December 2008

A Planning Application has been submitted to redevelop the site of the former Meteor Ford car dealership on the corner of Wake Green Road and Oxford Road.  The proposed development includes a new Tesco store on the ground floor, a new medical centre on the first floor, to allow the relocation of the existing Wake Green Medical Practice, and 19 sheltered residential apartments.  Most significantly, the proposal also includes 103 new parking spaces.

Although I would welcome an opportunity for the Wake Green Practice to move to a purpose-built Medical Centre, I do not believe that this should be achievable only via an inappropriate development such as this one.

On receiving notice of the application before the Christmas holiday, I firstly wrote to the Planning Department formally raising my own objection to the Planning Application, and a copy of my letter is printed below.

I also wrote to residents in the immediate vicinity of the site encouraging them to respond to the statutory consultation on the application before the 31 December deadline and requesting that they also send me a copy so I might update my own response in light of their comments.  I received a considerable amount of feedback, most of it raising concerns around increased traffic congestion arising as a consequence of the development, and the likely adverse effect of a new Tesco store on existing businesses in the nearby Moseley Village shopping area that I had already raised.  I was able to pass on those concerns in a further letter, a copy of which can also be seen below.  I also expressed my view that if there was any possibility of this application being approved, then I thought it essential that a full site visit by the Planning Committee should take place.

IN VIEW OF THE OVERWHELMING OPPOSITION TO THIS PLANNING APPLICATION - NO CONSTITUENT HAS CONTACTED ME IN SUPPORT - I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT IT WILL BE REFUSED BY THE DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE!

Letter 1

Clive Dutton, Director of Planning & Regeneration
Alpha Tower
Suffolk Street Queensway
Birmingham
B1 1TU

12 December 2008

Our Ref. BL4605/001/BL

Dear Mr Dutton

S/06141/08/FUL : Former Bristol Street Motors, Meteor Buildings, St Mary’s Row, Moseley, Birmingham B13 9EG

I am writing formally to lodge my objection to the above planning application.  There are a number of reasons why I believe that planning permission for this application should not be granted.

Firstly, the provision of a retail convenience foodstore at a site just outside the main Moseley Village shopping centre is not needed, and with the advantage of a large number of on-site parking spaces, is likely to have a highly detrimental effect on existing businesses in the village.

I also have concerns that the volume of on-site parking in the proposal is indicative of an anticipated increase in traffic intensity at what is already, particularly at peak times, a location that is badly affected by congestion.  In particular, the proposed situation of the vehicle entrance to the site on Oxford Road is likely to lead to increased levels of traffic along residential routes such as School Road – a road that already experiences traffic-related problems and at either end of which two local schools, Kings Heath Junior and Moseley C of E are situated.  Particularly with the existing restriction on northbound traffic on the Alcester Road turning right into St Mary’s Row, it is likely that local residential roads such as School Road would experience an increase in traffic bound for the new development, to the detriment of local residents and the safety of schoolchildren.

Although I would generally support the relocation of the Wake Green Road Medical Practice to larger premises, this should not in my view be financed from an unsuitable retail development.   

I therefore hope that the Planning Committee will see fit to refuse this application.    

Yours sincerely

 
LYNNE JONES MP

Letter 2

Clive Dutton, Director of Planning & Regeneration
Alpha Tower
Suffolk Street Queensway
Birmingham
B1 1TU

23 December 2008

Our Ref. BL4605/001/BL

Dear Mr Dutton

S/06141/08/FUL : Former Bristol Street Motors, Meteor Buildings, St Mary’s Row, Moseley, Birmingham B13 9EG

Further to my letter of 12 December, since I wrote previously I have received a considerable number of letters and email messages from constituents who live in the immediate environs of the proposed development. As all of the communications I have received so far are opposed to this planning application, I am writing again to ensure that the objections and concerns of my constituents are passed on. I enclose printed copies of the email messages and letters that I have received so far.

In summary, the responses that I have received reinforce the two main concerns that I expressed in my letter of 12 December.  Firstly, that the provision of a retail convenience foodstore at a site just outside the main Moseley Village shopping centre is not needed, and with the advantage of a large number of on-site parking spaces, is likely to have a highly detrimental effect on existing businesses in the village.  These are businesses that invested in Moseley after Tesco pulled out of their own store in Moseley, now occupied by Somerfield.

It is clear from the letters and emails that I have received that concerns about an anticipated increase in traffic intensity at what is already, particularly at peak times, a location that is badly affected by congestion as a consequence of the new development are very serious.

Constituents share my concerns about the proposed situation of the vehicle entrance to the site on Oxford Road, and the strong likelihood of increased levels of traffic along this and other residential routes such as School Road.  As I raised in my first letter, these roads already experience traffic-related problems and two local schools, Kings Heath Junior and Moseley C of E are situated at each end of School Road.  Furthermore, constituents have reiterated my concern that the restriction on northbound traffic on the Alcester Road turning right into St Mary’s Row means that it is likely that local residential roads such as School Road would experience an increase in traffic bound for the new development, to the detriment of local residents and the safety of schoolchildren, as well as elderly residents.  

I hope that you are able to take the further concerns of my constituents into consideration, and I would reiterate my hope that the Planning Committee will see fit to refuse this application.  If there should be any prospect of the Committee contemplating approval, I would hope that a site visit could first be arranged and residents in the environs of the site notified accordingly.

Yours sincerely

LYNNE JONES MP