18 Solihull - Sharmans Cross Road

Objection to Sharmans Cross Road Development

I am writing to object to the plans to build 100 houses on the site of the Solihull Arden Tennis Club on Sharmans Cross Road.

As a member of the tennis club and a parent whose children walk to school via this route everyday I strongly object due to the increase in the amount of traffic and my deep concerns for children's safety. Sharmans Cross Road especially by the entrance to the Squash Club is a terrible spot for traffic issues already - I walk past this every morning on my way to Sharmans Cross School. I really think not only will there be an increase in traffic but also a risk to pedestrians.

My children go to Sharmans Cross School which is already over subscribed, this is going to have a major effect on school places and their availability with local residents having to travel even further for schools (hence more increased traffic and pollution)

Such a terrible shame that a well loved sporting area is going to taken up by more houses and the local children are going to be put at risk with the increase of traffic.

Regards

LDP-Proposed Housing Allocation 18

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing in connection with the above proposed development. I wish to object strongly to the building of houses in this location, below is list of my reasons.

1.Increased Traffic

The Development would generate a lot of extra traffic to the area ,leading to more congestion and parking on the side streets,Woodlea drive and Woodside Way already have enough problems with this without any further increase in vehicles.

There will also be a danger to pedestrians from vehicles leaving and entering the new site from Sharmans cross Rd, particularly during school pick up and drop off times.

2.Local Amenities
There will be increased demand on already oversubscribed Schools and Doctors surgeries.

3.Unsuitability
The development is totally out of Character with the area, and would be detrimental to trees and wildlife.

Yours faithfully

Re: LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

I would like to object to the above application on the following grounds:

1.The severe overdevelopment of the site as per the plan is completely out of character for the area. In addition Sharmans Cross Road is too narrow to cope with the increased traffic resulting from such a development. Traffic is already reduced to single file when vehicles are parked on the road( and this will increase) and more congestion will mean more pollution.

2.The increased pollution will affect children walking to Sharmans Cross Junior school and other local schools as well as cyclists as the road is a designated cycle route. Congestion around the Junior School is already severe at the start and end of the school day.

3. When there is such a demand for sporting facilities in the area SMBC should not be exacerbating the problem. This sports ground is sorely needed and should be being used and SMBC has previously stated that sports grounds would only be used for sport. The sports grounds should therefore be excluded from the LDP.

4.It is irresponsible and short sighted of SMBC to be reducing sporting facilities when we need to be encouraging participation in sport from an early age. Good attitudes to sport and exercise are learned early in life and lead to a healthier adulthood. Unfortunately, we seem to be witnessing a decline in the health of much of the population that the country cannot afford. As well as weight problems profound Vitamin D deficiency is common in the UK. Solihull is woefully low in national league tables for sport participation according to Sport England and SMBC should be doing its utmost to remedy this.

Development of 100 Houses on Sharmans Cross Road

Living in Solihull I do understand the importance of building new houses, but have concerns that the high intensity of a hundred new houses (for families many with young children) in the proposed area will cause problems with the already oversubscribed amenities, such as schools, health care, parking and more traffic congestion. Around Solihull these issues are already a growing problem.

LDP-Proposed Housing Allocation 18

Dear Sir/Madam,
I wish to object to the proposal for the development on the site of sporting facilities in Sharmans Cross Road on the following grounds-

Loss of sporting facilities
The motivation for children to gain interest and participate in outdoor sports is directly related to the accessibility of appropriate facilities for themselves and their parents. Access to sport is of paramount importance for our children to ensure good immediate and long term health.The loss of these playing fields would be counter to a sensible policy of encouraging health and well being.
With respect to the proposal, the description of the playing fields as 'derelict' is misleading. The playing surfaces are in an immediately playable condition. A small covered stand does appear to be in disrepair but could easily be dismantled. However, the current leaseholders have chosen to leave this on site as an obvious attraction for vandals.
I am aware that the only reason that these playing fields are unused is the actions of the current leaseholders in failing to cooperate with interested parties or promote the use of the facilities as intended by SMBC.

Accessibility
It is my impression that the number of car parking spaces allocated to each of the proposed units is based on the premise that access to the station and other facilities are within the limits set for accessibility. This is not the case as the distances far exceed 'those suggested.

It is Important that these playing fields are maintained to ensure the health and well being of our children and the quality of life in our community.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

Dear Sirs/Madams
I wish to object to the inclusion in the LDP of a development on the rugby ground on Sharmans Cross Road.
My principal concerns are as follows:
Loss of green, open space
The site is currently a welcome, open space in a pleasant, residential area, and should be used for recreation. In addition it is beneficial in being grassed as it can absorb some of the rainfall to reduce flooding. If this area is built on as planned, we will lose many things:

Permanent loss of sports ground - Solihull is already poorly supplied with sports facilities, and this site in particular is covenanted to be used for sports. This covenant alone should be sufficient reason not to ever consider development of this site. There are local clubs in need of grounds, but this one is not able to be used due to the developer's plans. The covenant should be honoured, and local clubs allowed use of the ground. Lack of facilities reduces the participation in sport of children and adults, impacting health and general well-being. Solihull's poor performance in this area could also negatively impact the attractiveness of the area.

The character of the area - Currently, the dwellings in this vicinity are predominantly widely spaced, two storey houses with large gardens and open space around. The planned development would need to be 5 times denser, so with less gardens and/or taller. They will thus be out of character with the area, and will impact on the right to light and privacy of existing homeowners. Solihull could lose its reputation as being a 'nice place to live' if developments are overcrowded like this.

Drainage - Gardens and land in this area already suffer from poor drainage and flooding. The significant increase in hard surfaces proposed for this site will increase flooding in the area, with many environmental and social impacts.


Traffic
Sharmans Cross Road is already an extremely busy road, and is particularly hazardous at either end of the school day when there are many children walking, scooting or cycling along and across the road. Both ends of this road are very congested with large queues attempting to access Streetsbrook Road or the roundabout at Prospect Lane. The addition of 100 dwellings will inevitably add to this congestion and increase the risk of death or serious injury to pedestrians and other road users. Any other point of egress from this site would not be any better, with Whitefields Road and Welcombe Grove not being suitable for any volume of traffic, and such traffic trying to access Streetsbrook Road or Blossomfield Road will still ultimately increase congestion near the town centre. In turn, this again impacts the attractiveness of the area to visitors, residents and businesses.

Pollution
Along with congestion on these roads, the increased queuing traffic will increase pollution on routes where children are walking to school, impacting their health. Such less desirable circumstances could also discourage children from walking to school when we should be doing all we can to increase this.

Parking
The parking for the Club will be insufficient at peak times, hence users will be forced to park on the road. This would exaceberate all the above points: congestion, risk to road users, and pollution. Also, parking for residents would be very limited due to the density of the proposed development. This would create further problems, including a possible clash between residents and club members over the use of club parking spaces.


I would also note that there are various errors and omissions in the document from Cerda proposing this site, including the following (section numbers shown in brackets).
(1.1) Arden Lawn Tennis Club Ltd have said they were not party to this instruction. For Cerda to imply such seems underhanded to say the least.
(1.3) The site is not immediately available: it is subject to a covenant to be used for sports only. Also, the freehold is owned by SMBC. As a council tax payer, I would object to the council selling freehold land at less than its true value, and giving up a covenant intended for the benefit of the community.
(2.8) The site is not 700m from the station: it is between 1000m & 1100m. It is therefore not an accessible site and more parking would be needed than is planned for. This exacerbates the points made above.
(5.8) There is not sufficient other provision for sport in the area as mentioned above.
(5.14) The proposed development could not be the same density as surrounding areas which can easily be seen from a map.
(5.21) The current use of the access for the Club is nowhere near representative of the amount of traffic that would be generated - especially at peak times - by a residential estate, particularly of 100 houses. There is therefore no evidence that the highways can safely accommodate such an increase.
This document is therefore highly misleading and should not be accepted.

Please consider these points and reject this proposal.

Sharmans Cross Rd Development

I would like to object to the proposed building of 90 houses on the sports facilities at Sharmans Cross Road. These Sports Facilities have been used by me, my family and friends for the past 40 years since I've lived in Solihull.

The increased volume of traffic onto Sharmans Cross Rd and Streetsbrook Rd plus any roads in the vicinity will be totally gridlocked and it is busy enough now.

These houses would increase the demand on our schools and medical centres which are already at breaking point. Any other access such as Welcombe Grove would be an extreme danger to householders and to children who are walking/cycling/skateboarding down the road.

This area of Solihull is a valued space containing many trees and bushes. There are families of Greater Spotted Woodpeckers and also Green Woodpeckers which nest in this area annually and if you remove the forestation these birds will no longer have nesting sites and a place to live.

As a keen Birdwatcher and sportsman I think any development would be a disaster for this area.

Kind regards

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

As a resident of the area I wish to object to the above proposal. I have just moved to the above address but have lived in the area for over 14 years. I am against this proposal because the traffic along Sharmans Cross road particularly in the morning is always gridlocked. As I walk my daughter to Sharmans Cross School, I have encountered vehicles driving at excessive speed and using Woodside Way as a cut through to try and miss out the tail back on Streetsbrook Road. This proposal of an extra 100 houses will increase the traffic problem tenfold, putting children who walk to school at greater risk and increasing pollution in the atmosphere. As a parent, I like my children to walk to school safely but more parents may be reluctant to only to increase the traffic problem by driving children to school. As the SMBC are aware there are already parking issues around Sharmans Cross, Woodlea Drive at school times, which will only increase and causing more danger.

Is SMBC going to build more schools or increase funding for current schools to expand to accommodate these extra children? These schools are already over subscribed and already struggling to deal with the increase in the population. We cannot let the current high standards of our schools suffer without there being proper investment and longterm planning to accommodate more housing.

Just to reiterate, I strongly object to this proposal being passed by SMBC in this location or any other location the affects the green space we are fortunate to have in Solihull, which is the main reason I left living in a city.

Proposed Housing Allocation 18

I have concerns that the proposed "development" will lead to significant noise and air pollution due to increase in traffic that can have adverse health effects in a residential area not only to to those in their homes but also those engaged in walking or cycling for leisure/commute.

The increase in traffic will lead to congestion to existing residents commuting to and from work. As a doctor who frequently may get called out for emergencies this will add to my travel time.

I am also concerned about road safety due to increase in traffic. I have been signatory to a campaign which highlighted the death of an elderly gentleman. He was a family friend in Solihull where previous objections to traffic handling was raised by a family member about accidents to pedestrians. In a bizarre twist of fate the same family lost a loved one leading to a an ongoing campaign for road safety.

I will be very concerned if any objections which are legitimately raised now are ignored leading to any traffic related accidents on this stretch of the road due to what will be a marked increase in traffic

Proposed Housing Sharmans cross road

I am writing to strongly object about the proposed houses on the old rugby ground on Sharmans Cross Road. The plans have been rejected in the past and here are my reasons why they should be rejected once again:

The schools and medical centres in the immediate area are both extremely oversubscribed. If you were to allow 100 more families onto the road this would lead to a degradation in services for us local residents.

Furthermore, this area of Solihull is highly valued for its environmental benefits. We have many mature trees with preservation orders and I'm worried that any development would destroy this space which we enjoy on a daily basis. I am deeply worried as to what will happen to all the wildlife in the area including badgers and bats that reside in this open area.

Solihull needs to keep these sporting facilities. There is a shortage of sports pitches in the area and I understand the council has a responsibility to ensure lost pitches are replaced with facilities of equivalent quality and accessibility.

The traffic on Sharmans Cross Road is already grid locked every morning. Cars queue all the way from one end of the road to the other meaning journey times are increased by a factor of 6. I.e. It takes 6 times longer to get out of Sharmans Cross Road than it would do when there is no traffic around. Adding 100 more houses to this will simply make matters much worse. How and where the traffic is meant to go getting out of the new development? It will take a very long time to get anywhere.

The road is already full of parked cars every day because of the school and medical centre and other sporting facilities - it will be very dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists to travel down this road with even more parked cars in the area.

Therefore I ask you that you do not allow this proposal to go ahead. We do not want it.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

Please can you register my objection to the above. I believe that Solihull is consuming too much green space and abandoning its claim to be a tree filled borough. Yet another sporting facility will be removed and more pressure put on already full schools and services in the area.

I write in reference to the inclusion of allocation 18 (Sharmans Cross Road) in the Solihull Local Development Plan.

I object strongly to this proposal on the following grounds:

1. It is an inappropriate development that will change the character of the area
The proposed development will be at least 5-6 times the density of housing in the immediate surrounding area (e.g. Winterbourne Road and Welcombe Grove). This will completely change the character of this well-established, high quality residential area, which is highly prized for its trees and green spaces. The inclusion of affordable housing (which will probably be met through social housing) is a complete change to the residential character of the immediate area.

2. Accessibility of development
I understand that the proposal for 100 homes includes one parking space per property. This requires that the site is defined as accessible according to Planning Policy P7, which in turn requires that the site must be within 800m of local amenities such as the station and town centre. The site is, in fact, at least 1000m from the station and approximately 1700m from the entrance to Touchwood Court, which therefore requires that two parking spaces per property must be provided. To satisfy this requirement for the proposed 100 properties will require multi-storey development which will be completely out of character with the 2-storey residential nature of the area.

3. Increased traffic levels
Traffic on Sharmans Cross Road and Streetsbrook Road is severely congested at peak times (7:45 - 9:00AM), typically with tailbacks along Streetsbrook Road from Lode Lane roundabout to Prospect Lane roundabout and for several hundred yards along Sharmans Cross Road. This development will add significantly to this congestion, potentially leading to total gridlock at peak times. No upgrade of the Sharmans Cross Road/Streetsbrook Road junction would alleviate the problem as traffic is already at saturation level at peak times.

4. Risk to the safety of schoolchildren, other pedestrians and cyclists
Sharmans Cross Road is a walking route for many local school children, both junior and secondary. It is also a walking route for pedestrians to Solihull town centre and station. The pavement on the side of the road of the proposed development is a designated cycle route. The proposed entrance to the development will force pedestrians and cyclists to cross a busy traffic flow, threatening their safety.

5. Parking chaos
Sharmans Cross Road suffers from chaotic parking during school drop-off and collection times and sporting fixtures. Woodside Way and the rugby club car park are used as daytime parking by Solihull workers and rail users. It is likely that Solihull Arden Club will lose around 75 parking spaces within the rugby club ground as a result of the development. This will lead to an untenable parking situation that will increase parking on all roads in the surrounding area, further adding to congestion and safety concerns.

6. Increased flooding
Sharmans Cross Road floods at times of peak rainfall, making the environment unpleasant and extremely dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. The increased storm flow resulting from the proposed development can only worsen this situation.

7. Insufficient local services
All local schools and primary healthcare services are already oversubscribed. The increased demand resulting from the proposed development will only worsen this situation, leading to an unacceptable degradation of their quality of services.

For these reasons, I conclude that allocation 18 is inappropriate and should be removed from the local plan.

Please acknowledge the receipt of this objection letter and keep me informed of the progress of this element of the LDP.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

Dear Sir/Madam,

Please accept this e-mail as an objection to the proposed plan for building houses at the rugby ground site on Sharmans Cross Road.

- The character and appearance of the said neighborhood will change forever, not to mention the increase in traffic and pollution on Sharmans Cross Road which will increase significantly if the suggested number of properties are built in such a small space.

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

- The Solihull council stated in 2013 that the grounds were to be used for sports only. This policy should be reaffirmed and any such development is NOT appropriate for inclusion in the local development plan.

- The traffic volume will increase which will cause further disruption to an already busy road and pose hazardous for children that attend Sharmans Cross Junior School. Parking will become more difficult if residents park on the streets and in front of other resident homes which is already a current problem.

- Solihull's green and leafy areas are under threat from these big building projects and not forgetting the wildlife that will be endangered also.

- Nearby Schools and medical centres are already oversubscribed in the local vicinity so further development will only put more strain on the services.

- Sporting facilities in the area will be lost for the local residents.

- The site will not be within walking distance to Solihull town centre or Solihull train station as stated which breaches policy of having local amenities within an 800m distance.

The development is far from benefiting this area and the council should take heed of this warning from local residents rather than the developers and reject this proposal outright.

Yours faithfully

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

I wish to strongly object to the proposed development of 100 houses on the rugby ground on Sharmans Cross Road. There is already a high volume of traffic in this area which would only be exacerbated by more housing. At peak times there are long traffic queues on Streetsbrook Road and Sharmans Cross Road. The junction where Dorchester Road joins Streetsbrook Road is particularly dangerous and increased traffic volume will make this even more hazardous. There is also the safety of children attending Sharmans Cross School to consider. When parents are dropping children off at school the road is partially blocked by parked cars, as are adjoining side roads. We also have the additional problem of people parking along side roads in this area rather than pay to park in Solihull Town Centre or at the railway station.

Additional housing would also create problems in terms of schools and doctors surgeries in the area which are already oversubscribed.

I feel this land should be kept as an open space to be used for sport or leisure activities which would be of greater benefit to the existing community.

Yours faithfully,

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

Dear Sir/Madam
I wish to register my objection to the proposed development of 100 houses on the rugby and tennis ground on Sharmans Cross Road.

I object for the following reasons:
1 proposed suitability
2 increased street parking
3 loss of public amenity

I have lived in Solihull all of my life. The proposed development is entirely out of keeping with the vicinity. The density of housing is incompatible with the rest of the area and such a cramped development will detract from our green and leafy Solihull. The proposal for significant affordable housing is also inconsistent with the street scene and social environment and will detract from the desirability of the area.

The street parking in the area is already causing unacceptable risks to pedestrians and road users alike. I know because our cul-de-sac is often used as an overspill car park for commuters who use Solihull train station one mile away. Proposing such a density of housing and reducing car parking facilities for the tennis club will drive even more parking onto the streets surrounding the development. The proposed entrance to the site is at a point in the road which is on a hill and at a narrow gauge.

We have many vibrant sporting clubs who could use the land as intended by the covenant. To lose yet another accessible local facility would be to the detriment of the residents and the prospective residents if the proposal were to succeed.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

Dear Sir/Madam
I wish to register my objection to the proposed development of 100 houses on the rugby and tennis ground on Sharmans Cross Road.

I object for the following reasons:
1 destruction of local character
2 increased traffic
3 deterioration in availability of services

The proposed development will ruin the feel and character of our neighbourhood. To squeeze loads of houses onto such a plot is not in keeping with the traditional style homes with their well-proportioned appearance, beautiful gardens and adequate parking on-site to cater for today's mobile workers like myself. This development would inject an ugly concentration of buildings into a lovely green space. There is no objective way to argue that this development is consistent with the surrounding area.

I have to commute by car to work. Each morning I have to wait at the end of my cul-de-sac until a break in the traffic opens up. Between 7.30 am and 9.00 am the traffic is so jammed up along Streetsbrook Road heading towards Solihull that it can take 3 minutes to exit my road. The proposed car parking facilities on this proposed development will lead to more on-street car parking and load more traffic hitting Streetsbrook Road from Sharmans Cross Road. Most households that would be able to afford to rent or buy a property in this development will have at least one car and many will have more than one car. The development will increase an already overloaded road system, adding more delays to commute times and more danger to pedestrians and cyclists.

The new residents of the development will want access to the usual services such as education, medical and dental practices. Many of these services are already overloaded - I know from trying to get appointments at my own dentist and GP. The development will introduce even more pressure on the services locally and will result in the new residents having to use their cars to get to such services, further exacerbating the traffic problem I mention above.

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18
Dear Sir/Madam

I object strongly to the proposed development of some 100 dwellings on the site of my old rugby club on Sharmans Cross Road.

Suitability and lack of fit
Solihull is a popular residential town. A key reason for remaining so popular has been the attractiveness of the sensibly laid out traditional housing plots, its mature trees and green surrounds and its provision of recreational space close to residential areas. The claims that this is a suitable development make no sense. The proposed density is several times higher that the housing that surrounds this neighbourhood. The proposal to have some 50 affordable homes is also inconsistent with the nature of the properties in the surrounding streets.

Pressure on public amenity
The introduction of such a dense development will introduce a significant increase in pressure on our roads, schools hospitals/clinics. The increase in street parking is already causing inconvenience to other residents and frankly it is increasing the danger to children and the infirm who use the pavements and to cyclists who play roulette when passing stationery cars. Add to that the detrimental impact on our visual amenity as a popular place for recreation (not just rugby but also dog-walkers, joggers, etc) is replaced with a skyline of higher storey blocks of flats and this development makes no sense.

"Urbs in rure" - Stick to the Policy
When learning Latin in school we were reminded of the Council's motto - a 'town in the country'. I also am reminded of the Council's policy from 2013 that the site would not be sold and would continue to be available for recreational use. What has changed that would lead the planners to breach their own policy from only 3 years ago and also to go completely against what Solihull stands for. By removing our green spaces and increasing the dwelling density, the development runs counter to the essence of what makes Solihull such a great place to live.

Yours sincerely

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

I would like to object to the proposed new development on the rugby ground, off Sharmans Cross Road.

I am extremely concerned about the further increase in traffic pollution and congestion at both ends of Sharmans Cross Road. I live at the Streetsbrook Road end of Shatmans across.

Every morning and evening there is a horrendous back log of traffic at both ends of the road. I always have to turn left out of my drive and have to make detour to get to work because there is such a big delay when attempting to drive out on to Streetsbrook Road due to the build up of traffic.

There is black soot on the plants and shrubs in the front garden from the pollution deposited by the build up of traffic. This will only increase with more houses built in the road.

Please also think of the amount of people that will be populating one relatively small area. Problems arise with overcrowding, environmental pollution, noise pollution, problems with people parking etc. All resulting in neighbour disputes and conflict which may have you dealt with by local Authority. It is already nearly impossible to get a GP appointment. How will local amenities cope with additional numbers of residents.

I would be grateful if you could take my comments in to consideration when making your decision.

Yours sincerely

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

I write to notify you of my objection to this proposed plan to build 100 houses on the Sharmans Cross Road rugby ground.

I moved from Wales to live in Solihull 26 years ago. I always remember the huge impact that the lovely trees and hedges had on me, and my family whenever they visited me. I have lived on Sharmans Cross Road for seven years before moving round the corner. I do not see how the proposed development is in keeping with the local houses. It will erode the feel and look of the environment to have such dense housing and blocks of apartments. It will increase the danger to residents through increased on-street parking on Sharmans Cross Road and the roads and cul-de-sacs in the surrounding vicinity. The development is simply not suitable for an area and plot such as the rugby ground.

The damage to the local trees and wildlife will be inevitable notwithstanding the sometimes spurious claims of planners and developers. in addition, the Sharmans Cross Road area is already susceptible to flooding and a development of this size in such a small place will lead to further rainwater flooding. And the increase in the use of cars by the new occupiers will add to the pollution in the area thereby creating additional invisible dangers to all but especially our children and the elderly, of which we are blessed with any in the area.

The development is not suitable. The development is not a sustainable one. The development will increase the danger to residents.

Yours sincerely

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

I wish to object to the proposed Local Development Plan of a development of 100 houses on the rugby ground on Sharmans Cross Road. My reasons are as follow:

i. Suitability - The proposed development is unsuitable and will destroy the character of the neighbourhood. It is out-of-scale, out-of-character and inappropriate. It is likely that buildings will be more than 2 stories resulting in loss of privacy, loss of light and overshadowing.
ii. Increased pollution and traffic - Sharmans Cross Road already struggles with traffic problems at peak times, but a development of this scale will escalate the situation and increase the danger to pedestrians and cyclists
iii. Parking -is already chaotic during peak times, school drop-off and pick up times and when the football club has major fixtures. Also local business and railway station users use the present rugby club ground for parking. The loos of this area together with the proposed new development will cause very major problems for the area
iv. Flooding - Sharmans Cross Road is already has flooding problems whenever there is heavy rainfall. The proposed development will inevitably compound this problem.
v. Permanent loss of sporting facilities - Sport England has found that Solihull is in the 3rd quartile nationally for over-16 participation in sport three times per week and continues to fall in the national league tables. The neighbouring football club has a shortage of pitches and wish to use the rugby pitches. There is also a sporting covenant on the rugby pitches. Solihull needs to use this land for sporting purposes.

The proposed development is not in the interest of Solihull or the residents and I urge the council to reject this proposal.

Objection To LDP-Proposed Housing Allocation 18

With regards to the above Housing project, I would like to object to this proposed planning application

My reasons for the objection are as follows:

I live on the road, and the traffic is dreadful, so to add another 100 houses on the land seems ridiculous, that would mean a possible 150+ cars on the estate, the traffic is so congested now, even on an evening the road is very congested, and what about all the construction traffic to build the properties.

The parking is already dreadful, and i do believe the way that estate is being built, there would not be enough space for all the cars, there would be an overflow of parked cars on Sharmans Cross Road, which is already a very dangerous road, I have written to my local Conservative MP Julian Knight already about this problem.

There is a terrible problem with drains and flooding on Sharmans Cross Road, so to build another 100 houses would only add to the problem!

Again my main concern is with schooling, we already struggle to get our children into the schools in the area, so to add another 100 houses how on earth do you propose to place the children that are moving into to area into schools? Are there any plans to extend the schools in the area or to build new ones for all the proposed building works?

The hospitals and doctors, and dentists are already over subscribed in the area, so again how do you propose getting over this problem?

It is also a requirement that The National Planning Policy Framework requirements developments to have access to local amenities within 800m/10 minutes walk away, but the site it 1700m from Solihull Town Centre and 1000m from the station, so i do believe this is not being met.

Also there is a shortage of sports facilities, SMBC has a statutory requirement to ensure lost pitches are replaced with facilities of equivalent quality and accessibility? Again i do not feel that SMBC is meeting this requirement.

Kind Regards

I wish to object to the proposal of housing by Oakmoor Estates to build homes on land formerly occupied by the Solihull Bees Rugby Club.

It would have a massive impact on the local community in terms of destroying the character of the area, in creasing traffic and pollution and putting pressing on local resources such as schools healthcare, not to mention the permanent loss of sporting facilities at the former Bees site.

Regards

LDP - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

We write to express our objections to the proposals contained within the Solihull Local Development Plan for the development of 100 homes on the rugby ground on Sharmans Cross Road.

There are a range of reasons why we are of the view that the development proposal is unsuitable.

1. Contrary to the green nature of Solihull/damaging to the character of the area

An essential part of Solihull's character is the interspersing of green spaces and residential streets. This mix of copses, parkland, sporting facilities and residential streets is the defining feature of the local area and one of the main reasons that Solihull is such an attractive place to live and work. In-filling the existing sports grounds at Sharmans Cross Road will destroy an essential part of this patchwork of green space.

In addition, the scale of the proposed development in comparison to the land available would produce a density of property and population quite at odds with the surrounding streets.

2. Inappropriate land use/loss of sporting facilities

A feature of the Solihull LDP is the loss of sporting facilities across the borough in favour of residential development. This produces a doubly negative impact. Not only are the sports facilities lost to the existing population but the proposed developments will significantly increase the size of the local population and therefore the demand for sports and recreational facilities. The proposed loss of sports facilities is both short sighted and contrary to Solihull MBC's legal duty to address the existing shortage of facilities. According to Sport England, Solihull is in the third quartile nationally for adult participation in sport and the proposed development will do nothing to improve this.

Specifically, some of the land at Sharmans Cross Road that is earmarked for development is presently owned by SMBC under a covenant that it is to be used solely for sporting facilities. The Council has a well-documented policy commitment to maintain the freehold of the land owned at Sharmans Cross and to use the land only for sport. The proposed development is fundamentally incompatible with the usage covenant and the Council's policy position.

3. Increased traffic volumes

Should the land at Sharmans Cross Road be developed as proposed with 100 dwellings, the impact upon local traffic flows will be significant, particularly during the morning and afternoon peaks. The junction of Sharmans Cross Road, Streetsbrook Road, Dorchester Road and Stonor Park Road is already a source of congestion, the proposed development will make matters worse.

At present the Council is planning to add a yellow line parking restriction in much of Woodlea Drive due to traffic and parking issues created at school drop off and pick up times around Sharmans Cross Junior School. An increase in traffic caused by the proposed development will only exacerbate this problem further.

4. Capacity of local services

The demand for places at local schools already exceeds supply and the addition of another 100 homes will add further pressure on schools and other service provision.


We trust that you will take these objections into account in considering the housing aspects of the LDP and any related planning application.

Yours faithfully

RE Proposed development Sharmans Cross Rd

I am writing to express my concerns and objection to the above proposed development.
A big concern is that clearly, if these proposals go ahead, there will be significantly more traffic in the area, increasing both air and noise pollution. You must be aware that in the mornings and late afternoon to evening Danford Lane, Sharmans Cross Road and the junctions at either end are almost at a gridlock. Traffic sits on these roads and any additional which would most certainly come from the proposed development, will create terrible pollution, stress, danger and frustration to the existing community in the area.
I live close to the proposed development, and suffer with asthma, I fear my condition will worsen given the scale of the proposals .
Furthermore a development of this size will be both out of proportion and out of character with the immediate area. It is not a large enough area to safely build 100 houses on. The stress and frustration created by the density of the proposal will badly affect the local community. Surely we should be enhancing the beauty of the area, its trees, greenery, and space not building what will inevitably become a concrete housing estate . I strongly feel that the council should honour the purpose for which this land has been dedicated - sports - and not just tennis - especially as the Lucas sports ground has now been built on, the Sharmans Cross Senior School has been built on. I also understand that the current freeholders have been proposing an unreasonable rent for enquirers wishing to use the area for the purpose for which it is designated i.e. sports. We need our open spaces.
Finally being a pensioner I rely heavily on the health services in the area. I have had to wait up to six weeks for an appointment at a local medical centre. Clearly they are severely stretched and these proposals will serve only to make matters worse. This is also a great concern to me and my family.
I hope you will consider these proposals carefully and that you will recongise that they are inappropriate to the area.
Thanking for your consideration.
I await your response.

Proposed Housing Allocation 18

I am a resident of Sharmans Cross Road, Solihull and am writing to object strongly to the above proposal for the following reasons:

1 - The proposed development will be overbearing, out of scale and out of character with the established properties in the area. High density development of two to three storey buildings will greatly increase noise and pollution, and significantly reduce light and privacy for existing residents.

2 - The proposed area is not wasteland for development but valuable open space which is used and enjoyed by local residents and wildlife alike. Badgers and bats reside there and we have a woodpecker (protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981) frequently clinging to the tree trunks in this area. The proposed development would impact on the root system and crown spread of the trees which would be detrimental to the local wildlife and ecosystem.

3 - There exists an historical covenant to ensure this area of land is used only for sport and this should remain as agreed.

4 - The proposed development will bring a huge area of hard surface which prevents water/rainfall soaking into the ground in an area already prone to flooding due to heavy rainfall, causing greater hazards and difficulties to residents.

5 - The development will inevitably bring an increase in traffic turning on to a road which is already heavily used especially at peak times often causing tailbacks heading into Solihull.

6 - In addition to the above point, the road is congested at school times, morning and afternoon, with families parking to walk to the Junior school. This means the road width becomes significantly reduced, presenting hazards and restricted right of way. Greater volume of traffic will increase these dangers leading to accidents.

7 - The junction at Streetsbrook Road/ Sharmans Cross Road/ Stonor Park Road & Dorchester Road has been the site of many road accidents. Greater volume of traffic will increase the likelihood of accidents occurring.

8 - The safety of pedestrians will be jeopardised due to increased parking, moving vehicles, bus drop off & pick ups and no designated area to cross roads safely.

The local infrastructure cannot take more traffic, more sewage, more flooding, more danger hazards, any development.

Local Housing Development Plan - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

I would like to register my objections to the proposed development on the former Solihull Rugby Club ground.
In the time I have lived in the area I can remember Saturday mornings with large numbers of young boys and girls playing tag rugby at the club, my son and daughter included. There have been children of all ages and adults taking part. We are constantly reminded that as a society we are not doing enough to encourage our children and adults to take regular exercise, to participate in sport and generally lead healthy lifestyles. We should see these fields as an opportunity to invest in our children, but instead we propose this further cull on our available facilities.
There are already far too few playing pitches available. For an area as obviously affluent as Solihull, we should be able to afford to lead by example and improve sporting facilities not build on them. We are already not doing enough and so we should see this as an opportunity to do better. Where can this logically end other than the day when there are literally no local facilities remaining within the town: no walking to watch a game, no walking to take part in evening training sessions or to take part in games.
On a separate note, whilst I know better than to include an emotional aspect, I feel it is a political travesty that the council are in the position of being held to ransom by a building company because of the terms of an ill thought through lease. We the people, through you the council, should take the land back and bring it back into sports use as originally intended. It should not be allowed to remain unused and it should not be built on.

Finally I would like to thank you for the chance to put forward our views

Local Housing Development Plan - Proposed Housing Allocation 18

I have lived in Winterbourne Road for all but 2 of my 23 years. I have been lucky enough to have enjoyed lots of sports as I have grown up. I have played for local football teams, I have enjoyed tennis at Solihull Arden Club and while the Rugby Club were running locally, I was part of groups that played tag rugby from Sharmans Cross Junior School. In the light nights me and friends living around the area, met up at the pitches after school, put down our jumpers as the saying goes and had our own games of football. It was close enough for everyone to walk to and it was safe.
I don't agree that these pitches should now be built on. In the future where will local children be able to play? You can't 'keep' getting rid of pitches because there is no way in the future that someone will think it a good idea to tear down houses in order to create playing fields. So the only way to make sure that there are local pitches for use in the future is to protect those that we have. Please don't build on them, bring them back into use and make an effort to get as many people as possible using them.

I am writing to express my multiple concerns in relation to the proposed housing development on Sharmans Cross Road. As a home owner Winterbourne Road, we back onto the site. My objections are as follow:-

Sporting Facilities
This is one of five sports grounds at risk in the LDP. As there is a shortage of pitches in Solihull, SMBC has a statutory requirement to ensure lost pitches are replaced with facilities of equivalent quality and accessibility. Sport England has found that Solihull is in the 3rd quartile nationally for over-16 participation in sport three times per week and continues to fall in the national league tables

As the manager of a under 10's football team (Solihull Moors) I am greatly concerned at the loss of sporting facilities. Currently we travel over 6 miles, taking around 30 minutes for training, so I know from first-hand experience how hard it is to secure good sporting facilities. I also appreciate how having access to local sporting facilities facilitates a vast number of social, physiological and health benefits.

As I understand it, there have been multiple enquiries to lease holders to use the site for sport e.g. football training and it feels as if there is a reluctance to answer enquiries with regard to use of the rugby pitch for sports, or reasonably price the lease for facilities. If correct, this really seems to be an underhanded approach by the holders.

In fact, item 1.2 of the Cerda planning document states that the application has "improved sporting provision". I believe the land housing the rugby pitch has a covenant stipulating that the land should be used for sporting purposes. SMBC formally minuted in 2013 its policy with regard to the use of the grounds only for sport and that they would not sell the freehold. We would like reaffirmation of this policy which implies that this development is inappropriate for inclusion in the LDP. One previous application for this site has been refused and another withdrawn. It appears to me the developers are attempting to circumnavigate this covenant, by moving the tennis club onto this land to 'satisfy' this requirement, whilst allowing the land which houses the current tennis club to be developed. It would leave a rather unpleasant taste in the mouth if SMBC allow the developer planning permission on these grounds.

I do not understand how reducing the amount of land, which could accommodate numerous different sports and which could be used in a hugely beneficial way, for children and adults alike, is an "improved sports provision". Further, I fear allowing the land to be lost, sends a message to both children, adults and the volunteers that sport, and the benefits it brings, are unimportant to Solihull, and consequently we would experience a reduction in sports participation and in the number of volunteers who co-ordinate sports in the community.

Local Amenities - As a father of 2 young children (aged 11 & 10), I am concerned about the lack of amenities to service an increased community/population as a result of 100 houses being built i.e. school & college places, doctor, hospitals etc. The current services are already stretched beyond the limit.
Within the plan there is no precise definition of the criteria for access to doctors surgeries and schools but the clear implication is that in general they should be in walking distance. The site fails on all these criteria with no surgeries within 1500m and bus access not being direct. The nearest Primary school is over 1500m away and the Junior School is oversubscribed so some children somewhere would be driven long distances to school. Secondary schools are also oversubscribed and over 1500m away.

Flooding - We already experience issues with flooding on Sharmans Cross Road and in the gardens running along Beaminster Road. The drainage systems are not equipped to cope with additional usage from an additional 100 families. We have since purchasing our home, had to add additional drainage in the garden to deal with rain water.

Additional traffic and issues with parking - I am concerned from a safety perspective (my children walking to school) and also the increase congestion and gridlock in the morning and evening.

Accessibility
The Cerda planning document details a number of item relating to accessibility. The developers - Oakmoor - in their submission specifically state that the distance to the Station is 700m when in fact it is 1000m to 1100m depending on which route you use.
Oakmoor also state that the Town Centre is 1km walk when in practice it is 1700m from the centre of the site to Touchwood

Public transport - accessibility also requires there to be frequent (defined as every 15 minutes) bus services to e.g. the station and the town centre. Oakmoor suggest this criterium is met by bus services nos. 3, S3 and S3W. These provide a half hourly service M to Sat and hourly on Sundays.

Suitability - The development will destroy the character of the neighbourhood. 100 houses is effectively 5 times the density of property on Winterbourne Rd. This is unacceptable overdevelopment of the site, and will be both out-of-scale and out-of-character in its appearance compared to existing development in the vicinity. 50 houses within the development will be "affordable homes" which are likely to be housing association properties. It is inevitable that buildings will be more than 2 stories (possible 4 to 5) leading to loss of light, loss of privacy and overshadowing

Therefore I believe with that on these grounds it is inappropriate for inclusion in the LDP.

Re: Proposed Housing Allocation 18 - Land off Sharmans Cross Road, Solihull

My concerns about the above allocation are as follows:

- The description of the site in Appendix C of the Review is very misleading. It describes the site as a 'sports ground' and that the 'sports ground is currently unused' . However, a large area of the allocation is the Arden Tennis Club which is very well used by the local community.

- Loss of the tennis club would be detrimental to the local community. There is tennis/squash, the gym, yoga and also an excellent function room used for social functions and hired to children's groups in the area. I appreciate not having to use the car and be able to walk to such a facility with my children. My son is a member of the club and regularly plays tennis and my daughter has been attending rhythm time. There is no other similar facility locally.

- Loss of accessible sports pitches in a residential area. Whilst the former rugby site is currently unused I would like to see evidence that it has been marketed to potential users?

- Impact on local schools. Sharmans Cross Junior School which is full to capacity and is in desperate need of resources. Blossomfield school is already, I understand, increasing the intake to extend to four classes per year.

- Any proposals for this site should be considered as part of an outline or full planning application for the site when all issues can be properly addressed. To simply allocate the site with the Local Plan is premature and could be detrimental to the local area and community.

LDP-Proposed Housing Allocation18

I'd like to raise my concerns over the plan to build such a large number of houses on the old rugby fields on Sharmans Cross Road.

I have lived in Winterbourne Road for the last 22 years and although I am not originally from Solihull, I have grown to appreciate the feel of this area in which I have raised my family. We have been lucky to have lived here when the rugby club was here, working with the local schools to encourage children to take part in tag rugby games, which my children did. Often on a Saturady afternoon we would walk over to watch the team play. Having a local sports team like this in the heart of the community was great. When the club moved to a new ground it was always hoped that another team or sport would make use of the field but when it was left empty local residents continued to use and enjoy the open green space. It feels wrong build on fields that should be being used for sport and the proposed development is not in keeping with the area as it currently exists.

I also seriously doubt that the area can cope with the impact of such a development. Being a main road into the town centre, Sharmans Cross Road already struggles to cope with the volumes of traffic at certain times of the day. For something like an hour every weekday morning, the road has stationery traffic past the point where the proposed development would have its access point. On top of that the junction of Sharmans Cross Road/ Streetsbrook Road/ Stonor Park Road does not cope well with the volume of traffic and is difficult to navigate during the very busy periods and there are often accidents here.

If the development was approved this would put a lot of pressure on the already oversubscribed local schools to provide additional school places for children moving into the area. Doctor's surgeries would also be affected. They would have to provide additional services for new residents. These surgeries are already overstretched.

Although I am aware of the need for new and affordable housing, I feel that the proposed development will be detrimental to the feel of the area and will have an impact to both the volume of traffic and the pressure on local services. Most importantly new homes would be built on land that should be used for sport.