Balsall Common

Property appears blighted due to the unknown route of this By Pass

Balsall Common 1615 homes across 6 sites-- includes By Pass, primary school etc etc.
Whist we believe these proposals are appropriate we need clarity on the positioning of the road as this is crucial in ensuring these homes are built.
We are in our mid seventies and have our home on the market in order to fund our future care home costs.
Unfortunately our property appears blighted due to the unknown route of this By Pass.
We would welcome your help and comments with regard to this situation as it is affecting our health and wellbeing.

Whatever are the Soihull Council giving to the future and the present of the Solihull area when they are letting slip the jewel of the area THE WINDMILL. They have the opportunity to develop this attraction as being what Solihull is made of, by making it a focal point for both young and old.

Instead of this the authority is cramping the mill. By the proposals of house building on surrounding areas of green belt it will become an oddity like the lighthouse at Southwold in the midst of buildings.

No imagination at all.

Why have the Council taken an easy way out of bludgeoning Balsall Common with so much development at the same time as HS2 is in progress. It will play havoc for a generation of people.

What has happened to the will of Andy Street to put emphasis on brownfield sites. Once again an easy way out for the people in charge whilst the area at Bickenhill, where the new rail interchange is to be sited, will have a limited allocation of extra housing. Why isn’t this area which has few residents, taking more of the housing needs. Instead of this the green belt is being ripped open.

On the subject of the Balsall Common Byepass. This was originally a true bye-pass that has become completely associated with housing development. What this means is that the Kenilworth Road will be transferred to the east to run continuously through housing estates whose vehicles will feed the road, including numerous roundabouts, to make it an anomally of a bye-pass. Why would anyone travelling through Balsall Common want to detour to a longer, slower route.

Think again – this is a plan bereft of imagination.

Whatever are the Soihull Council giving to the future and the present of the Solihull area when they are letting slip the jewel of the area THE WINDMILL. They have the opportunity to develop this attraction as being what Solihull is made of, by making it a focal point for both young and old.

Instead of this the authority is cramping the mill. By the proposals of house building on surrounding areas of green belt it will become an oddity like the lighthouse at Southwold in the midst of buildings.

No imagination at all.

Why have the Council taken an easy way out of bludgeoning Balsall Common with so much development at the same time as HS2 is in progress. It will play havoc for a generation of people.

What has happened to the will of Andy Street to put emphasis on brownfield sites. Once again an easy way out for the people in charge whilst the area at Bickenhill, where the new rail interchange is to be sited, will have a limited allocation of extra housing. Why isn’t this area which has few residents, taking more of the housing needs. Instead of this the green belt is being ripped open.

On the subject of the Balsall Common Byepass. This was originally a true bye-pass that has become completely associated with housing development. What this means is that the Kenilworth Road will be transferred to the east to run continuously through housing estates whose vehicles will feed the road, including numerous roundabouts, to make it an anomally of a bye-pass. Why would anyone travelling through Balsall Common want to detour to a longer, slower route.

Think again – this is a plan bereft of imagination.

Riddings Hill should be included in concept masterplans

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Should set out clear education strategy taking into account existing 3 schools and ensure availability of school places as needed and potential for expansion.

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Add new policy allocation for Site 43 Old Lodge Farm and include requirement for financial contribution towards cycling/walking access provision to link site to Berkswell C of E school

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I wish to make representations on the local plan for Balsall Common in particular. I object to the use of greenbelt land for homes when there are still many opportunities to be explored at the new HS2 interchange. It is clear that SMBC has little regard for the residents of Balsall Common which despite its poor infrastructure is continually dumped with more and more housing. Far more use needs to be made of brownfield land and the empty shops and offices in our town centres which is of course less lucrative for owners and builders alike.
No consideration is being given to the need for food to be produced and sourced locally to save air miles and preserve what is left of our environment and no consideration of the limited infrastructure in Balsall Common and lack of amenities . The water table is already high in Balsall Common as a result of increasing concreting over green space and the incredibly destructive effect that HS2 has had on the environment. I object to all sites in Balsall Common but in particular those spoiling the view of the historic windmill on windmill lane and the destruction of Barratts farm and surrounding land.
I realise that profit will of course be more important than common sense but I object to this continual destruction of our local environment

See attached

Policy BC1 paragraph 2v is modified with additional wording 'including the linking of the 3 ecologically important areas with a wildlife corridor of at least 6.5 metres in width'

The supporting Illustrative Concept Master Plan BC1: Barratt’s Farm is modified to show the position of that wildlife corridor

See attached

Policy BC1 – Barratt’s Farm should be modified as follows
'Homes built on this site in areas which are affected by environmental noise as defined by British Standard 8233:2014 (Guidance on sound insulation and noise reduction for buildings) or its successor standard should be constructed to meet the requirements of that standard or its successors.'

See attached

Policy BC6 – Lavender Hall Farm should be modified as follows
'Homes built on this site in areas which are affected by environmental noise as defined by British Standard 8233:2014 (Guidance on sound insulation and noise reduction for buildings) or its successor standard should be constructed to meet the requirements of that standard or its successors.'

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Policy paragraph 3 should be modified by the inclusion of the following wording as 3vi:
“Financial contribution to the creation of a pavement/cycleway to Berkswell School.”

See attached

The table of allocated sites in paragraph 226 should be modified to include Site 43 Old Lodge Farm with a site area of 1.4 hectares and a capacity of 40 homes. The windfall housing supply should be reduced accordingly in table in paragraph 225

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A new policy “BC7 – Old Lodge Farm”, should be created with the following wording
1. The site is allocated for 40 dwellings
2. Homes built on this site in areas which are affected by environmental noise as defined by British Standard 8233:2014 (Guidance on sound insulation and noise reduction for buildings) or its successor standard should be constructed to meet the requirements of that standard or its successors.
3. Likely infrastructure requirements will include
3.1. Provision of public open space, including a doorstep play area, with a contribution to Lavender Hall Park
3.2. Enhancement of the public right of way network, including new walking and cycling route connecting to the wider network and Berkswell School

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The proposed Green Belt boundary south of BC1 and north of BC4 around Waste Lane should retain the proposed public open space and Local Green Space in the Green Belt

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The following wording should be added to paragraph 539.
“This area of land is critical to maintaining the apparent width of the Meriden Gap and maintaining the rural nature of the approach to Balsall Common from the Coventry/Burton Green direction”

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The Balsall Common Relief Road is critical to the soundness and deliverability of the plan in a way that meets the requirements of the NPPF.
The wording of paragraph 527 should be amended by addition of the following sentence.
“It is planned that the Relief Road will be delivered as a single entity within the same time frame to connect Meer End with Station Road. In that way a continuous relief road will be completed in a single event without compromising local lanes”

See attached

1. The Trevallion stud site (BC5) should not be allocated to phase 1 of the plan in paragraph 226 but allocated to phase 2.
2. The commitment to a new primary school in paragraph 531 and policy BC1 should provide that construction of the new primary school should commence early in phase 1 of the plan
These actions will leave a theoretical shortage of 30 places during phase 1 of the plan but that is probably within the margin of prediction error.
As an alternative sites BC2 and BC3 could be re-scheduled into the second allocation phasing leaving only site BC5 to be developed in phase 1. That will eliminate the fully projected shortage of primary school places during the first phase of the housing plan by reducing house building in that phase to 200 homes down from a maximum of 565 to 200

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Small sites in Balsall Common
There is clearly concern at the sheer scale of potential developments in Balsall Common.
Two relatively modest sites have been missed or ignored in the Draft Plan.
They are a triangular site in Waste lane and a site off Kenilworth Road adjacent to Dengate Drive.
Both sites are of the order of four(4) acres. These could attract smaller builders with whom negotiations for specialised dwellings could be undertaken – namely for first-time buyers in the village; as well as some social/shared ownership dwellings could be provided. Both of these items were considered desirable in the Balsall Common Village Plan which was published ten years ago.
There is reason to have the support of CPRE.

We are writing in support of the Berkswell Parish Council objection to the concept masterplan which objects to the concept plan because it does not link the 3 identified areas of ecological value. The parish council makes a full case in its submission and we do not intend to repeat it here. As the owners of Field Cottage on Old Waste Lane and the field behind it we wish to add practical support to the provision of a wildlife corridor linking two of the 3 areas where Pegasus Group for the landowners have committed to providing the link on their land to link the first and 2nd ecological areas.
We also request that Hall’s Wood on our land, shown on the map below, is designated as an ecological area. It was planted over 4 years ago extending an existing wood to its west. It is a non-commercial wood/copse specifically designed to add biodiversity and absorb CO2. It is a mixed plantation of mainly species native to the Arden landscape. 450 trees were planted but thinning over the years will reduce that by at least half. Identify the land marked as Hall’s Wood in the above map as of ecological value on the Concept Plan. We are writing to support that the land between Old Waste Lane and Waste Lane be ideally retained in Greenbelt or is designated as Local Green Space.
The land is crossed by the Millennium Way a national trail that stretches 100 miles from near Pershore in Worcestershire to Middleton Cheney in Northamptonshire. The land also contributes to the Meriden Gap between Balsall Common and Coventry/Burton Green. The gap in the area of Waste Lane is the very narrowest part of the Meriden Gap and requires all the protection that is can get.
We therefore support its retention either within the Green Belt or as Local Green Space.

We are writing in support of the Berkswell Parish Council objection to the concept masterplan which objects to the concept plan because it does not link the 3 identified areas of ecological value. The parish council makes a full case in its submission and we do not intend to repeat it here. As the owners of Field Cottage on Old Waste Lane and the field behind it we wish to add practical support to the provision of a wildlife corridor linking two of the 3 areas where Pegasus Group for the landowners have committed to providing the link on their land to link the first and 2nd ecological areas.
We also request that Hall’s Wood on our land, shown on the map below, is designated as an ecological area. It was planted over 4 years ago extending an existing wood to its west. It is a non-commercial wood/copse specifically designed to add biodiversity and absorb CO2. It is a mixed plantation of mainly species native to the Arden landscape. 450 trees were planted but thinning over the years will reduce that by at least half. Identify the land marked as Hall’s Wood in the above map as of ecological value on the Concept Plan. We are writing to support that the land between Old Waste Lane and Waste Lane be ideally retained in Greenbelt or is designated as Local Green Space.
The land is crossed by the Millennium Way a national trail that stretches 100 miles from near Pershore in Worcestershire to Middleton Cheney in Northamptonshire. The land also contributes to the Meriden Gap between Balsall Common and Coventry/Burton Green. The gap in the area of Waste Lane is the very narrowest part of the Meriden Gap and requires all the protection that is can get.
We therefore support its retention either within the Green Belt or as Local Green Space.

Deletion of SLP Site19 Riddings Hill/Hallmeadow Road

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Site 338 should be allocated as a housing site or for C2 use within the Plan. A layout plan is attached to show how the site could work as a C2 allocation

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Site 338 at Harpers Field, Kenilworth Road, Balsall Common should be included in the table of residential allocations at paragraph 226.

See attached

Land north of Balsall Street Balsall Common should be added to table at paragraph 226

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Removal of land at North of Balsall Street (Site 233) from the Green Belt and its allocation for housing (up to 287 dwellings).
Inclusion of an additional site specific allocation in Balsall Common chapter (consistent with its inclusion in the Summary Table of Residential Allocations at page 65). ‘Policy BC7 – Land to the North of Balsall Street’ with the site allocated for housing in accordance with the proposed Development Framework and subsequent Green Belt boundary submitted with these representations.

See attached

Land at Oakes Farm should be allocated within the plan

Policy P5 Provision of Land for Housing
This policy is not considered sound or legally compliant for the following reasons
Whilst Spitfire Homes welcomes the increase in housing numbers from the previous Supplementary Consultation
Document, it is not felt that this goes far enough. A separate representation has been prepared by Barton Willmore on behalf of Barratt David Wilson Homes, IM Land, Spitfire Bespoke Homes, Heyford Developments, and Generator Strategic Land on the Borough’s Housing Need. The conclusions of this representation are supported.
In summary, this representation makes the following conclusions. The NPPF is clear at paragraph 59 that “to support the Government’s objective of significantly boosting the supply of homes, it is important that a sufficient amount and variety of land can come forward”. Paragraph 60 further states that “to determine the minimum number of homes needed, strategic policies should be informed by a local housing needs assessment, conducted using the standard method in national planning guidance……. In addition to the local housing need figure, any need that cannot be met within neighbouring areas should also be taken into account in establishing the amount of housing planned for”.
In the case of SMBC, policy P5 proposes the following:
• The Council will allocate sufficient land for at least 5,270 net additional homes to ensure sufficient housing
land supply to deliver 15,017 additional homes in the period 2020-2036. The allocations will be part of the
overall housing land supply detailed in the table below.
• The average annual housing land provision target is 938 net additional homes per year (2020-2036). A
trajectory showing how this target will be delivered from all sources of housing land supply is shown below.
It will be subject to annual review through the AMR.
This is based on the minimum identified need of 807dpa and a contribution of 2,015 dwellings across the plan period to help meet the unmet need within the Housing Market Area. This gives a total of 938dpa.
However, as is made clear in the NPPF and within the representations from Barton Willmore and the House Builders Federation (HBF) that this housing need over the plan period has been underestimated. Equally the housing need figure in policy H5 should be expressed as a minimum which is currently is not.
The Borough has significant ambitions over this plan period as identified as Challenge D and Challenge M.
Challenge D looks to secure sustainable and inclusive economic growth including:
• Meeting Solihull’s important regional and sub-regional role
• Meeting aspirations of key businesses to enable them to maintain competitiveness (Birmingham Airport,
National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham Business Park, Blythe Valley Park, Jaguar Land Rover) whilst
contributing to sustainable development.
• Retaining and developing a high skilled workforce.
• Provide a range of housing to attract inward investment
Challenge M looks to maximise the economic and social benefits of the High Speed 2 Rail Link and UKC Hub Area
including:
• Creating a sense of place and arrival via a well-connected and integrated interchange, public realm and
development opportunities that help support the HS2 Growth Strategy aspirations for employment, skills,
environment and infrastructure.
• To provide an appropriate planning framework so as to ensure that the potential economic and social benefits
of growth enabled by the HS2 rail link and interchange station are delivered.
These ambitions are of course welcomed, but equally they have implications on ensuring appropriate housing is
delivered within the Borough.
The representation prepared by Barton Willmore makes the following conclusions:
• As has been set out above, the policy fails to make it clear that the housing numbers proposed are a
minimum figure.
• The Standard Methods minimum need for Solihull (807dpa) will need to be increased to account from
expected job growth within the Borough.
• Modelling carried out by Barton Willmore shows that between 1,036 and 1,248 dpa. are required to support
the UK Central Hub scenario
• Barton Willmore’s calculations suggest that the deficit in unmet housing need from Birmingham City being
delivered by HMA Local Plans amounts to a minimum of between 11,294 and 13,101 dwellings up to 2031,
a significant increase from the 2,597 dwellings concluded on by the 2020 Position Statement. This increases
when the unmet need from the Black Country is considered. Additional unmet need will be created post
2031.
As a result, this raises significant concerns on the housing numbers set out within policy P5. Therefore, settlements such as Balsall Common which have been identified as being able to accommodate housing growth beyond its own needs should have further land allocated within it to meet housing needs.
In this case, further consideration needs to be given to Land at Oakes Farm, Balsall Common. The NPPF is clear at paragraph 68 that “small and medium sized sites can make an important contribution to the meeting the housing requirement of the area and are often built out relatively quickly”.
Spitfire Homes has an option on Land at Oakes Farm, Balsall Common (site 304 in the Site Assessment October 2020). This site could help to meet the additional housing need identified within the representations from Barton Willmore. This site is located to the south west of Balsall Common and would sit comfortably within the built form of the settlement having regard to both existing development and proposed allocations. The chapter on Balsall Common within the Draft Submission Plan sets out at paragraph 521 that “Balsall Common is one of two rural settlements in the Borough that has a full range of facilities including both secondary & primary schools, health services and a range of retail and associated facilities. As such it is well placed to accommodate levels of growth in excess of just its own local needs.”
The Site Assessment document in respect of this site sets out that the “Settlement identified as suitable for
significant expansion, although site would have no defensible green belt boundary”. An accompanying vision
document has been prepared which demonstrates how development could be sensitively located on this site having regard to the site constraints. The site as it currently stands has very clear boundaries with Fernhill Lane marking the western boundary, Oakes Farm shop and hedgerows marking the southern boundary, and hedgerows on the eastern boundary with the B4101 running along the northern boundary of the settlement. Whilst in planning terms the site may be regarded as open countryside, its current and surrounding land use and visual character is such that it does not form part of the more functionally intact agricultural landscape to the south.
The Site Assessment document suggests that it “is within moderately performing parcel in the Green Belt
Assessment and would result in indefensible boundaries to the south and west
An Environmental Appraisal of the site has been undertaken by EDP and in respect of Green Belt when the site is considered on its own merits, it scores significantly lower than suggest in the Council site assessment. A summary of the table is attached.
It is acknowledged that land is proposed to be developed as part of this plan at Frog Lane for 110 dwellings (policy
BC2). As part of the assessment prepared by EDP, they have also assessed the Frog Lane site, and this
demonstrates that the Frog Lane site performs a stronger purpose against three of the tests compared to the Oakes
Farm site. With regard to those performances, it was considered that development of the site is likely to have a
particular effect on the rural character and setting of Frog Lane to the south and east.
The Oakes Farm site is in a highly sustainable location with a bus stop within 400 metres of the site, and the centre of Balsall Common within a 10-15 minute walk, and both a primary and secondary school no more than 1.3km from the site. As is set out within the vision document there is currently an abrupt settlement edge to Balsall Common in this location and development at Oakes Farm would allow this to be softened albeit clearly defined and defensible.
The strategy within the masterplan provides a number of key principles including a significant landscape buffer,
which provides a transition from urban to rural as well as ensuring there is a robust and defensible boundary to the
Green Belt. Within the site, it is proposed to integrate existing public rights of way ensuring good connections to
the centre of Balsall Common village centre. In addition, there are opportunities to provide significant ecological
improvements to the site.
This site is available immediately and is being actively promoted by Spitfire Homes. Apart from the site’s location within the Green Belt, there are no known constraints which would prevent development of the site. This site can easily be delivered within the next five years providing much needed additional housing within the Borough. As has been demonstrated within the accompanying appraisal by EDP, the Oakes Farm site could reasonably be removed from the Green Belt and developed in accordance with the sound masterplanning principles without harm to the integrity of the Green Belt overall.

Modifications required to make the plan sound
In order to make this policy sound and legally requirement a robust reassessment of the housing numbers of the
housing numbers are required to ensure that the Borough can meet its own needs and those unmet needs within
the Housing Market Area over the plan period.
Consideration also needs to be given to the inclusion of Land at Oakes Farm as an allocation within the plan.

See attached form and written representations

We are instructed by Heart of England Co-operative Society (‘HOECS’) to
submit representations to the Solihull Local Plan Pre-Submission Draft
consultation and welcome the opportunity to comment at this time. HOECS
currently run and operate a retail foodstore located on Kenilworth Road,
Balsall Common. HOECS are generally supportive of the overall strategy in
the Plan and have no specific objections to the town centre and retailing
policies included in the Plan.
Notwithstanding the above, HOECS would like to express their support for
proposed allocation BC5 - Trevallion Stud, Balsall Common in the Plan. The
proposed allocation is for residential development of up 230 dwellings.
Furthermore, the site is proposed to be removed from the Green Belt. HOECS
welcome the proposed allocation and consider that there are exceptional
circumstances that justify the amendment to the Green Belt boundary and to
release land from it for development. Furthermore, the land at Trevallion Stud
is considered to be a suitable location for residential development. Balsall
Common is a sustainable settlement with a good range of local services,
shops and facilities and directing new housing growth to this site will assist
with meeting the housing needs of the settlement going forward, whilst
contributing to sustainable development.
HOECS, therefore, confirm their support for the proposed allocation at
Trevallion Stud and welcome its inclusion in the plan to accommodate future
residential development of up to 230 dwellings.