Saqib has responded to the plans put forward in the Arden Triangle public consultation. The consultation is being used to gather local perspectives on the development plans for the site and was extended to the 28th October, following input from the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC). The Arden Triangle is the land to the south of Knowle Village Centre, surrounded by Warwick Road, Station Road and Grove Road. The current development plans are for 600 dwellings, an Integrated Retirement Community with 170 units, a new Primary School, and the rebuilding of Arden Academy.
In response to the consultation, Saqib has written an open letter outlining his thoughts on the plans. He has welcomed the proposals to deliver a new primary school and a new Arden Academy, and the provision made for quality infrastructure in the draft master plan. He has voiced his concerns about the lack of access points to the schools and the impact this could have on the traffic on Station Road. In terms of housing allocation on the site, Saqib has raised questions about how these plans will be carried forward with the withdrawal of the Local Plan and what the impact on wildlife will be. He has also asked that the final masterplan include explicit statements of the numbers of housing in particular areas and the densities to aid the interpretation of the plans.
Commenting on the consultation, Saqib said:
“I welcome the extension of the Arden Triangle consultation to allow for more feedback to be gathered. Whilst I support the plans for a new primary school and the new Arden Academy, I want to ensure that the impact on the area is properly considered and mitigated as much as possible.”
The Knowle, Dorridge and Bentley Heath Neighbourhood Forum said:
“Unfortunately the KN2 Arden Triangle Consultation exercise fails to provide a proper comprehensive masterplan for the site as required by Solihull Council and the Neighbourhood Forum.
We welcome the additional land made available for a new secondary school and primary school to be accommodated. It is evident, however, that the developers are still working largely independently and there is still:
- No overall strategic landscape framework
- No overall transportation assessment (the Knowle Transport Study was based on different land use disposition)
- No information on impacts on local infrastructure
- No overall public open space network. Is it appropriate for the Local Wildlife Site (LWS) to be the main area of Public Open Space (POS)?
- No comprehensive site assessment of constraints
It is imperative there is a clear, phased masterplan developed that provides a strategic basis on which all parties can rely upon, followed by a further wider consultation exercise before the development progresses.”
