The deadline for response to the public consultation on proposals for new housing developments across three site in Balsall Common is tomorrow (Monday 5th March). The plans for new homes on two sites on Kenilworth Road and another at Riddings Hill, are being consulted by Solihull Council under the Local Development Framework scheme. Resdients on Riddings Hill have joined forces with local action group RAID to contest the plans.
The incredible views in the centre of Balsall Common where Chattaways and other commercial premises were demolished to make way for a Sainsburys could remain a tourist attraction for some time to come.
The developers responsible for the project were placed into receivership by their bankers after getting caught up in a spiral of rising costs. The bank is currently working through the process of finding a buyer for the land, bids for which were due in by 20th February.
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Solihull Council officials rejected plans for a permanent travellers site on land between Waste Lane and Old Waste Lane in Balsall Common. The decision not to allow development on green belt land was taken at the recent Cabinet Meeting.
Campaign group RAID (Residents Against Inappropriate Development), originally created to fight against traveller occupation of land in Meriden, was expanded into different branches when proposals were put forward for sites in Balsall Common and Hockley Heath.
The greenbelt land under threat
Hot on the heals of the local uproar when Solihull council seriously considered a gypsy/traveller settlement in Kelsey/Windmill Lane (now abandoned after local pressure was exerted), a new action group has been formed to oppose the development of a vast swathe of nearby greenbelt land.
BARRAGE – Balsall Against Rural Ruin And Greenbelt Erosion – oppose the development of greenbelt land between Kelsey Lane, Kenilworth Road and Windmill Lane.
Solihull Council has earmarked Balsall Common for a permanent Gypsy/Traveller settlement, as reported in the Birmingham Mail earlier this week. The 15 acre site is between Waste Lane and Old Waste Lane (after the Kelsey Lane and Windmill Lane junction) and could potentially hold 75 vans. Four other new sites in the borough are being considered (Eaves Green Lane- Meriden, School Road- Hockley Heath, Damson Lane- Solihull and Pleck, Shadowbrook Lane). All sites were suggested as the result of a public consultation this Summer.
David Bell
You can download the council’s document detailing the proposed sites from their website here . There is also a document on the council’s current position here.
We spoke to our Parish Councillor David Bell. He said “..the owners put forward the site as having housing potential despite it being in the green belt and that is why it is on the list. Needless to say I shall argue that it isn’t appropriate and at 4 acres isn’t needed for travellers. It also forms an important part of the Meriden gap which is at its narrowest at this point between Tile Hill and Balsall Common.”
Do you support a Gypsy/Traveller site on Waste Lane? Make your views known using the comment section below, or alternatively on the Balsall Common’s Facebook page : http://www.facebook.com/balsall.common
Berkswell residents will have the opportunity to comment on proposals to reduce local speed limits in the village as Solihull Council launches a public consultation.
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A planning application has been submitted to Solihull Council for the construction of gateways at the four entry points to the village of Berkswell and conservation area. The gateway points are part of a five point plan, which has the support of Berkswell Parish Council and the Berkswell Society, to provide a visual and psychological road narrowing in an effort to define the area and help reduce road traffic speeds.
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Joe Rukin writes on the subject of High Speed 2 – the planned rail link from London to Birmingham (and later beyond). He is also Chair of the Kenilworth Stop HS2 Action Group and co-founder of Stop HS2, the national campaigning body against HS2. Today he warns residents the public consultation period is coming to an end and their time to act is now.
Stop HS2 gear up for ‘final push’
Stop HS2 campaigners across the country are gearing up for a ‘final push’ to get responses to the HS2 consultation before the deadline of 29th July. This will kick off tomorrow (Saturday 16th July) with the official opening of the national Stop HS2 campaign HQ in Kenilworth. Initially the centre will be used as a drop-in centre for people wanting help responding to the consultation before being used to push the campaign forward in other areas from August.
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