BASE HEADER

No

ID sylw: 106243

Derbyniwyd: 01/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Lydia Stone-Fewings

I am thoroughly opposed to the development in Hockley Heath (SG24) for the following reasons:

- Hockley Heath village already has surface water drainage issues and the Stratford Road floods regularly during heavy rain. The proposed development areas also flood and there are limited options for proper drainage and further development would worsen this problem. Houses that back onto the land already carry a large amount of the run-off from the land, which would be worsened by the development and threaten the homes already part of Hockley Heath.

- All of the earmarked land is on Green Belt, which is only supposed to be built on in exceptional circumstances. The Government explicitly focussed in its manifesto about developing brown field sites. This does not align with election promises or the overriding obligation to protect Green Belt land.

-Solihull MBC already had a local plan that states only a small-scale development is appropriate for Hockley Heath. The proposed plan, even if one section of the proposed development, would make Hockley Heath over double the size of its current development, which the local area does not have the infrastructure to deal with.

- There are already issues with traffic on the A34 and Aylesbury Road. The development would significantly increase traffic. All proposed developments would need to access the A34, significantly increasing the accident risk. Sometimes it is impossible to get onto the A34 from the Aylesbury Road or Old Warwick Road.

- The development would harm wildlife and impact on biodiversity. There have been multiple car accidents with deer in Hockley Heath recently, this is only likely to increase with increased traffic and removes vast swathes of their remaonimg habitat. The loss of green space would also impact the wellbeing of existing residents, by removing the green spaces that are regularly used by local residents.

- The proposed development would fundamentally alter the character of Hockley Heath and undermine its distinctiveness and rural identity. The community is an integral part of why we moved here and this would remove a distinctive part of the benefit of living in this part of the world.

- The proposed development would put more pressure on the already stretched infrastructure, including schools and transport, particularly given the size of the development. The burden of the new population for schooling, transport, health, refuse collection would fall to Solihull, who have already opposed it. It is likely to ongoing disputes between the councils over future funding. This cannot be an efficient way of working cross counsel.

Please take this into consideration in respect of the proposed development.