I have written to Solihull Council to object to the proposal for up to 970 residential dwellings on Land at Station Road (Barratts Lane Farm) in Balsall Common.
Whilst I was glad to hear that the unnecessary proposed access off Station Road has been removed following new documents being added to the planning application earlier this week, there has still been an abnormally high number of revisions to this application.
This scheme remains unsuitable in terms of its impact on roads and ecology. I share the concerns of my constituents that road improvements are essential for Balsall Common and the relief road to mitigate traffic impacts is a priority irrespective of proposed developments.
The A452 through the heart of the village has seen an increase of traffic and the proposed scale of site will generate significant additional vehicle movements. Furthermore, there are two notable trees of exceptional ecological value on the site that are planned for removal and the NPPF makes clear that harm to biodiversity resulting from development is unacceptable.
The site at Barratts Lane Farm is within the Green Belt, and this application does not carry sufficient policy weight over the established planning restrictions for development on land in the Green Belt.
There is no justification for this scheme, especially considering the scale of this site alongside the excessive volume of proposed development across my constituency.
