Shock at sheer scale of Future Housing in KDBH
Forum Chair Roger Cook says that KDBH is in danger of being swamped by new housing development.
“Before the replacement Local Plan was withdrawn last year, the Council was looking for 808 new homes in KDBH by 2036. Now, there is more than double that number in the pipeline in 2025. For Knowle alone, that’s an increase of 30% “I know that the rules have changed and the Government has relaxed Green Belt policy; but the amount of development heading for KDBH will overwhelm the area.
The Council must be accountable. We’ve already seen at the Arden Triangle a piece-meal development without the promised masterplan which is deeply concerning. We can’t afford more missteps like this. Councillors and planners need to take greater responsibility and scrutinise more to ensure our residents’ interests are protected.
It’s disheartening to see the hard work behind the Neighbourhood Plan has been overridden at Planning Committee meetings. Our community deserves to be heard. We’re urgently calling for a genuine shift in approach – one that listens, engages, and prioritises long-term outcomes for everyone”.
Our Actions
We are aware of the extent of local discontent. Your Forum will:
- continue pressing the Council as to why our local policies are being ignored
- continue to review and respond to planning applications
- advocate for KDBH at at all appropriate stages of the planning process
- call for additional meetings with Solihull Council to press home our frustrations
- continue our dialogue with our local M.P. and engage him in the debate
How to Help
We need residents to collectively make more noise both individually and collectively to show the weight of feeling in the area. You can also help by:
- making your views known to local Councillors
- making your views known to your MP
- signing up to the Neighbourhood Forum (it’s free and amplifies our voice)
A copy of our printed news update can be found here.
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