pitch for that use but cost prohibited.
At the meeting it also came out that the developers had approached some official trustee of the Tennis Club with a proposal to build a new tennis club on that of the green site. To include all the facilities already available at the present established club. That would then leave the freehold club site ripe for housing development. This is an improper proposal by underhanded developers. It reeks of profiteering.
I strongly oppose the development on the above comments and the following also.
This is a covenanted green site for sporting purposes and should be used as such. It would be a permanent loss if developed.
One hundred homes on such a small site will be out of character to this part of Solihull. There will be an immense increase of vehicular activity in an already busy area, causing delay, possible danger to public and increased noise plus air pollution.
At present there is only narrow access off Sharmans Cross Road. This would mean other houses would have to be demolished in this or another road.
There are not enough local amenities available. Schools and Surgeries. Those that are, are hard pressed at present to cope. Solihull town centre is a long walk away as is the Rail Station. A few local shops are located in the other direction but are a long walk away. Again vehicle use would be increased.
The green belt of land along that side of Sharmans Cross Road has a diverse amount of flora and fauna which would also suffer from loss of habitat. There are already large amounts of brown field sites being developed mostly for private dwellings and retirement homes. Surely some of those or others could be used for affordable housing.

see attached letter

see attached letter

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I am writing to lodge my objections to the proposed development of 100 houses on the rugby ground on Sharmans Cross Road. There are a number of points to my objections, as follows:
1. Population density: According to the property website, 'Zoopla' there are 131 houses in Sharmans Cross Road. If a further 100 houses are constructed on the rugby ground (that it a 76.3% increase), the following unpleasant characteristics of the area will become unacceptable for the existing residents:
1.1 An already bad traffic situation: the junction at Sharmans Cross Road and Streetsbrook Road is already gridlocked between 7.45am and 9.00am, due to the (very slow) traffic flow along Streetsbrook Road into Solihull and the build up of traffic waiting to exit Sharmans Cross Road. I have lived on the corner of this junction for the last 20 years and have seen the volume of traffic increase significantly over this period. Furthermore the traffic situation at the roundabout of the junctions of Prospect Lane, Danford Lane and Sharmans Cross Road is already highly congested between the times mentioned above and will only be exacerbated by the proposed development. Finally the junction of Solihull Road and the A34 is congested for most of the day, particularly during the times mentioned....again the proposed development will only worsen this.
1.2 The local environment: increased traffic congestion will mean a further deterioration in the local environment; an increase in danger for pedestrians and an increase in danger for cyclists on what is a designated cycle route.
1.3 Congestion and safety issues associated with Sharmans Cross Junior School: at peak school 'dropping off' and 'collection' times Sharmans Cross Road is highly congested, and quite frankly a dangerous place for young children, despite the presence of a traffic warden ('lollipop man/lady'). Additional traffic turning out of/into the proposed development will increase the safety risk to young children....and their young parents who in my experience often appear distracted by their conversations with other parents.
1.4 Flooding in periods of heavy rain: Sharmans Cross Road is already subject to flooding during heavy rain. As noted, I live on the corner of Sharmans Cross Road and Streetsbrook Road. A few years ago the drains were moved, when the corner was 'filled out' to try to slow down the cars from Solihull that speed round the corner, but NOT to the lowest point of the road. The consequence of this civil engineering error is that heavy rain produces flooding in the road outside my front drive....which creates a hazard to traffic. I should add that there are other sites in Sharmans Cross Road which also flood during heavy rain. An additional 100 houses and their associated roads/drains will further exacerbate the flooding position. I know for a fact that residents have complained to SMBC about the flooding...but nothing has been done.
2. Local schools and medical centres are already oversubscribed: an additional 100 houses will simply, again, exacerbate the position for local residents.
3. SMBC formally minuted in 2013 its policy with regard to the use of sport grounds and that it would not sell the freehold land. A previous application for the proposed site has been refused and another withdrawn. It is clear, therefore, that the development of the site is unsuitable and should not be included in the LDP.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I am writing to object to the proposed housing - LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18.

1) The proposed housing will destroy the character of the area. Packing this many property's onto a sports field is out of scale and out of character with the existing housing.

2) The increase In traffic will have a serious effect on Sharmans Cross road. Traffic wanting to right out of the proposed development early in the morning will add to the already jammed streets. This will add to the already polluted air as the traffic queues up. The road is also popular with children including ours who walk/bike to school. The proposed new development will obviously increase traffic pollution and safety concerns close the school.

3) Parking with regard to the Arden Club will cause big problems in the future when functions are being held. If you count the cars now when the club is busy you will comprehend how this will cause problems for the club and residents if the proposed development goes ahead.
4) The proposed development is on sports fields! With the increase in obesity we should be encouraging folks to play sport not building houses on sports fields.

5) I am concerned about the mature trees In the area such as the line of oaks and Pow Grove wood. My daughter and I currently delight in seeing a buzzard perched on the rugby post/fence most mornings as we walk to school. The birds, bats and wildlife will be lost if the development goes ahead. The trees will come under increased risk felling.

The area should be used for sports and maybe, through the Woodland Trust, add to the already rich wildlife by planting a few more trees.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I was disappointed to read in the local newspaper that the Council are once again considering a planning application for the building of up to one hundred houses on the former rugby ground on Sharmans Cross Road. I recall that a similar application was turned down several years ago as being unsuitable and believe that nothing has changed that would make it suitable now. At the time the Council stated that they would only consider applications for use of the land for sporting facilities and that they would retain the freehold ownership of the land and I trust that the Council has maintained its position as such.
Apart from the fact that the building of housing ( which I presume would require the Council to sell the freehold) does not meet the sporting facilities requirement I would like to register my objection for the following reasons:

I have noticed that over the last few years there appears to be a considerable raising of the water table in the vicinity of Sharmans Cross Road. I corresponded last June with Mr Thomas Barrett of your Highways Services regarding this matter as I along with neighbours experience flooding of large areas of our rear gardens during periods of prolonged rainfall ( I have lived on Sharmans Cross Road for twenty six years and this has only become a problem over the last two to three years). Mr Barrett advised that this was due to a combination of increased storm events and slow draining clay soil. Clearly the building of up to one hundred houses along with the associated driveways and access roads will significantly add to the problem.

The increase traffic that the development would bring to the vicinity will significantly worsen what is already an unacceptable level of congestion along both Sharmans Cross Road and Streetsbrook Road which is at gridlock during peak commuter times. This not only detracts from quality of life for residents in the vicinity but adds to the pollution of the surrounding area.In addition the increase volume of traffic will only add to the dangers that children face that attend the local junior school. The current situation is bad enough with passage up and down Sharmans Cross Road almost impossible at school drop of / collection times due the parking of cars along its total length.

Finally I object to the additional burden this development would place upon local school and medical services which are already buckling under the strain - this can only further degrade the levels of service that are currently available to existing residents.

I trust that the Council will take my objections into account and reject this planning proposal.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I am emailing to inform you of my concerns and to reject proposals regarding the development of the 100 houses on the rugby ground on Sharmans Cross Road.

I live at 5 Sharmans Cross Road, and already the traffic is stand still every morning and evening during rush hours. It can take me long time to even get off my drive as the queue of traffic don't let you in. My concerns are with an additional 100 houses to be built with all accessing via Sharmans Cross Road, the traffic will dangerously increase. Children and parents regularly walk on that side of the road as they do not have to cross any side roads which makes it safer, but with the construction of a road, I think your are removing one of the safety elements that many rely on, especially with children cycling along that route too.

I use that site regularly to play with my children and we are all members of the Arden Tennis Club. Parking will be further compromised, meaning that many members will have to park on the main road, that will create yet another bottle neck and affect safely for nearby residents reversing off their drives onto the main road traffic. This also poses problems for pedestrians to cross the road safely looking past the parked cars. With buses and large vehicles using this road, this will be another safety highways issue to address.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I am horrified that once again SMBC is considering a planning of application for around 100 houses on the rugby pitch off Sharmans Cross Road. This has already been rejected several times before for reasons which are well documented.

Can I remind you that the traffic heading into Solihull town centre each weekday morning is diabolical. They are queuing all the way along Streetsbrook Road as far as the junction with Prospect Lane, and they are also queuing all the way down Sharmans Cross Road from the junction with Streetsbrook Road and queuing back as far as Sharmans Cross Junior school. It can take as much as 25 minutes to do a 1 mile journey into Solihull in the mornings because of the bad traffic around Sharmans Cross Road.

Therefore whoever has the stupid idea of building another 100 houses next to Solihull Arden club / rugby pitch clearly has no idea how bad the traffic will become. Can you imagine everyone queueing to get out of the proposed site on to Sharmans Cross Road where there is already a long queue (followed by another long queue on Streetsbrook Road)? The roads will grind to a halt and be grid locked.

Furthermore, there will be an increased danger to families and children trying to reach Sharmans Cross junior school. They already park all the way down this road twice per day, and to add another 100 dwellings in the very close vicinity will only worsen the situation considerably. There will be very few places left for parents to park, and where they do park they will cause even more delays on Sharmans Cross Road with traffic trying to get past the parked cars.

I worry greatly that pedestrians and children walking down an even busier road will result in a bad accident.

Sharmans Cross Junior school is massively oversubscribed and to add another 100 houses in the catchment area will only cause more over subscription problems.

I must also point out that the rugby ground is a designated sporting facility and I understand that no building should be approved on such sporting grounds. SMBC has a statutory requirement to ensure lost pitches are replaced with equivalent facilities and accessibility.

Do not allow this proposed planning. It is completely flawed in so many ways.

LDP- Proposed Housing Allocation 18
As a resident of Sharmans Cross Rd Solihull, B91 1RQ, I would like to formally object to the proposed development as detailed above.
The reasons for my objection are;
1. A large development of this type is not in keeping with the character of the surrounding neighbourhood and houses. I understand that there is a possibility of houses of more then 2 stories so the skyline will be distorted as well as the loss of light and privacy for the surrounding properties.
2. Obviously with a development of this size traffic will increase significantly on the road, a road that already sees nose to tail traffic in rush hours, has single and double yellow lines on parts of the road and most importantly is a busy pedestrian route for school children and train commuters as well as though who walk into Solihull for work. The junction of Sharmans Cross Road/Streetsbrook Rd is already a notoriously dangerous one to navigate and has seen several accidents, these statistics will no doubt increase due to the additional cars that will be using the roads should this development be sanctioned.
3. Another point is on the subject of land usage, I understand the land was gifted to yourselves by a local resident who placed a covenant on the land saying that it had to be used for sporting purposes, with an ever increasing obesity epidemic sweeping the nation it is vital we fight to retain our existing sports grounds particularly for our children so they can maintain/ obtain a healthy and balance lifestyle in their locality.
4. My last point is in relation to the local wildlife in the area, particularly in the woods next to the rugby club, we have regularly seen have badgers, foxes, owls, sparrow hawks and several more - some of these animal numbers are dwindling again is it imperative we fight to retain the natural habitat for these precious creatures.

LDP-Proposed Housing Allocation 18
We strongly object to this development on the following grounds

1) Schools are already over crowded without this adding to the problem in the near future.
2) Flooding, Sharman's cross Road already suffers from flooding as does Woodside Way, this will only make things worst, and will eventually add to your costs to clear the mess up, and added costs for your preventative measure for the future.
3) Parking is already a pain in the surrounding areas, without this adding to a problem.
4) The use of this land was for the use of various sporting events. Once you over turn this, we will loose a valuable venue for sports for all and in particular, to our younger generations to come.

We implore to re-think on what the long term effects will have, not only the immediate area but the Borough as a whole.

LDP-Proposed Housing Allocation 18.
Regarding the above application I wish to object to this application for the following reasons.

It will be if allowed the loss of another playing area/facility in the Solihull area. Which over the years due to this Councils policies have slowly diminished.

It will be totally inappropriate for this area due to the increased number of vehicles on the road and further pressure placed on local schools and doctors.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I am writing to formally object to the proposed development on the sports field that is accessed from Sharmans Cross Road. I am the owner, with my partner Karen O'Rourke, of 45 Sharmans Cross Road which backs directly on to the site. Whilst I am firmly of the belief that its current lack of use is both undesirable and unacceptable, the proposed development is jaw-droppingly unsuitable for the site. The density of homes built will place unbearable demands on local facilities and road network and will be completely out of character with the area. I understand that a proposal for a development that intended to build less houses than this was declined in 2009. I cannot understand how shoe-horning yet more houses on to the site can make this more desirable.

As things stand, it is impossible for me to pull out of my drive and head towards Streetsbrook Road after 7:45am as stationary traffic trails way past our house and up towards the junior and infant school. The proposed development would lead to the cars of 100 homes to pull out directly into this stationary traffic. There is no other way to get to Sharmans Cross Junior and Infant School other than Sharmans Cross Road and recent research into the effects of traffic pollution must surely give cause for thought.

Even with the ample current parking available at the Arden Club, parking spills down Woodside Way all day on weekdays and one side of Sharmans Cross Road is completely blocked during school drop-off and pick-up times and on Saturdays when Solihull Town are playing at home. The impact of the cars of another 100 homes will only exacerbate this to intolerable levels.

The paving over of a large area of green land can only increase the already high risk of flooding and the inevitable loss of the protected bats which fly nightly over our garden also needs to be taken into consideration. Not to mention the scores of ancient, cherished and protected trees which do so much to give the area its desirable character.

Finally, I understand that you formally minuted that you would not sell the freehold of grounds used for sport in 2013. This could be a wonderful resource for grass roots sports in the area and I know of a number of local junior football teams that have to play their "home" fixtures outside of the local area. Just think how many junior football pitches could fit on this site. The reasons for the previous applications being withdrawn and indeed refused were sound then and remain sound now. I urge you to turn down this application.

Ldp proposed housing allocation 18
I object to the proposed development strongly for the following reasons:-

Insufficient primary and secondary schools already. I have a child in year five and I am already concerned she won't get into the school of our choice. Not a single secondary school has been built in Solihull since I was at school in the eighties.

Gp surgeries are already struggling to accommodate existing population. Will Solihull hospital be able to absorb more patients or will more people have to travel further afield to heartlands?

Anyone who battles the rush hour traffic will have experienced the queues around the area which will be exacerbated further.

So many families enjoy the facilities currently in situ. Where is the regard for current tax payers?