A BUNGALOW plan which parents
and school leaders fear will put children at risk from extra traffic has been
allowed on appeal.
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The Planning Inspectorate has allowed an appeal against Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s refusal of
the plan for 152
Widney Road
The two-bedroom bungalow -
with car access from Widney Close – was rejected by the council over “poor
urban design” and had a “layout which is alien and out of character with the
surrounding area”.
Jim Hill, who has a son at
the school, told the council: “The access of this property has a direct impact
on the children going to school.
“It is already a tight
squeeze on the pavement and the idea that anyone, at any time could swing out
of the drive onto the path used by the children is a very scary prospect.”
Bill Lord said children “run
freely around the pavement without risk”.
She said: “The flow of foot
pedestrians is so great at peak time that persons are forced to walk in the
road.
“With the restricted view
that is available from any vehicle entering or exiting the proposed building
this poses a further risk to any pedestrians.”
School governor Dr Amelia
Jennings said: “It poses a high risk to the safety of pupils arriving to and
from Bentley Heath School
“There is only one possible
path which children can access the main front entrance to school and the access
to this bungalow means that vehicles will be crossing this path which is
constantly in use throughout the day.
“If this plan goes ahead
inevitably it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident or
injury to somebody accessing the school.”
Chairman of governors Andy
Carswell said: “I am very concerned at the safety issues that the access to
this proposed dwelling house will have being so close to the main entrance to
our school.
“Currently there are no drive
ways on this side of Widney Close from Widney Road
He said: “By allowing this
development to proceed will turn this safe walk way in to more of a danger for
children.”
But the inspectorate’s Thomas
Shields pointed out the council had not given traffic issues as a reason for
refusal.
He said: “While I understand
the local concerns relating to the proposed vehicular access and pedestrian safety, I
consider it is a very common feature of school travel routes that children and
carers have to walk past the access points between private dwellings and the
highway.”
He said the “relatively low
level” of vehicles using the access “would not be likely to result in a
significantly increased risk to highway and pedestrian safety”.
And he said the plan, by Rob
Lovell, would “not appear overly bulky
or prominent in the street scene”.
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