18 Solihull - Sharmans Cross Road

LPD- Proposed housing allocation 18.
I am writing to you to object to the proposed development on Sharmans Cross Road.
I live at 16 Stonor Park Road and we currently have a terrible problem with traffic with the junction between Stonor Park Road and Sharmans Cross Road. At times the traffic is completely grid locked. Surely the proposed development would worsen these high congestion levels?
Furthermore, I am worried that the development will destroy the character of the neighbourhood with an out-of -scale and overdevelopment of the site. This land was intended for the use of sport only and I hope that the planning department will take my objections into consideration.

Solihull Local Plan Review - Draft Local Plan Consultation
With regard to the above please note our second response as below. This follows our previous response to you dated 6th January 2017 and our discussion on 7th February with Mr Mike Swallow:

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).

As stated in our earlier correspondence, 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 criteria above being met together with associated detailed plans and their possible impact upon Solihull Arden Club and its members.

LDP-proposed housing allocation 18
I reside at 59 Sharmans Cross road and wish to object to the proposed development of 100 houses on the Rugby ground and site of Arden tennis and social club.

The current Govt strategy to increase house building by around 250,000 to 275,000 houses a year should not in anyway influence the Council in the decision on this development. Indeed that strategy states that all approved planning must ensure that in place in the surrounding area is an infrastructure that will support the development. Clearly this is not the case with this proposed development.

Already residents surrounding this area of land suffer from excessive traffic delays, for example some mornings the traffic backs up from Streetsbook road to my house. In addition the traffic into Solihull from the fire station backs up past the Sharmans Cross road junction creating lengthy delays in the rush hour. Quite clearly the additional cars, probably 150 to match the 100 houses will have an adverse effect on this already chaotic traffic issue. Add to that the current additional cars using the Arden club and at peak times the traffic will be a nightmare. Therefore the infrastructure will not meet the needs. In addition there is nothing that the developers can do, or the Council can do to alter that situation.

I understand that the land should be dedicated to sport. I have looked at the plans and clearly there is an attempt to purchase the Arden Club and do a swop. That is in my view not sustainable. It will place the new homes right next to current dwellings, e.g., those in Winterbourne road. This will create a very condensed number of houses in a neighbourhood that is currently well designed and set out to be environmentally friendly. I imagine many of the proposed houses / apartments will be two or three stories and therefore totally out of character for the immediate area. There will inevitably be a loss of light and privacy to existing houses. That cannot be right.

Having lived in Sharmans Cross road for many years I am well aware that flooding is a past, current and future issue. Despite work this has not been resolved. The addition of these 100 properties with unsuitable drainage and the loss of natural grass land that assists drainage can only have an adverse effect and cause potential flood problems to those residing closely. I do not believe the developers can overcome this real risk. In fact with the added burden of extra school traffic and pedestrians with children from this proposed development the dangers for safety are very clear.

I want to return to the use of the ground for sport. It is I believe proven that Solihull is in the third of four quartiles nationally for over 16 participation in sport at least three times a week. With I understand four other sports grounds locally at risk of similar developments I believe SMBC has a responsibility to ensure not just that these five sports ground are protected but that every effort is made to ensure there is additional sporting facilities for young people. This proposed development will move Solihull further away from its sporting land requirement in the future.

I also understand that the National Planning Policy framework requires new developments to have access to local amenities within 800 meters or 10minute walk. This site is some 1700 meters from Solihull town centre and a 1000 meters from the train station. This is an additional reason to refuse this development.

I understand this land is owned by SMBC and on a previous occasion a decision was made and formally recorded that the freehold would not be sold and that the ground was only for Sports use. The current planning application clearly tries to get around this so can the Council reaffirm its policy and stop this planning application at the earliest opportunity.

On a final note I have as yet not formally received any notification of this planned development from the Council. It is only through the work of the action group that this has come to light. I therefore ask if the failure to notify is a breach of the planning application process and ask if that is the case what action can now be taken. If notification is no longer required I would appreciate explanation of the reasons for this..

LDP- Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I am writing to object to the development proposed for 100 houses on the rugby ground on Sharmans Cross Road.

I enjoy Solihull because of the natural beauty and picturesque local green areas. This includes the parks and large trees dotted around the town. The design of this vibrant town will be disturbed by this new development. There is often the sound of birds and wildlife; I enjoy taking a stroll around my block but consider this will be ruined with the increase traffic and destruction of natural green space.

There is already high demand for services such as schools and the local hospital. This demand will be subject to even more pressure which I don't think will be beneficial to the community.

There is already an issue with traffic around the Sharmans Cross roundabout- both at peak time and otherwise. I consider this problem will be worse with increased traffic and pollution. I cannot see how it would be sustainable for local residents using this road for work/schools during peak times. The delays will will cause immense pressure to road users and pedestrians. I also fear a health a safety risk for the younger users given the increased traffic.

Solihull is a wonderful place to live and a large part of its appeal is the natural space. It's makes up the dynamic of this green town that currently combines elements of urban life with green spots. The destruction of a rugby ground will ruin the appearance and appeal of this town.

I trust these concerns will be noted.

LDP - Proposed housing Allocation 18
I am writing in objection to the proposed redevelopment of the playing fields on Sharman's cross road.

As a local resident (94 Stonor Park Rd) I am concerned with the increased volume and density of traffic. The local amenities are also stretched (I currently attend the medical practice on Gospel Lane) due to the lack of a local medical centre.

On the road parking is already an issue on Sharman's Cross road, this will only increase with the proposed development. As a cyclist the road is already busier than I would like, again only to get worse with the increased levels of housing traffic.

LDP-proposed housing allocation 18
I wish to formally object to Solihull Metropolitan Bourough Councils (SMBC) proposal to build 100 houses on the rugby ground on Sharmans Cross Road, Solihull. The reasons for my objection are;

1. Increased traffic and pollution-I live on Stonor Park Road and there is already considerable congestion ( or grid lock!!) along Stonor Park Road, Sherman's Cross Road and Streetsbrook Road from approximately 7.30-9.30 am. My daughters walk to school each day and have to negotiate crossing Streetsbrook Road, I already fear for their safety and have real concerns that a development of this magnitude will just cause more congestion.

2. Suitability- in my personal opinion, the proposed development is unacceptable, is a total overdevelopment of the site and will most certainly destroy the character of my neighbourhood.

3. Schools and medical provision- both the GP surgeries and local schools are already oversubscribed, I believe a development of this size will lead to a degradation of services for local residents.

4. Loss of sporting facilities-I have concerns about the fact this is one of five sports grounds at risk in the LDP within Solihull.

5. Flooding-I often avoid using this road during heavy rain as it floods, surely this development will increase such problems.

Re: proposed housing allocation 18

I wish to formally object to Solihull Metropolitan Bourough Councils (SMBC) proposal to build 100 houses on the rugby ground on Sharmans Cross Road, Solihull. The reasons for my objection are;

1. Increased traffic and pollution-my family and I live on Stonor Park Road and there is already considerable congestion ( or grid lock!!) along Stonor Park Road, Sharmans Cross Road and Streetsbrook Road from approximately 7.30-9.30 am. My daughters walk to school each day and have to negotiate crossing Streetsbrook Road, I already fear for their safety and have real concerns that a development of this magnitude will just cause more congestion.

2. Suitability- in my personal opinion, the proposed development is unacceptable, is a total overdevelopment of the site and will most certainly destroy the character of my neighbourhood.

3. Schools and medical provision- both the GP surgeries and local schools are already oversubscribed, I believe a development of this size will lead to a degradation of services for local residents.

LPD - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
You are obviously aware of the 9 totally responsible and valid objections against the above proposed development raised by Sharman's Cross Action Group.
I endorse them all and would also submit them as my own personal objections.
In addition, if this development goes ahead I am certain that it will be the 'thin edge of the wedge'. The Rugby ground is adjacent to the Silhill football pitch which will then be the next to go and the school playing field could then also come into question.
This proposed development will be to the environmental detriment of Solihull and must not be allowed to go ahead.

see letter

LDP-Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I live at No 20 Sharmans Cross Road which is opposite the entrance/exit of the proposed new estate to be built on the former Birmingham & Solihull Rugby ground.

Sharmans Cross Road is already a very busy Road as it is a cut through from Birmingham to Solihull.

The proposal of 100 houses with the resulting people, in vehicles, spilling out onto Sharmans Cross Road will cause chaos in the morning traffic, which is usually stationery outside my house during peak times because of the build up of traffic on Streetsbrook Road. This is due to the fact that Solihull Centre is gridlocked.

I am unable to leave my drive when I have to go for early hospital appointments because of the volume of cars queuing to get onto Streetsbrook Road, what should take 10 minutes usually takes about 25 minutes at the moment, I dread to think what it will be in the future if this proposal goes ahead.

The idea of building 100 houses on a small piece of land at the back of established houses and try and integrate the people and vehicles into the existing facilities is totally impractical. At the moment when it rains heavily the road floods, what will happen when that parcel of land, which soaks up the rain at the moment, is covered in concrete where will the water go! We already have a parking problem with the school, football club and the people using the side roads for parking and walking to Solihull. What you are proposing to do is to add to the problems.

These ideas all look very well on paper but when you build an estate of 100 houses in such a small environment you impact on the daily lives of the people already living there and not in a good way. Please think again.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
Please accept this email as my formal objection to the proposed development of a hundred new houses on Sharmans Cross Road on the following grounds:
Increased traffic and pollution and parking - This development will have a serious effect on road safety for drivers and pedestrians. There is already an issue in the area and there have been numerous road accidents since we moved in 4 years ago on Streetsbrook Road around the junction with Dorchester Road, Sharmans Cross Road and Stonor Park Road. We already have gridlock on Sharmans Cross and Stonor Park in the mornings and evenings at peak rush hour going onto a heavily congested Streetsbrook Road, traffic from a further 100 houses will quite simply add to an already dangerous situation. I myself have called into the council with complaints about parking and vehicle access on Sharmans Cross Road during drop off and pickup from school. On one occasion witnessed personally a bus mounted the curb and drove partially on the pavement to be able to continue on it's route, hardly safe when the kids are leaving school. This is due to the parking of parents picking up children. I really think it's dangerous now, I dread to think what will happen with an increased number of vehicles.
Loss of sports facilities. - This ground is currently used as a sports ground, in Solihull we already have a shortage of sports facilities. If this sports ground is eaten up by a housing development how do Solihull Council propose to replace this? I understand SMBC has a statutory requirement to do so. In my opinion this sports facility is still very much needed. I also understand that in 2013 SMBC formally minuted your policy with regard to the use of the grounds only for sport and you would not sell the freehold. Please confirm your current stance on this.
Flooding - there are already flooding issues on Sharmans Cross Road during heavy rain. If this development went ahead this will make this problem worse having a knock on effect to the surrounding properties.

LDP- Proposed Housing Allocation 18
This proposed development surely has significant environmental and social problems. For the environment I am concerned about flooding As you know Sharmans Cross RD., already is subject to flooding and covering a large area of grass with houses, and access roads is going to increase this risk. Our environmental scientists already promise us increasingly warm and wet weather. The increase in traffic both parked and moving would be more than our already choked roads could safely accommodate.
I feel the social problems are equally problematical, especially an increased load on medical facilities which are already overstretched, both primary and hospital care. There is an irony here in that there is a case to be made that sporting facilities are good for peoples health and this plan would reduce these.
I would therefore urge you to abandon this planned development.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

I wish to object to your proposal to include in your Local Development Plan, a development of 100 houses on the rugby ground on Sharmans Cross Road.

My reasons for this are as follows

The permanent loss of sporting facilities which I understand SMBC formally minuted in its policy in 2013 as ground to be used solely for sport. It was also stated that the freehold would not be sold by SMBC. Should a housing development be approved I would imagine that without freehold rights, a mortgage would be difficult to obtain for the remaining years on the lease.

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

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

I understand that there are plans to redevelop the Solihull Arden Tennis Club onto the rugby field but that there will a loss of some 75 parking spaces. This will inevitably lead to street parking and cause more disruption and safety issues on Sharmans Cross and neighbouring roads.

Sharmans Cross Road has problems with flooding when there is heavy rain and a housing development will only add to this problem.

A housing development will result in many mature trees being lost together with what is now a safe environment for bats and badgers. This would be a terrible shame.

Local schools and doctors are already oversubscribed and an extra 100 houses with maybe 3 or 4 people to a dwelling will greatly add to already stretched facilities.

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 urge the Council to leave this plot of land as intended as land for sport use only.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I am writing to lodge my objection to the proposed development of the former Solihull RFC pitches behind Sharmans Cross Road. I currently reside at 45 Sharmans Cross Road and believe this proposed development will directly impact me and many others who live on the road and in the surrounding area. Whilst I think this land should be used, I believe the density of the proposed development will leave the local road network and facilities such as the junior and infants school unable to cope. During rush hour, Sharmans Cross Road is already completely blocked by stationary traffic all the way from the junction with Streetsbrook Road to the school. The impact on the cars of another 100 homes pulling out directly into this traffic is obvious and will place the safety of the children walking to school at increased risk.

There is also the issue of flooding - the impact of paving over of such a large area of green land can only increase the already high risk of flooding occurring and Sharmans Cross Road is already frequently covered by over six inches of water up by the school. It is such a shame that the land cannot be used in a sporting capacity and I understand that Solihull Council formally minuted that they would not sell the freehold of grounds used for sport. With minimal investment, this area could be turned into a wonderful resource for grass roots sports in the area - rather than paving it over and cramming it with properties that are completely out of keeping with the area just to line a developer's pockets. There were very good reasons for denying the application in 2009 and they still stand and are just as valid today.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I wish to record my strong objection to the above proposal.

I consider the proposed development would :

1. Be totally out of keeping with the character of the area.
I have lived at my current address for 32 years and am proud of the neighbourhood , its character and its people.
I believe the proposed development would destroy all that is makes Solihull a great place to live.

2. Create traffic chaos within the area. Problems already exist with vehicles visiting Sharmans Cross School. Access to the proposed site and attendant vehicles would only increase
the volume of traffic and result in dangers to motorists and pedestrians.

3. During the last year Sharmans Cross Road was frequently flooded . Surely building more houses will only make the problem worse.

4. Medical centres in the area already pushed to breaking point . Surely adding the occupants of a further 100 properties would place even more pressure on already stretched facilities.?

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I am vehemently opposed to the above planning application. My main objections are as set out below:

1. The land in question is not adequate to sustain and facilitate 100 dwellings which inevitably would be so densely packed that any spaces for cars to park would be so limited which could well cause parking to overflow into Sharmans Cross Road and beyond into the side roads. The extra cars coming out of the development would cause further traffic chaos, misery and pollution along Sharmans Cross Road adding further hazards to children coming and going to Sharmans Cross School and also to cyclists using the road.

2. The site in question is earmarked for recreational and sport use and on these grounds alone the site should be kept and used for such purpose. We desperately need to keep our sporting land for the future wellbeing of the local residents and their children - to lose these facilities would be totally wrong.

3. I believe that the local amenities which are already overburdened such as schools and medical centres would find it hard to accommodate further demand on their resources hence leading to a poorer level of service.

4. This land is surrounded by old woodland the wildlife from which also enjoy the open space and this development would have a detrimental effect on our already diminishing wildlife in this area.

5. Sharmans Cross Road is prone to flooding in heavy rainfall and concreting over such a large area of land would inevitably lead to more flooding not only of the road, but flooding may well occur elsewhere in the vicinity which has never before experienced flooding.

6. The density and design of the development would be totally out of keeping with the surrounding properties and I feel would inevitably lead to a loss of light and privacy for some of these residents.

LDP-Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I write to express my concern about the proposed building of 100 houses on the rugby ground in Sharmans Cross Road .
My main objection is to the density of the houses .Surely this would increase the problem of flooding in the area ?
Another concern is about health & safety . There would be a huge increase in the traffic in this area which would cause problems with safety of the school children & with added traffic pollution.
One more thing -- where will the access to these houses be ? Will it involve knocking down several perfectly good houses to provide access ?

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
, I am writing to ask you to record my objections to the above application to convert sports facilities in Sharmans Cross Road to a housing development.

My understanding is that the site is a designated sports facility and has to be retained as such, thus rendering it unavailable for anything but sporting pursuits.

I believe that there have been previous applications to develop the site for housing but these have either been declined or withdrawn for this reason. Quite apart from this, the site would be unsuitable for development for many reasons. Not least of these is the fact that it is very close to a tricky and potentially dangerous junction with Streetsbrook Road, Stonor Park Road and Dorchester Road. Traffic is at a standstill at this junction from all entries for quite long periods during the day and the inevitable addition to the volume of traffic from the development would be both detrimental and dangerous.

In addition, I have been aware on numerous occasions of flooding to part of Sharmans Cross Road towards the junction with Streetsbrook Road which suggests that drainage in that area is difficult and the addition of a large number of houses in the vicinity together with the destruction of wide areas of grass would surely exacerbate this problem.

I should be obliged if you would give due consideration to my objections to this scheme when it comes up for consideration

(Resident in the vicinity of the site).

House build off Sharmans Cross Road
Reference the proposed build of one hundred dwellings, I would like to register my objection due to the building on recreational open space along with the following reasons.
Currently living on Streetsbrook Road there is always road congestion early morning and late afternoon caused by the Sharmans Road junction, with the additional traffic which would be generated by the houses this would make the junction a lot more dangerous than it already is, due to the fact there are three roads all joining at this point.
The entrance and exit to these dwellings would also be a safety issue to children and parents accessing the nearby school.
Do the current utility services have the extra capacity to take on the extra loading probably not.
At school time there is significant congestion with parents parked cars local bus services and general traffic.
The additional complex would also not be of the same or similarly designed residences as are already within the area.

OBJECTION TO DEVELOPMENT OF 100 HOUSES ON SHARMANS CROSS ROAD
I wish to object to the development of houses on Sharmans Cross Road Solihull

I feel it totally inappropriate to use this land for additional housing. It has been already been formally accepted and minuted by SMBC that use of this land was only for sport and the freehold would not be sold and to renege on this now would be a blight on the area and the lovely space and openness we are fortunate to have in Solihull.

I also think the any development will be out of scale and out of character with the current houses in the area. If any new houses were more than 2 stories this will impact on the privacy and general ambiance of the area. A new 'estate' would completely overshadow the existing and unique area of Solihull.

I am very concerned also about the increase traffic the proposed (100) houses would bring. The area is already congested particularly at peak times and traffic into Solihull already tailsback to Prospect Lane at peak times due to traffic joining Streetsbrook Road at the junction of Sharmans Cross Road. Additional housing would make this far worse, not to mention the danger to pedestrians and children going to school at Sharmans Cross.

Another big worry is flooding of the area any new homes would bring. Sharmans Cross Road is already subject to flooring during heavy rain and this development will only make things worse. The drainage and infrastructure for these new homes just would not cope.

I have huge concerns about the number of schools and medical centres we have in the area. These amenities are already oversubscribed and these proposed new homes will make it even worse for current residents trying to get places at local schools for their children and also appointments at their local GP surgeries which are already struggling with the number of patients they have.

Solihull is such a lovely place to live and it is the most desirable place in the UK (according to a recent survey) and it is valued for its environmental benefits, mature trees and general open green spaces. Building of these new houses would be a risk to the habitat for lots of bats, badgers and Owls and make it a less desirable town.

I hope you take my objections seriously and put an end to the inclusion of this development in the Local development Plan.

LPD-Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I wish to object to the proposed Housing Allocation 18 on medical grounds.

Firstly, the medical resources in this area are already under intense pressure, a development like this will only further increase the already high pressure on our local GP Service. Secondly, as a society we are becoming unhealthier though lack of physical activity. We should be encouraging sport not selling of sports resources such as rugby pitches. This site is in an ideal location to encourage sport as it used to do and should be used as a resource to improve the health of the local community.

Please don't develop this land.

LDP - PROPOSED HOUSING ALLOCATION
I wish to record my strong objection to the proposals for the proposed development on the Sports Ground behind Sharmans Cross Road for the following reasons.

To propose inserting 100 homes, some which may be 3 stories high, in an area where the social and services infrastructure is already under stress is an unacceptable over development

1) Sharmans Cross Road traffic locks solid nose to tail causing gridlock at the Streetsbrook Road junction at present between 7,00 & 9,00. Public transport has great difficulty in negotiating cars delivering children to school at present & any increase in traffic will only make this worse. Danger to pedestrians, unaccompanied children attending the Junior school & those making their way to the secondary schools on adjoining roads, either on foot or cycling (this is supposed to be an approved route) will be in increased danger.

2) This road already floods during heavy rain, the additional paved areas generated by this densely developed area will only increase that problem.

3) The existing schools & medical services are already oversubscribed, this development can only make this worse.

4) At a time when we are trying to reduce pressure on our medical services by promoting healthy exercise is not the time to rob residents of the opportunity to participate on facilities local to thier homes by reducing sports grounds. We should be developing this land for further sporting activities & planning for our housing accommodation & the local services they require in its entirety in a more suitable location.

5) This area, including the open land, is highly prized for it's well balanced marriage between residential development & recreation. It provides an environment for much wild life & many mature trees (some subject to preservation orders) that will not otherwise survive. We can endorse this by developing this further for additional sporting activities which would be accessible to surrounding residents & schools without the need of polluting transport, within easy walking/cycling distance.

Please reject this application as unsound for the reasons stated,

Objection to shamans cross road development
I am writing to you to express by objection against the local development plan of 100 houses on the rugby grounds on shamans cross road.

The development of these houses will make the area significantly more crowded and increase traffic and congestion. This is a family area and having more vehicles around will make the area not family friendly as children will be more at risk of getting hurt.

The local amenities are already stretched as a pharmacist I see first hand how stretched the NHS and how building more houses will stretch the local services even further.

Objection to Sharmans Cross Rugby ground homes!
I send this e-mail to lodge our object to the build of 100 houses on the Sharmans Cross Rugby grounds. We are members of the club and cannot see how such a large qty of homes can bring any use to the neighbourhood other than add to parking problems. Each house these days has at least 2 cars and such a huge increase in volume will cause massive problems to that end of the road w.r.t access and traffic congestion. This is not a good plan to allow such a large qty of homes to be built on a small site and on/near a junction to Streetbrook road, that is already congested!

We hope our object is taken seriously and added to the growing list.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I should like to register my concern regarding the proposed development of green land on Sharmans Cross Road.

I believe that the rugby pitch land should be retained as a sporting facility for young people within the borough.

I question what is meant by "affordable housing" ? Does this mean housing that young people like my 24 year old son and his girlfriend can buy? Or does this mean Council property that only people on benefits can live in?

How many bungalows are going to be built? A recent survey revealed that half of older people want to sell up their large houses and downsize into bungalows but developers only want to build flats (which they call apartments because they think it sounds better).

See below extract from a report in the Daily Mail in July 2016:-

Older homeowners are 'trapped' in large houses and unable to downsize because of a crisis in bungalow building.
Around 2.85million over-55s would like to move into a smaller home, with half wanting a bungalow, latest figures show - but two in five cannot find a suitable property as fewer and fewer bungalows are being built every year.
Over the past three decades the number of new bungalows built each year has plummeted by more than 90 per cent - from about 28,000 in 1985 to fewer than 2,500 last year.
Just one in 63 new homes registered to be built in 2015 were bungalows, according to the National House Building Council.

REFERENCE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3704252/Bungalow-building-crisis-sees-older-homeowners-trapped-large-houses-unable-downsize-developers-refuse-build-land-hungry-properties.html#ixzz4YEOvf5X4

Please can you get back to me and confirm what type of property is proposed for this site?
I assume it will be another block of flats to stick old people in and some miniature size council houses for people on benefits.

LDP -Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I object to the suitability of the proposed development for the following reasons :-

Destroying the character of the existing neighbourhood due to the high density of properties proposed, leading to a loss of light, privacy and overshadowing by 2 story properties .

The increased traffic will have a serious negative effect on highway safety and flow of traffic. Increased flow of traffic trying to exit the development will endanger both pedestrians and cyclists. Local traffic gridlock at peak times will be exacerbated.

The loss of sporting facilities in an ever increasing obese population is a definite negative.

Increased pressure on already stretched medical and educational facilities will lead to a dilution of these services for existing residents.

There will be parking issues for the existing Arden Club with the loss of around 75 spaces which could overspill into surrounding roads. This is without parking pressures from the development.

The development is not in keeping with the existing environment and SMBC has previously minuted that this land would not be sold and only used for sport 2013.

Houses on Sharmans Cross Rd.
Affordable houses will encourage young families but I have concerns regarding schools in the area, already struggling to cope with demand. Before building more homes shouldn't we look at the bigger picture and look at expanding schools or building larger schools.

I am a professional Registered Childminder in the area and should encourage the build as it would promote work for myself, but I see the problems the families in the immediate area are facing.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I wish to formally register my comments and objections based on the following main items of which there are so many.

'Affordable Homes' invariably generate tenants of doubtful personal standards It would appear that the inclusion of a substantial quantity of such houses is disproportionate to most sympathetic developments of this kind.
Sharmans Cross Road and the adjacent junction already generates road risks by way of congestion and layout. Additional usage will undoubtedly create further potential danger to pedestrians and in particular children who are likely to be around in abundance. Greater numbers of vehicles means increased environment pollution....do we really want this!!
The list of negative factors highlighting the weakness of the proposal is almost endless and Planning is respectfully urged to deny the application.
Most will concede the national demand for housing is acute, however, this particular site does not lend itself to such a project which is unreasonable and inconsiderate. The present infrastructure and local amenities would require enormous upgrade the cost of which ultimately falling on the tax payer. This is incongruous in it's entirety.

Sharmans cross sporting development
Please find this email in objection to the proposed development of the sporting fields in Sharmans cross road.

My primary concerns are,

Traffic, this is already at its limits there are daily gridlocks on Sharmans cross road at both ends, it is regularly being used for parking which in turn is putting pedestrians cyclists and in particular school children in danger. A new development will only exacerbate this already increasing problem.

Further building in the area will in all likely hood lead to in creased flooding in Sharmans cross, this is already a problem despite the remedial works that have been undertaken.

There is already a shortage of sporting facilities in the area how will these playing fields be replaced if built on, surly it would be better to put effort into ensuring this land is used for its designated purpose.

There is already a high density of housing and population in the area the building of another 100 houses in such a small area will only increase problems for the already overstretched schools and medical facilities.

To summarise my concerns are;
Traffic
Safety to cyclists / pedestrians
Parking
Environmental impact particularly flooding Loss of sporting facilities Effect on essential amenities

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
I wish to raise the following objections to the above:

1. The volume of traffic on Sharmans Cross Road is already very high and an additional potential 150 -200 vehicles exiting from the proposed development at peak times will cause serious traffic congestion.

2. At peak times a large number of children, frequently unaccompanied, use Sharmans Cross Road to go to and from Sharmans Cross Junior Schol and various secondary schools. The additional danger these young people would face is unacceptable as cars exit the new proposed development.

3. At the present time much attention is being given to high pollution levels throughout the West Midlands. The considerable number of additional vehicles associated with this development would aggravate the situation.

4. The land upon which the development is proposed to take place has been designated by Sport England as land for recreational purposes. Too many sports facilities in the borough have been lost in the last 20 years. SMBC, the owners of the freehold, has in the last three or four years, made clear its policy that the land under discussion should only be used for sport.

5. In this area, Solihull schools have few - if any -vacancies. This being the case, children from the proposed development would have to travel some distance to find a school place, thus increasing pollution. I doubt very much that SMBC has plans to build new schools to cater for children from this or other housing developments to alter the situation. I understand that nearby doctors' lists are also full.