Concerns have been raised about the impact of nearly 1,000 new homes planned for Balsall Common.

Harris Strategic Land and Colchurch Properties has applied for planning permission for the new village neighbourhood on green space between Station Road and Waste Lane.

The scheme - put forward to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) - would introduce a local centre including a care home/retirement accommodation, community buildings, a primary school and a pre-school.

Up to 40 per cent of the units on the 28-hectare site will be provided as affordable, which comes to 369 homes.

The land is earmarked for up to 875 houses in the draft version of the new local plan, which is yet to be signed off.

But neighbouring Coventry City Council has said more traffic modelling needs to be done to show how the development would affect local roads if it is built.

The council is one of the many bodies being consulted on the scheme as it is a neighbouring planning authority.

The council initially objected in August 2023 as it had not been shown the scheme "would not have a severe impact on the operation and safety of Coventry's local highway network".

The masterplan for the site (image via planning application)

"The previous response of the Highway Authority dated 15 August 2023 was one of objection, as it had not been demonstrated that the development would not have a severe impact on the operation and safety of Coventry's local highway network," the council wrote.

"Concerns were also raised regarding the Public Transport Strategy and Travel Plan.

"A Technical Note (TN)...has been submitted to address the concerns previously raised.

"The TN identifies four junctions on Coventry's highway network the development could have an impact on however, no further assessments (i.e. junction modelling) have been undertaken."

The council wants the effects on junctions in between the A45 / Tile Hill Lane and Hearsall Common / Queensland Avenue / Earlsdon Avenue North to be analysed, and junctions on Torrington Avenue to be looked into.

The city council also says it has commented on applications for other housing developments off Pheasant Oak Lane and Frog Lane and it has called for an assessment into the cumulative impacts of all the new houses to be completed.  

If approved, the Station Road site would feature a range of housing types from one-bedroom apartments to larger four-bedroom detached houses.

Public space for a convenience store, a café, a leisure centre and a doctor's surgery is included in the plans.

Several new roads would be built including a T-junction off Station Road and a reconfigured Station Road/Hallmeadow Road roundabout to allow access.

See the full application here.