Housing in Balsall Common
Councils are required by law to plan for housing or keep a 5- year supply of land with permission to build. Without this, developers can get permission to build including on greenbelt.
In the absence of an approved Solihull plan or 5-year land supply developers are making speculative planning applications. The Council’s approach will be look “favourably” at those for sites conforming to the draft plan and local NDPs. A pragmatic approach which will deliver infrastructure and protect existing residents’ amenity whilst we await a likely change in planning rules to avoid the 1700 more homes in the greenbelt required by the Solihull plan examiner.
Mell Square redevelopment
The Council is far advanced on plans to redevelop Mell Square in Solihull Town Centre. Many large retail spaces are no longer economic and the plan is for mixed housing and smaller retail spaces, as a form of urban village. Delivered with a key partner, at no cost to the council it will provide 1000 new homes which otherwise would be built in the greenbelt.
Heather joins the Planning Committee
Nine of 51 councillors sit on the planning committee. We are pleased that Heather Delaney has been appointed and brings to the committee her experience of living in a semi-rural ward and strong support for the greenbelt.
Planning committee members cannot prejudge planning applications and planning views expressed in this newsletter belong to Andrew and Tony.
Andy Street delivers on brownfield sites
Building on brownfield sites is key to protecting as much of the countryside as possible. The Solihull Plan expects about 25% of new homes to be on previously developed land. However, far greater opportunities exist across the less green areas of the West Midlands. It is a priority for Andy Street to create a public/private sector partnership to decontaminate the land and build homes.
In the last 5 years, this policy has delivered about 8000 homes with about 27% of those affordable. That is in addition to the thousands that the private sector can deliver on brownfield sites without help
Andy has secured another £500m to remediate brownfield land across the region. Helping protect our precious greenbelt and green spaces like Grange Farm.
Green Flag Success
Solihull has more green flag parks than Birmingham. This status recognises a park’s value to a community, its ecological contribution, and its state of maintenance.
Visitors to Lavender Hall Park, which has green flag status, will have noticed the additional tree planting and the wild areas that are mown once a year. Wild grass encourages insects and invertebrates which provide valuable food for birds and mammals such as hedgehogs.
Roads and cycle routes
Ward Councillors secured enhancements to the road resurfacing campaign to cover the Kenilworth Road and Waste Lane, in addition to the previously planned work on Kelsey Lane.
Working with Berkswell Parish Council, we also delivered a cycle and foot connection from the greenway to Station Road. It is planned that further cycle enhancements will be delivered on the Kenilworth Road in conjunction with the relief road project and possibly to Berkswell village.
Speeding
Some people speeding is a habitual problem in Meriden Ward. Your Ward Councillors have taken to checking speeds on roads identified as a problem working with West Midlands police.
The global shortage of computer chips has now abated and SMBC have finally received initial design proposals for average speed cameras for the Kenilworth Road plus Meriden and Berkswell villages. This project will provide a significant deterrent once completed, (probably) in 2024. These systems are complex, who would have thought they needed computer chips?
Saqib Bhatti visits to discuss infrastructure
Saqib came to Balsall Common in September to get an updated understanding of the infrastructure needs of Balsall Common.
Hosted by parish and ward councillors, he drove around to understand the key traffic challenges and other
infrastructure issues. Saqib Bhatti explained that he was very keen to ensure that Balsall Common got all that it needed as the community expands, including schools and community facilities.
Councillors expressed concern that we would get the houses, but the planned relief road would not be fully completed. Saqib said he knew that significant work was being undertaken on the relief road and undertook to raise the need for funding with Andy Street, West Midlands Mayor. Andy Street is to visit Balsall Common on 7th November.
