Solihull Local Plan (Draft Submission) 2020

Object

Representation ID: 11113

Received: 09/12/2020

Respondent: BFNAG

Number of people: 120

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Allocation of BC1 Barratt's Farm is contrary to the vision in the Plan to protect the Meriden Gap and evidence in the Strategic Growth Study (SGS) highlighting it's Principle Contribution to Green Belt Purposes. Justifying it's release on the basis of the Green Belt Assessment and SHELAA is inappropriate. The former is not fit for purpose, requires more detailed assessment and does not determine whether land should be released. The latter assessment is suspect, partly due to changes since 2016, as proposal requires a relief road, land is in use for agriculture, a high pressure oil pipeline is present, and adjoining rail and relief road constitute bad neighbour uses. Alternative options not involving land making a Principle Contribution have not been investigated including SGS South of Birmingham. Contrary to the spatial strategy focusing development where needs arise and reliance on private car is low. Contrary to national guidance emphasising the use of brownfield land and protection of Green Belt. No obvious suggestion of required Green Belt compensation. Fails to take account of development proposed in Meriden Gap within Coventry

Object

Representation ID: 11116

Received: 09/12/2020

Respondent: BFNAG

Number of people: 120

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

There is a serious discrepancy in the definition of the Green Belt boundary south of Waste Lane. Specifically, paragraph 537 says “The boundary will be drawn close to the eastern edge of site BC4 before following the line of Windmill Lane to the southern point of site BC3 where it then cuts across to Kenilworth Road”.
Concept Masterplan BC4 states “The alignment of the bypass will provide the new green belt boundary to the east of the site” which could then release significant areas of land south of Hob Lane down to the A452 at Mere End. The Concept Master Plan BC4 should be corrected.

Object

Representation ID: 11119

Received: 09/12/2020

Respondent: BFNAG

Number of people: 120

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The Statement of Common Ground should be published to allow public scrutiny before the plan goes to the Secretary of State. Changing the Green Belt boundaries is contrary to NPPF in the absence of a SOCG showing that SMBC has discussed the potential for some of its need to be accommodated outside the Green Belt elsewhere. The Plan fails to take account of housing and industrial land proposals in Coventry close to the boundary with Solihull. The need for the Balsall Common Relief Road should be reassessed in context of the A46 A45 link road in Coventry.

Object

Representation ID: 11123

Received: 09/12/2020

Respondent: BFNAG

Number of people: 120

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Balsall Common suffers a severe lack of public open space equating to 2.5ha/1000 compared to a Borough average of 5ha/1000. The Plan presents an opportunity to address this deficiency, but the additional 13ha for 4,000 population will worsen it contrary to Policy P20. Despite a commitment to acquire land for sports hubs across the Borough, there is no specific allocation for Balsall Common. The Plan fails to comply with the Berkswell NDP Policy B1 requiring pos between existing and new housing for allocation BC1. The BFNAG proposal for a Central Park is not incorporated at the southern end.

Object

Representation ID: 11124

Received: 09/12/2020

Respondent: BFNAG

Number of people: 120

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Development at Balsall Common will have a huge impact and demands a total rethink of the infrastructure of the village. Paragraph 528 of the plan pays lip-service to this for the Balsall Common village centre and does not comply with Policy P21. The LPR has been underway for 4 years and residents have a right to something more substantial.
Balsall Common medical centre services are being reduced and centralised in places difficult to access by public transport, despite the significant increase in population proposed and contrary to Policy P18.
The new primary school proposed for Barratt's Farm needs to be provided earlier in the Plan period.

Object

Representation ID: 11125

Received: 09/12/2020

Respondent: BFNAG

Number of people: 120

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The Plan proposes a Balsall Common Relief Road although the evidence concentrates on the section from Waste Lane to Meer End, ignoring the effect on Hall Meadow Road and the existing estates and medical centre or through BC1 which is unsound. There is no evidence that pollution, congestion and safety assessments have been undertaken. Whilst phased early to provide for HS2 traffic, Barratt's Farm will be phased later or after HS2 which will invalidate proposal. There is considerable uncertainty over the funding of the waste Lane to Meer End section. Reasonable alternative routes west of Balsall Common have not been investigated.

Object

Representation ID: 11175

Received: 09/12/2020

Respondent: BFNAG

Number of people: 120

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

The timetable for HS2 works in paragraph 525 is inconsistent with paragraph 280 and needs correcting. Given the later opening date of 2020-33, how practical is delivery of Site BC1 within the Plan period? Need assurance that no significant development on Barratt's Farm will take place until all HS2 construction throughout Balsall Common is complete. HS2 construction will also impact sites BC4, BC5, and BC6 and their phasing should allow for this.

Object

Representation ID: 11192

Received: 09/12/2020

Respondent: BFNAG

Number of people: 120

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Policy BC1 fails to address the climate emergency or Challenge A, the huge loss of fields is not compensated for and it is not clear how the requirement for biodiversity net gain can be met. The policy should include public open space between new and existing housing and a wildlife corridor along the western edge to link Lavender Hall Park and open countryside to the south-east. It should also address the WMCA requirement to plant one tree per resident, or 11,500 trees for Balsall Common requiring 10ha of land, Barratt's Farm provides the best opportunity and planting could screen HS2.

Object

Representation ID: 14790

Received: 09/12/2020

Respondent: BFNAG

Number of people: 120

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Carefully controlled phasing of the construction on large allocations is essential to ensure that the concepts of the masterplan are not lost and haphazard piecemeal uncoordinated construction is avoided.
Concept Master Plans are for most residents the most important section in the plan. It is vital that once the plan is made, the concept master plans are adhered to and not amended to suit developer convenience or profit opportunity. No change to concept master plans should allowed without specific agreement from the borough council, relevant parish council or neighbourhood forum, and established neighbourhood action groups.
A policy should be inserted in the plan to explicitly enforce this.