Question 22 - Infrastructure Requirements at Knowle, Dorridge and Bentley Health

The infrastructure requirements are significantly understated and too generalised, further more they do not take into consideration that the proposed redevelopment is firmly sited around the village of Knowle,

Given that the proposed land around Knowle is greenbelt citing Green Belt Enhancements is laughable.

Concerns about the capacity of existing infrastructure and the additional pressure that large scale new development would place on it was one of the top issues raised by residents during the Knowle Dorridge and Bentley Heath (KDBH) Neighbourhood Plan (NP) process. This was reflected in the Neighbourhood Forum's objections in 2016 (see below) and is now also reflected in a number of the NP policies and Community Actions.
With this in mind, I agree with the infrastructure requirements listed, some of which have been highlighted through the NP work and its policies, subject to the following qualifications:
* Improved public transport: however, given the location of the selected sites (one not on a bus route and the other largely on a very poor rural route) it is difficult to see how such improvement will be viable. Even if bus services to the draft allocation sites are improved, there will still inevitably be considerable additional car borne traffic adding to the already acknowledged congestion within KDBH.
* Parking improvements: additional parking to serve Dorridge Station will be essential as the selected sites will lead to more car borne traffic and additional commuter demand. However, considerable care will be required with double decking to ensure no harm to the Conservation Area. Consideration should be given to decked parking for long stay parking at the rear of Sainsburys petrol filling station.
* Highway improvements - the proposed scale of growth will necessitate these but to date there is no indication of what these will be, what their impact will be and therefore how acceptable they will be to residents and businesses. (see further comments in response to questions 23 and 24.)
* New primary school. Yes, this is required but is it a replacement for St George and Teresa or a new primary school to meet the additional need arising from new development? If the former is to be replaced locally then two new primary schools will be required given that the existing schools are all at capacity. It is not clear how existing traffic congestion will be alleviated by a new school given that the existing primary schools are at capacity and will presumably remain so together with attendant parking issues.
* Sport and Recreation- this requirement is in line with national, local and neighbourhood plan polices. The latter also supports in principle improved sports and leisure facilities with better community access. See response to Q 23 re sports provision on Hampton Rd.
* Concept masterplans; very supportive provided that the NF is involved in meaningful engagement, particularly now that it has the benefit of its own Landscape Study, Heritage and Character Assessment and Masterplanning/Design and Design Coding Study. These will enable the Forum to make informed inputs to the masterplanning process with a view to achieving significantly amended and improved masterplans. See further comments below and in response to questions 23 and 24.
* Affordable housing and more small market houses. This is supported in the NP.
The following additional infrastructure requirements have been identified through the NP process:
* Additional Doctors and dental practices
* Pre school facilities
* The capacity of Dorridge Station to meet increased demand.

With regard to infrastructure issues generally within KDBH, there are two further points:
Firstly, looking at the proposed infrastructure priorities listed by the Council, it appears that there will be very limited benefits from such large scale development to KDBH residents, particularly if a new Arden Academy is not delivered. This was the main rationale for such large scale development to the east of Knowle. The community sports hub is the other main community benefit although that appears to be principally a relocation of existing facilities offering expansion and improvements.
Secondly, the Neighbourhood Forum's response to the 2016 DLPR consultation was critical of the lack of information on infrastructure impacts within KDBH and how they would be mitigated. Transport issues were a top local concern in the NP process. The 2016 objection of The NF in respect of infrastructure concluded:
'It is unreasonable to expect residents to accept any substantial further development in KDBH without any indication as to how the wider infrastructure impacts would be overcome'.
The Forum asked for more information to be made available on the infrastructure impacts of the scale of additional housing in KDBH to enable an informed response to be made. Very little information has been forthcoming and it appears no real progress has been made over the last 2+ years as far as informing residents is concerned.
The Forum is aware that the Council subsequently commissioned a Borough wide Transport Study and a Car Parking Study. It is understood that the Council agreed to work collaboratively with the Forum on the transport and car parking work in relation to the KDBH Area to avoid duplication of cost and effort by the Forum. The Forum is also aware that the Council has had a draft report on both the traffic implications and car parking study since early 2018, there has been no involvement or discussion of the findings with the Forum despite repeated requests. The Forum has been advised that there are measurable impacts at various junctions which can be mitigated but how they can be achieved is not known.
The 2019 DLP Supplementary Update provides no further information on these matters other than the reference above to various undefined highway improvements. The Council has indicated that the Transport and Car Parking Studies will not be published until the Submission version and the concept masterplans provide little further information as to how the wider infrastructure issues referred to above will be addressed.
Therefore, until such time as the Council provides sufficient information and evidence as to the impacts of this scale of development on the physical and social infrastructure of KDBH, and how it can be satisfactorily mitigated, I continue to support the original objections of the NF to the draft site allocations. Further information is also required in respect of the various other issues raised in the Forum response relating to, inter alia, inconsistencies with the Council's own evidence base and its spatial strategy.
Without prejudice to this 'in principle' objection, detailed comments are made in response to Q 23 and Q24 on the allocations and masterplans, taking account of the Forum's own Studies into Landscape Strategy, Heritage and Character Assessment and Masterplanning /Design and Design Coding.

I agree with decked parking at Dorridge station. I disagree that better provision for public transport would help the traffic problems as very few people here use public transport. The bus between Dorridge/Knowle/Solihull has been cut this week to an hourly service as so few people use it. Another several hundred house with probably 2 cars from each would cause huge traffic chaos. I already have great difficulty getting on to Station Rd at school times and late afternoon/ early evening as there is a traffic jam going down to the island at Grove Rd. The highways improvements mentioned in the Plan - what are they? Cycling connectivity - where? There is certainly not room for cycling lanes on Station Rd and the ones on the Warwick Rd where there is no centre white line cause people to drive down the middle of the road.

I do not believe the building of homes in Knowle off Hampton Road leading to Wychwood Av is the best location. This will increase traffic at the already congested Hampton/Warwick Rd intersection, and then create a 'rabbit run' through the estate road (Arden Vale). Grove Rd would be an improved 1st choice.

As the highest location in the area, I think the new estate will become too visible.

Furthermore creating a 'Sports Hub' beside the proposed site will also increase traffic, as this is not on a public bus/rail route, hence any visitors will need to drive to the location.

Area infrastructure will not cope

I agree that Brownfield sites should be chosen in preference to Greenfield sites. The Green belt and the nature of the borough must remain protected.
I support the Knowle Society point of view re this plan.
I am very concerned by the volume of new housing planned for Knowle and its impact on the village: this will no longer be a village and its schools / surgeries / carparks / roads etc are already at full capacity.
Are there any plans to improve the current situation, before the council adversely adds to it?

I believe that we also need to invest in the retail sector of the village, this will ensure that its retains a central focus

Totally support the infrastructure requirements

The position of Arden Triangle between Warwick Road and Grove Road is totally unsuitable as both roads are narrow and already very busy. To have access to this proposed site in either roads, I believe Warwick road is the most favourable is adding to the already fast entrance into Knowle. The present infrastructure is completely saturated, roads, car parks, Dr's surgeries, schools, nurseries - it just mystifies residents why this location has even been identified as being feasible. Is it greedy land owners who are already clearing established wooded areas to guarantee purchase from even greedier developers. Looks like it.
The existing infrastructure is inadequate, Warwick Road is already very busy and a fast 2 way single road into Knowle, Grove Road is no more than a lane and Knowle High Street is at grid lock at commuter times and busy during most of the day. This will cause a safety issue. The car parking is already inadequate, dr's and dentist surgeries are full to capacity and so are Nursery, Infant and Junior schools. This development would add at least 2 cars to every household (600 houses, 1200 extra cars). The demographic and historic nature of Knowle will be completely destroyed.

Main concern is on the primary education of the children from the new site. The recent development resulted in the Academy having to accommodate an extra intake, 90 not 60 children. Unless the timing of the release of the land is regulated children will not be able to attend their local school as the new Primary will not be built till the later stages of the Plan's timeline. Knowle only has capacity for 30 extra children every 4th year.

Additional road construction to accommodate increased traffic demand does not work - more cars use the new capacity and so that it fills up too! A bypass is not wanted. Traffic calming measures and public transport options are preferred.

Better to have development restricted to the West of KDBH so no further burden is placed on the Knowle High Street.

New Primary School has been mentioned, with an estimated 11% rise in the community then will this bee in addition to the four current primary schools. We have been told by Martin Murphy of Arden Academy that the new high school will not increase capacity but will shrink the catchment area, this will affect current households in KDBH who are on the peripheries and not the new housing. Will this be addressed as I can not support a state of the art new school that will not serve the existing community.
Improved public transport would be a bonus especially as the frequency of the buses has just been halved in the past two weeks causing issues to school children and the elderly.
Local infrastructure is already at breaking point with the local community not being able to access doctors or dentist appointments in a suitable time frame, and the hospital losing services. With a proposed 11% population increase will we see another medical centre opening.

* Expansion of Primary School places East of the M42 in the Borough has exclusively been in the state sector for many year now
* The best Primary School in recent years if measured by results has consistently St George and St Teresa Catholic Primary School
* This school is consistently over subscribed as is the case again this year for early years places
* It would make absolute sense to expand St George and St Teresa Catholic Primary School and so providing first class Primary School provision in this part of Solihull
* The earlier draft of the plan recognised this highlighted the need for Catholic Primary School provision within the Arden Triangle. It is essential that this recognition should be reinstated in the current draft
* Expanding St George and St Teresa would provide proportionate provision for Catholic places in this area
* I would support the expansion on Primary School places on the Arden Triangle site

Development is not in keeping with the character of the area and will be excessive.

I would like to see a new secondary school as well as a primary school on the plan. This should involve moving the school to a new site to reduce impact on learning. Traffic is busy at pinch points and can be improved by more double yellows, traffic lights and traffic calming measures. eg. speed bumps and yellow lines on Lodge road which is a rat run. Building a new school will also reduce traffic at pick up and drop ff times.

I believe that this proposal if given the go ahead, would drive a lot of people to sell their homes within KDBH. This is a desired location for many for the surrounding countryside, nature, small community village like feel, all things that will be lost if this proposal goes ahead. It risks changing KDBH so much that it will lose the unique country setting it has become so popularly known to have. Traffic congestion is already a problem within KDBH and this would see it get even worse. The promise of things such as speeding restrictions and improvement in parking is unrealistic. Why does it take for this proposal to be implemented for those things to happen? There's a problem already, perhaps that should be looked at first before plan is proposed.

There's no mention of how to prevent the continuing decline of Knowle high street where shops continue to close.

I support these proposals & any development on the condition significant investment in made in local infrastructure & facilities, notably schools. I also support investment in local recreational facilities. An improved bus service with electric buses to minimize air pollution & improved cycle paths to accommodate the increase in traffic.
I would also like to see an investment to expand local doctors surgeries to take account of the increase in population.

I object to the proposed allocation of further development in Knowle and in particular land in the south of the Arden Triangle which will result in overloading Highways and other infrastructure. The suggestions in this section are superficial and lack any evidence based proposals to overcome them. 'Decking the car park at Dorridge Station' demonstrates the lack of thinking and does not constitute anything like a comprehensive solution.
The concept Masterplans are a 'nice to have' but what weight will they be given as they lack specific detail particularly on highways improvements and traffic management.

As was clear from the recent consultation meeting at Arden Academy, road infrastructure has not been fully addressed. Presently Station Road, Warwick Road into the Village and along the High Street frequently become congested with long queues forming. This happens regularly in the day - at School drop off in the mornings and in the evening at the start of the evening rush hour. This is before the additional 600+ homes with associated cars.
Parking in the village carparks is presently not working, likely costing more than it achieves in revenue. Unclear how this will work with even more cars.

Any increase in housing must ensure that doctors surgeries are improved to support that increase

What about secondary school places and health requirements. A new health centre.

Please take note of KDBH Neighbourhood plan which reflects the views of the KDBH residents

Won't improve public transport. Most young families have 2 cars and never use buses.

Parking needs improving now, especially at Dorridge railway station, not when 1000 more houses are built.

What happens if this site is selected instead of/before site 9 and the new primary school? Where do these children go to school?

Proposed sports hub is dependent on football ground reallocation and existing site built upon. is this not just bribery/carrot dangling? There are no guarantees that a sports hub will materialise. The current club is certainly not welcoming to the wider public. Floodlighting would impact on surrounding houses.

The existing road infrastructure in and through Knowle is stretched to the limit at present, with major congestion at peak times. Adding further residential development to Knowle could result in complete gridlock at busy times, given the narrow High Street, and the dense network of junctions at Hampton Road / Lodge Road and Station Road / Kenilworth / Wilsons Road. Enhancements to encourage use of cycling (especially dedicated cycle lanes) and public transport would be welcome, but car use would inevitably increase, to the detriment of the quality of life of Knowle residents.

I support a new primary school on Site 9 - Arden Triangle and I support Option 2 (Arden Academy relocating to a new school site rather than remaining in its current position).

We are broadly in agreement with the infrastructure requirements identified for Knowle, Dorridge and Bentley Heath. It is of note that our clients land at Golden End is well placed to help contribute towards many of these infrastructure requirements including the following:
- Provision of affordable housing, including starter homes;
- Provision of housing for the elderly;
- Provision of additional parking for Knowle Primary School (thus relieving existing congestion on Kixley Lane and provide additional village parking);
- Potential improvements to highway junction capacity at Kenilworth Road/High Street;
- Provision of additional playing fields and public open space (some 6 hectares are proposed as part of our clients proposals); and
- Provision of pedestrian links to the canal network.

I do not agree with the requirement of a new primary school the current schools are accepting children from outside the catchment area son there should be sufficient space in existing school one option is to ensure St George's and Theresa school takes children from all religious back rounds

Young families do not use public transport to get to school or go shopping -inconvenient and expensive. The majority of parents both work and drop their kids off on the way to and from work.
Parking at Dorridge and Widney Manor stations is at saturation point now.
Hampton road is a dangerous road. There have been a number of fatalities over the years.
New additional Primary school is a necessity.
New secondary school is not
Who will use 4 football pitches and maintain them Flood lighting ugly on this scale.
how much green belt will be lost to car parking

Better public transport needed. Any increase in traffic through the High Street is concern due to pollution, potential damage to historic buildings. Re site 9, unclear how additional traffic will be accommodated. New primary school and affordable housing are needed but not at expense of all greenbelt flagged in site 9 -must there be so much new housing in Knowle on greenbelt as opposed to elsewhere? Loss of natural habitat is major concern. Prefer redeveloping Knowle precinct as brownfield mixed use site (similar to Sainsburys in Dorridge) given so many vacant units. This would reduce need for building on greenbelt.