SOLIHULL residents are battling a proposed development slammed as ‘garden grabbing of the very worst kind’.
Campaigners have gathered more than 350 signatures for a petition against the planning application for 72 Stonor Park Road, Solihull.
Developers Donna Savage Planning Ltd. has proposed the demolition of the garage at Number 72 and the erection of five detached houses with a new driveway.
The application is due to go to Solihull council’s planning committee next Wednesday (August 8) and an agenda report by the council’s head of development management, James Carpenter, recommends it for approval subject to conditions.
The report states the benefits of providing five new homes to alleviate the borough’s shortfall of housing would outweigh the limited harm to the character and distinctiveness of the road – as well as the ‘loss of green garden spaces’.
The development would ‘fall within the rear gardens’ of numbers 64, 66, 68, 70, 72 and 74, the report states.
Residents are furious at the proposal criticising it as ‘blatant garden grabbing’ which would ‘change the nature’ of the road.
Resident campaigner Taj Lalli said: “We are astonished any developer might consider such a scheme in Stonor Park Road to be appropriate.
“The proposed dwellings are not in keeping with the local area and the location would create additional hazards for children as it is next to one of Solihull council’s ‘School Streets’ zones.
“It would change forever the nature of our road and we call on Solihull council to reject the application.”
Street Zones were introduced by the council in areas with a nearby school which experience a number of traffic related issues at the beginning and end of each school day.
The report indicates St Alphege councillors Kate Wild and Joe Tildesley have both objected to the plans.
Coun Tildesley said: “This is one of the worst applications I have seen over the last few years.
“It is garden grabbing of the very worst kind. Once rear gardens such as these are lost, those green spaces are never replaced.”
The report also shows there were 93 objections addressed to the council.
The report states the loss of the green garden spaces within the mature suburbs is ‘regrettable’ and it also notes there have never been any similar ‘backland developments’ along Stonor Park Road itself.
In the report’s executive summary, it states: “This is a finely balanced matter.
“However, in this instance it is considered that any resulting harm to the character and local distinctiveness of this mature suburb is very limited and would be outweighed by the provision of the additional dwellings which would boost housing supply numbers.”
