Balsall Common residents will soon face hundreds more lorries coming through the village every day after HS2 won its appeal to the secretary of state.

The high speed rail developer first applied to send nearly extra lorries through Balsall Common every day back in 2021, with the application rejected.

A second scheme was then thrown out again by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) last March, before an appeal was submitted.

And while SMBC maintained its position that sending more HGV's down Waste Lane and Kelsey Lane every day is unsafe, permission has now been granted for up to 188 two-way lorry movements through the village every day.

"The route would not generate road safety or congestion concerns over and above that already identified in the environmental statement," HS2's appeal said.

Adding: "The width of the highways along the route are sufficient for two large vehicles to safely pass.

"This has been assessed by the appellant's contractor and the information was provided by way of a presentation."

Hundreds of HS2 lorries will now be able to move down the A452 before turning onto Kelsey Lane and Waste Lane (Image via planning application)

HS2 has also put forward a number of traffic calming measures for the roads which it says will increase safety.

Approving the application, the secretary of state's report said these would "reduce the potential for there to be conflict between pedestrians and other non motorised users".

The application includes new 20mph speed limits along Kelsey Lane and Windmill Lane and a mini roundabout at the junction of Kelsey Lane, Waste Lane and Windmill Lane.

SMBC had asked for a condition to be placed on the application to prevent HS2 using the road during school drop off and collection times.

But the report said the request had "not been justified as being necessary".

Following the announcement, leader of the council Cllr Ian Courts said: "I was not happy to receive the news that the appeal decision on the use of Waste Lane for lorries to the HS2 site in Balsall Common had gone against the council. 

"I have met with officers and our local MP, Saqib Bhatti, to start the process of taking advice and reviewing all options and courses of action in relation to this."

Possible traffic calming for Waste Lane and Kelsey Lane (image via planning application)

Alternatives

When planning permission was refused last March, councillors labelled the plans as "clearly unsafe" and said HS2 should instead be using the Hallmeadow Road route.

HS2 said this was not possible as it had not bought all the necessary land to build the route.

However, councillors made it clear there was no planning issue here, and said it was not the council's fault that HS2 has not acquired all the land it needs.

Councillors also said that HS2 had ignored the option of reinforcing its Truggist Hill Farm bridge to cross the West Coast Mainline.

Estimated daily HGV movements through Balsall Common (image via planning application)

But the report from the secretary of state said using the village centre as the hall route was the only viable option available at the moment.

"They [secretaries of state] further note the Inspector's conclusion that until such time as it has either been purchased or leased the required third-party land the route via Hallmeadow Road should not be considered as a genuine alternative to the proposed LGV route," it said.

(Header image by Bill Nicholls via geograph.org.uk)