Question 11 - Infrastructure Requirements at Blythe

see letter
BDC has read the Supplementary Consultation (January 2019) with interest and wishes to comment on the parts of the draft plan that are relevant to the district and the wider Greater Birmingham Housing Market Area (GBHMA).

1. I recognise the need for additional housing in the overall national interest to address the failures of successive national governments in addressing the issue
2. Having read the plan I find it very good in some aspects offering clear and concise reasons for the suggested developments and taking into account the wider issues new developments create. However, in some areas the plan appears weak, does not offer reasons for the chosen sites and skips over the infrastructure problems the developments will create. It is almost as if some sites have been thrown in to fill gaps in numbers
3. One issue which is puzzling me is the original plan placed great emphasis on HS2 and addressing the needs this will create in the borough. However, as I see it 40% plus of the proposed housing development is at the other extreme side of the borough (Shirley Blythe area) which already has congested roads. Ironically i could envisage it taking me 50 minutes to reach the HS2 station by road from my home in Shirley which is longer then the proposed train journey time to London on the new service.
4. Whilst you do explain the reasons for the inclusion of greenbelt land in the plan, and i do recognise the lack of brownfield sites in Solihull, the issue of ample brownfield sites in Birmingham is being swept under the carpet. I understand that Andy Street it taking steps to address this issue to some degree should not your plan support this issue and resources be directed to clean up and develop the large redundant land areas in Birmingham first. I understand developers like nice clean sites which are more profitable to them but as i mentioned in my first point this is a national issue and the best overall solution for all must surely be looked at
5. If you permit the Solihull greenbelt to be built upon you will stop the area being the "pleasant, green, healthy place" to live in and leave areas of Birmingham desolate redundant wildernesses
6. Personally and in respect of where my home is located i am pleased to see that allocation 13 has been removed from the plan but would welcome some reassurances that it will not be seen as a soft option to build on the in the future. Does its none inclusion mean the land is now actually safe from development until 2035?
7. Having attended a public meeting in my locality and taken the opportunity to visit one of your roadshows i am still not satisfied that the plan fully complies with all environmental regulations and guidelines. This could result in the number of homes you plan not being built and some quick fix further sites being identified and "pushed through" at the last minute
8. The loss of numerous sports facilities in the Shirley Blythe area appears to have been swept under the carpet in this version of your plan (having been addressed to a satisfactory degree in your last version). I do not believe I understand the reasons for your change of plan but do understand that rules from Sports England etc would not allow you to continue unless this issue is addressed
The specific Issues I identified in the pln are:
1. Balsall Common is getting a by pass in recognition of the proposed developments. Whilst nothing is proposed for the already busy A34 area
2. In point 126 you mention three train services an hour to Stratford upon Avon from Shirley. The actual case is three services to Birmingham not the other way to Stratford
3. As a regular visitor to Dickens Heath at various times of the day your plan does not recognise it is already a "rat run" for traffic cutting through from presumably outside the borough. The proposals now presented would actually make this worse with no vision of how to relieve existing traffic let alone cope with the extra volumes created
4. Allocation 26 seems to be very light on detail but the suggestion that traffic will feed into existing flows on Haslucks Green Lane and Bills Lanes suggests it has been thought up by someone who has never been in the area between 7.30 am and 9 am. It also does not recognise the narrow width of the road and the safety implications this creates by Bills Wood and the railway bridge on Bills Lane.
5. Finally if the need for news houses is so great why are two new car dealerships being permitted on the mixed use site in allocation 11? There are already seven dealerships in that vicinity and surely the new ones could go on Birmingham Brownfield sites?

This area has seen significant development in recent years, if this site is lost there will be very little green space. Affecting air quality & wildlife,

The original number of houses for this site was 850 now increased to 1000 will even more be planned for this site?
Roads in this area are already congested in peak times this will make the problem considerably worse & cause yet more polution.

Please see my comments for site 13

Please see my comments in the attached letter.

Dear Sirs,
The roads in and around Majors Green and Whitlocks End are extremely busy and were and still are only country lanes, since Dickens Health was built the increase in the traffic using these narrow roads is already making it dangerous to cross any of the roads and trying to cross to Whitlocks End Station is extremely dangerous, building even more houses in this area is going to make traffic on these roads impossible while also destroying even more green belt land.

We moved to Majors Green in January 2017 to experience a more idyllic lifestyle with views of the countryside. The properties are priced accordingly because of this privilege and the development will no doubt have an impact on local property prices. There has already been a lot of building development in the Dickens Heath area and Shirley Park Gate bringing increased pollution and health implications. There are three local football clubs which stand to be affected by the proposed building where there are regular matches played by younger leagues are we not being encouraged to keep children more active. More and more parkland and recreational areas are being taken away. Sadly my initial impressions on moving here was how the Roads did not seem adequate to cope with the volume of traffic going through the area with the already overcrowded and very built up Dickens Heath plus the traffic from the surrounding Shirley areas. Our property is situated on a particularly bad bend of Haslucks Green Road our neighbours have told us of the accidents that have occurred over the years and since moving here we been unfortunate to witness many RTAs which have resulted in the erection of Bollards, sharp bend warning signs and the introduction of an anti skid surface. Making the Road look like a danger zone! We can often hear the speeding traffic and sometimes wait with baited breathe expecting to hear a crash the roads are dark and narrow and the speeding signs are not adhered to! This will only be heightened with the increased volume of traffic should the proposal go ahead approx 750 houses x an average of 2 cars per household could be 1500 extra cars adding to the daily traffic plus visitors to the area. The car park is already full daily at Whitlocks End station and the public transport is inadequate in Dickens Heath to get commuters to Solihull the residents will have to use their vehicles or go on foot which brings it own risks with the darkened roads and narrow footpaths or no footpaths in parts. By allowing this proposal to go ahead you are putting the safety of all the local residents in more jeopardy!

No plans for drainage and flood prevention in what is part of a natural valley, risking current and future properties. Majors Green was cut off in floods in May 2019 (Haslucks Green Road, Dickens Heath Road, Tythe Barn Lane, Truemans Heath Lane, and Peterbrook Road flooded).
No detail on like for like replacement of Sports pitches not replaced.
Site is further than 1.7km away from Dickens Heath Centre, exceeding the governments sustainability measure, requiring additional short car journeys.
No detail on how current and future transport needs will be met. Improved pavements, roads, trains, cycle lanes and bus routes required.

The area is already well served with many car dealerships for a variety of levels and markets, with Nissan itself having three within reasonable driving and public transport distances.

The wider area is short on smaller, 1 to 2 bed properties such as flats, apartment or even bungalows for young professionals/adults and small families.

No where on the plans are any recreational lands, shops, leisure, medical or secondary school provisions, despite the area already being under-served.

Little has been mentioned regarding sustainability or environmental impact, and current plans indicate a large reduction in green space & biodiversity

See Letter

I object to this proposal on the grounds of increased traffic on roads that currently struggle with the exsisting amount of traffic through Bills lane onto Haslucks green road and through Majors Green.This will just direct traffic from the suburban spaw of Dickens Heath onto the surrounding areas of Shirley and Majors green.if this proposal is granted then it will set a president for future applications from the owner of the Christmas tree farm for a future 1000 homes.
There will also be an impact of parking in local roads because of low capacity at the station.

Bills Lane is congested already.

There appears to be no real plan for the movement of traffic arising from the new dwelings. Dickens Heath road and Bills Lane are already congested, and are not designed to support increased traffic.

the proposal appears to be urban sprawl and will conjoin Shirley with Dickens Heath, removing the defined village status that Dickens heath has.

Green belt that scores highly, should remain green belt and not be removed because the there is a need, other sites should be considered.

Concerned about the impact of additional traffic on the safety of pedestrians due to the dangerous narrow pavements from Haslucks Green Road to Whitlocks End Station . Due to the increased volume of traffic it is very difficult to cross the road safely at Tilehouse Lane / Haslucks Green Road .
Increased risk of flooding inMajors Green due to the development of additional housing the canal flooded over into gardens last year.
Reduction in the green belt with the development of more homes at plot 4 will reduce the green belt buffer between Bromsgrove and Solihull
Concerned about the reduction in the Green belt and the affect on wildlife , in particular the cuckoo which returns every year to the Christmas tree Farm.
The Additional traffic which is to be shifted onto Haslucks Green Road and surrounding roads raises concerns about the poor infrastructure int the area. Any increase in traffic from plot 26 will further endanger pedestrians due to narrow /lack of pavements on Bills Lane ,Haslucks Green Road, Peterbrook road to Aqueduct Road and Drawbridge road. Dangerous to cross over Haslucks Green road or turn right at Rushleigh road .

Lower grade green belt sites in Solihull area are in a more sustainable location.
Also flooding has recently been severe problem in this clay area & this development will clearly make it worse in wet weather.
This will increase demands on already over crowded parking facilities in town centre & rail station
Loss of sports grounds & recreation areas for 9 clubs which is contrary to Government policy
Demand for places at already oversubscribed Dickens Heath School

Building homes on this green space site will create more traffic problems for the area. Bills Lane regularly has traffic jams during the morning rush hour and at times during the day it is difficult trying to cross the road on foot.

Neither Bills Lane nor Haslucks Green are wide roads in this area. A further increase in 600 plus cars using these roads will only increase congestion, accidents which are regular at the bend at the Bills Lane junction and also the bridge over the Stratford canal. There will also be increases in noise and air pollution and an increase in danger to pedestrians. The infrastructure is neither here now nor planned to be to cope.

Without drastic improvements in infrastructure then I must object on behalf of my residents to both Site 4 and Site 26. Detailed comments and images are in the attached document.

Whilst I acknowledge the need for additional housing unless the surrounding infrastructure is improved at the same pace problems will inevitably arise. This development will drive further additional traffic through and already busy area including but not limited to neighboring major's green.

We object to the proposal of building 350 homes on the grounds of the fact that the local infrastructure is not suitable to support additional houses. Key concerns are traffic congestion, previous flooding in this area, schooling and medical services. Please see attached document for further information to support this.

First and foremost the infrastructure and flooding situation in Dickens Heath is already a massive issue, without adding more homes.
The sports fields are well used and an integral feature of the existing community and beyond. We don't have an adequate play area for children. The loss of any of these club sites will be felt.
It's all very well building a new primary school but what secondary schools will be able to facilitate the increased numbers of students. People have brought houses in the area so that their children are within the catchment of specific secondary schools.

SOlihull Council states in its policies that it provides equal provisions for its young residents across the borough. We don't have a suitable play area, now the sports fields are threatened. Any new facilities being suggested are being squashed into other spaces-one of which is being crammed into an already tiny school (with its own road issues) Yet more housing, which will bring more children are being encouraged to a "family" area which is st risk of just becoming one giant housing estate with nothing or no where for the youth to go.

I live on Tythebarn Lane near Akamba and the proposed site. There are major traffic congestion problems on Tythebarn barn lane at the moment in and out of the Dickens Heath village more houses in the plan with more cars will make it impossible to get out of my drive to get out of the village uthe infrastructure in the village has been overwhelmed as it is more housing will just make it worse. Moreover there is a need to replace the sports field like for like as this is a key facility for the community.

I live on Tythe Barn Lane. I have lived in the village for fourteen years. To date it appears that the latter stages of the development of the village have been undertaken with little or no regard to the need to improve the local road network. I have little confidence in the ability of the authority to manage any future development and attendant increase in traffic. A recent upsurge in standing traffic (which must be solely attributed to the recent developments) has have resulted in a significant deterioration in air quality. Especially in the vicinity of a primary school. In addition the loss of mature and well regarded playong field with no real guarantee of a like for like replacement makes one question the authorities commitment to it's younger residents who are often vilified . Taking a source of recreation away from this group without fully replacing it is wholly irresponsible.

Site named allocation 4 shouldn't be part of the plans. The provision for the three sports clubs won't be adequate losing a large part of the community. There are currently at least ten pitches and the new plans would only give back two. Clubs will have to disband as they just won't have the facilities or space. Further development will only add to existing flooding issues. A lot of local wildlife will also lose their habitat along with a large number of mature trees.

As one of the first residents in Dickens Heath having moved to Tythe Barn Lane in 1998 and lived at the current address for over 20 years, I strongly object to the allocation of Site 4 for residential development of 350.

Site 4 would not be in a sustainable location and would create substantial car traffic. While it would be close to Whitlock's End railway station, the rail service at that station facilitate access to Central Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon. No service is provided between said station and Solihull Town Centre, for which there is only a slow bus service or across the Borough to UK Central. There would no direct access from Site 4 to the services and facilities in Dickens Heath village itself, as there would be no direct road or cycleway to the village centre.

If Site 4 is included in the Local Plan, there would be a major loss of sports grounds and playing fields. The Green Belt which would be lost to Site 4 contains a variety of different types of sports facilities. The proposed replacement sports facility on Site 4 between Tythe Barn Lane and the Stratford Canal would not adequately replace the many sports clubs' requirements. There are already many objections to the loss of the several current sports fields and facilities; these are used by people from a large area of the Conurbation and surrounding towns.

We have enough upcoming talent if we keep the pitches. We do not need imported players with weird names and one-name names if we retain and nurture home grown talent. This will simply not happen if we have two pitches as per the latest LDP.

In addition to the loss of sports and recreational land there is the issue of traffic congestion. Already there is severe congestion in the village. I know because I live on Tythe Barn Lane and for over 20 years, I have witnessed a huge spike in traffic, a lot being cut through, as they wish to avoid Shirley High Street. Coupled with school run traffic and legally parked resident's vehicles, the proposed LDP will see further pressure on the road and linking roads as it is not suited for the current volume of traffic. Quality of life will be screwed full stop.

Once the new developments in nearby Tidbury Green are completed (a total of 400 new homes) as well as that in nearby Wythall, these will add to the existing problem. Furthermore, new allocations in nearby Cheswick Green will impact on Dickens Heath Road, Tanworth Lane and Dog Kennel Lane. No further developments hould be permitted until existing issues have been addressed. It is essential we look at how the existing infrastructure can cope before adding to the problems.

My major concern about the proposed development is its impact on local roads . The route to and from Tilehouse Lane via Tythe Barn Lane is already very congested at rush hour times . At these times it is extremely difficult to get out of the village notably from Three Acres Lane which is very difficult to navigate at scihool drop off times. Parked cars in Tythe Barn Lane create obstructions close to the traffic calming and a gridlock often occurs. Narrow roads and traffic calming will not be able to cope . Need more info on proposed highway improvements

1. Green Belt land. 2. Added flood risk along Mount Brook water course. 3. Road capacity adjacent to site is already close to acceptable limits (including A34, Creynolds Lane, Dog Kennel Lane, .Tamworth Lane, B4102, Lady Lane) 4. Coalescence with Greater Shirley, changing the very nature of the village of Cheswick Green. 5. The amount of development already undertaken/planned in the Parish of Cheswick Green, changing the nature of the Parish.

I wish to object to the above because of the incongruous effect of housing and an urban style sports centre in this area , particularly when there are more appropriate sites of a lower grade of Green Belt. The increase in traffic will create excessive congestion and put more pressure upon parking at the station and in surrounding roads. The impact upon the character of the landscape would be detrimental. Additionally, the ancient woodland of Tithe Barn Wood needs a protective buffer which will reduce the available area. The development will have an adverse impact upon the ecology of the area and legally protected great crested newts, badgers and bats will be harmed. Furthermore, the site is one of clay which will make flooding worse. Finally, I believe 90% of respondents to Dickens Heath Parish Council survey objected to Site 4 and the area around Tidbury Green has already been subjected to exponential and inappropriate development.

I should like to object to the above because of the adverse effect of housing and, in particular, an urban style sports centre in this area , particularly when there are more appropriate sites of a lower grade of Green Belt. The increase in traffic will create yet more congestion and put more pressure upon parking at the station and surrounding it. The impact upon the character of the landscape would be detrimental. Moreover, the ancient woodland of Tithe Barn Wood needs a protective buffer which will reduce the available area. The development will have a damaging impact upon the ecology of the area and legally protected great crested newts, badgers and bats will be harmed. Additionally, the site is one of clay which will make flooding worse. Finally, 90% of respondents to Dickens Heath Parish Council survey objected to Site 4 and the area around Tidbury Green has already been subjected to excessive and inappropriate development.

I object to the proposal. Firstly the scale of the plan is far too large. The traffic in this area is already at breaking point and long delays are a common feature, particularly at peak times. The infrastructure is not in place and to add such a large number of additional homes simply does not make sense. Secondly, my biggest fear is that the Public Open Space referred to in the document will only be temporary and it will not be long before other incursions will be approved and made in years to come. Shirley is already saturated.

Loss of sports ground / recreation areas for 9 clubs which is contrary to Govt. policy
Demands on already crowded local rail services & inadequate parking at the station & village centre
Liable to flooding already - this area when developed will deteriorate surrounding areas particularly in Dickens Heath
Demand for places at Dickens Heath school which is oversubscribed already.
90% of respondents to the last Dickens Heath Parish Council survey objected to site 4
Dickens Heath & Tidbury Green have already taken their fair share of development during the last Local Plan allocations