Question 11 - Infrastructure Requirements at Blythe

I am concerned building more homes here will increase the volume of traffic on Bills Lane resulting in increased air pollution and raod traffic accidents. Furthermore, I believe it will cause increased pressure on already stretched public services, especially local GP surgery. I do not believe building more homes on this site will lead to improved public transport links, just put more pressure on the existing services and increase the number of private car owners.

The road infrastructure is inadequate; as is the drainage and there is past history of flooding even to those newbuild house recently constructed on the corner of Cleobury Lane. Playing fields will be massively reduced to only 2 no. pitches which would be not enough to resource the current facilities. Many current houses are built on piled foundations which would impact on any newbuild costs. Wildlife will be affected such as small deer which numbers have reduced severely over recent years.

Traffic volumes are high already and with proposed development will cause more risk to unsafe roads as they currently stand. Current roads are not appropriate for current levels of traffic and pedestrians are already at risk. Recent development of Whitlocks End Train station car park have caused an increase in traffic volumes. I have already observed students being hit by car wing mirrors as they walk along the roads.

This area is at high risk of flooding as per previous high precipitation observed. What is the plan to allow for this and to ensure that the water is managed correctly.

Main objection: the infrastructure around this site is already at breaking point .Haslucks Green Road and Bills Lane are already over loaded with cars. There are numerous accidents by Whitlocks End Station and at the hump back bridge over the canal past The Drawbridge pub. Often a queue of traffic along Haslucks Green Road just beforey Whitlocks End Station, you take your life in your hands if you are walking in any direction from the train station.
Trying to be seen by a local doctor is very difficult, this will also get harder, a problem for the elderly and unwell.

I am so concerned of the number of new houses that are being planned for building in the near future.
I have resided at 510 Haslucks Green Road for almost 40 years and during that time the road has become more like a race track and find it very difficult to enter or leave my drive with the amount fast traffic, if the proposed houses that are being considered built where is traffic that will also arise as the road cannot cope with what has grown over the last number of years
The speed on the road is dangerous

I wish to register my concerns regarding the proposed plan for site 26. Regarding the sustainability of the infrastructure:
Roads. The current road infrastructure is barley adequate for existing traffic, with both Bills Lane and Shakespeare Drive both regularly at a standstill during peak morning and afternoon periods. The proposed 'Future Access points' will also exacerbate the issues, with the one access point being on a hill and opposite an existing road (Neville road) which already proves difficult to navigate and regularly causes near accidents.
Rail. The current rail infrastructure is already overcrowded during peak periods, with both the Whitlocks End and Shirley station car parks at capacity, the further influx of commuters will increase both the overcrowding as well as on street parking.
Flooding. The land for site 26 is at an elevation above Bills Lane and whenever there is heavy rain the spill off cascades down the lane to collect at the railway bridge. Any removal of the soak away effects of the fields and trees will undoubtedly increase the level of flooding at the bottom of Bills lane/Haslucks Green road.

The lack of any major employer locally will mean that commuter traffic be it in cars or train will increase, as we have seen with Dickens Heath, the current infrastructure cannot cope.

Yours
John Ryland
Bills Lane.

I am writing to voice strong objections to the reduced proposal of 350 homes at the above site. I have lived in this area for 40+ years and we have been saturated with houses, buildings etc etc, over the years, and another 350 is not acceptable for the following reasons.

1. Developing this site for housing, sports centre etc will not bring any benefits to this community. I suggest you pursue sites in the Solihull area, and leave us alone.

2. Impact on the function of high performing green belt status of land will be lost which is contrary to government policy. There would be coalescence between dickens heath village, Whitlocks end, majors green and brooms grove district.

3. Extra people/traffic will exacerbate congestion through dickens heath village, on the A34 and surrounding roads.

4. Extra demands on overcrowded local rail services + inadequate parking.

5. Loss of sports grounds/recreation areas fort 9 clubs. Contrary to government policy.

6. Loss of attractive dickens heath which is surrounded by green belt.

7. Impact on landscape character within an area of high sensitivity.

8. Tithe barn wood most significant ancient woodland in Solihull and would need suitable semi-natural buffer which will reduce areas of development.

9. The development would have a significant adverse impact on the ecology of the area, inc. wildlife sites and protected species etc.

10. Sports fields flood and would cause extra flooding problems.

11. 90% of dickens heath parishioners have already objected to sites 4.

12. Extra demand for places at dickens heath school.

13. A's already mentioned tilbury green and dickens heath have taken far more than their faIr share of development over the last years.

See attached letter

see attached letter

The area is an expansion of an already expanded area of Dickens Heath where existing facilities eg parking, Dr surgery, local shops etc can not cope with these new extensions. The Dickens Heath development is already in my opinion too large for these facilities. The new development over the past 18 months has very little green garden or border areas. The area of this proposed development will cause chaotic traffic in an already congested area. We will lose the 'village' feel that is so important (and is already compromised with recent development). No consideration has been made of more relevant brown belt land. And there is no realistic compensation and alternative for the lost of the sports facilities that this proposal offers.

This is already a very busy residential area supporting heavy traffic to and from the M42 Junction 4. Additionally Mercedes Benz have planning permission to build a new superstore showroom at the traffic island on the Stratford Road - how many more homes, businesses, cars and people can the area and it's infrastructure cope with... the schools, GP's and local Hospitals already can't cope.
Also why do we have green belt when it isn't protected ?

My home is on Tanwoth Lane, south of the Miller and Carter. In the two years since I moved here traffic during rush hours has increased significantly. Twice each day for in excess of 90 minutes I am more or less trapped in my house. It is almost impossible to get off my drive. Tanworth Lane is just too narrow to support these volumes of traffic. Anything that makes this situation worse will be totally unacceptable.

I commute this way to work daily. It is absolutely awful along DKL towards the A34. To add houses to the South of DKL would be catastrophic regardless of the amount of road improvements as with traffic heading heavily on both ways of the A34, coming out of Dickens Heath, traffic trying to get to various commercial and industrial parks along the A34 would make it gridlocked most days as it is now.

I live in cheswick green and have just read about the possibility of the council allowing developers to build on site 12. I think it's an absolute disgrace. Please try driving down creynolds lane or dog kennel lane. The traffic is horrendous today I left the village and I was stuck in stationary traffic at the traffic light junction to join the Stratford rd for 20 minutes this was at 10.30. There was no accident just sheer number of cars on the road. The area simply can not cope with anymore houses or cars/traffic were bursting already. Cheswick green has already done more than enough for housing for the borough. With cheswick place Blythe valley the horrendous toy town of Dickens's heath. Something needs to be done to stop them joining cheswick green to Shirley. This plan 12 is a joke. I understand filling in the Stratford rd site which I think is plan 11. But that's enough. And a possible service station off junction 4 really?? Does anyone ever drive around these areas from the council the Stratford rd is horrendously congested all the time let alone more traffic to use a service station. The thing is there is a Tesco petrol station just off the island so what is the need for a full on service station?? Also a macDonald's!!! Plan 12 needs to be scrapped completely!! There's no infrastructure in cheswick green to cope with anymore. Surely the best solution to developing more houses has to be around the airport and the new Birmingham interchange hs2 station!! Where the infrastructure can be built from scratch roads big enough etc plus people won't need cars as much around there because of the 2 train stations and more than ample bus services. Surely building as many houses apartments around the Birmingham nec complex is the answer specially with all the leisure activities and transport options. Places like cheswick green knowle dorridge are been destroyed by building too many houses with not enough infrastructure. Build as many and as much around a transport hub as possible. For Blythe valley and cheswick place to get permission to build over a 1000 homes with a single bus service is crazy. Solihull will just become a traffic nightmare even more. Surely maximising the housing supply around a transport hub makes sense. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Just hope the council sees sense and stops the plan 12

Please see attached.

I'm absolutely shocked that the council is even considering further development in Dickens Heath. The proposed site is one of only two entry and exit roads to Dickens Heath and has restricted access due to narrowing for on coming traffic . Tythe Barn Lane is laden with traffic due to people using it as a main artery through to Whitlocks End station where many park and ride to Birmingham and onto Shirley and Birmingham by road.It is also prone to flooding and in the latest rains I saw people with canoes up and down that stretch and was myself unable to use the road due to the waters.

I appreciate that you are needing to find space to build new housing but since I moved here in 2002 , Dickens Heath has had to endure a great deal of development, most recently over towards Birchy Leasowes and Tidbury Green as well as the development at Cheswick Green which has resulted in more congestion as residents there now use the facilities in Dickens Heath.

We are slowly being strangled by the traffic ,trying to take my poorly daughter to the Dr's recently ,I was unable to park at all anywhere near the town centre. I am good friends with the hairdressers on the High St and they too are struggling as clients are starting to go elsewhere as they are unable to park to use the facilities on the High st.

My children love opening their curtains and seeing the fields and the ponies on their way to school in the morning. Please please could you consider the impact this will further have on the quality of our lives.

see attached document