Little Aston Report
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Lichfield District LITTLE Rural Planning Project ASTON A. WHAT YOU SAID B. WHAT C.A.B.E. SAID C. OTHER EVIDENCE RELEVANT TO PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE OF LITTLE ASTON D. TOWARDS A VISION FOR THE FUTURE Lichfield District Council September 2011 NB – To be read in conjunction with the Introduction and Conclusion Reports. November 2011 A. What you said: Sutton Coldfield and Streetly. At this and ‘density’ of tree cover. Some event it was noted that the ‘heart’ of the noted that it was important to protect 1. The following paragraphs summarise original village lay in the area near to St. trees as this would maintain the the main outcomes from the rural Peter’s Church (and Forge Lane), but character of Little Aston. The planning project in terms of the views also that today Little Aston contains closeness to Sutton Park was also gathered, principally from residents of several individual ‘districts’. These were noted as contributing to the the village, between July 2010 and shown on a workshop plan as areas of environment of part of Little Aston. February 2011. The original analyses on “commonality”, these being parts of Little Descriptions of the things people liked which this summary is based are Aston that have common characteristics about Little Aston from questionnaire included as Appendix 2. Views and within them, such as the character of responses used terms such as: quiet; ideas arising from the February 2011 their streets, density or tree cover, whilst friendly community spirit; spacious; workshop event are illustrated on the the individual ‘districts’ may differ secluded; tidy; rural; a conservation accompanying Composite Plan of significantly from each other in area; not over developed. Workshop Ideas. character. These areas are shown on the Composite Plan of Workshop Ideas. 5. Others noted that although Little • Character and environment Aston was a community, because of its form there was no focal point that 2. Many of those who responded to could act as the heart of the questionnaires or took part in events settlement. The question of whether thought or accepted that Little Aston Little Aston needed a ‘heart’ was not really a village in the somewhere was discussed in traditional sense, because of its workshops and others commented physical form and location alongside a through questionnaires. Some saw the larger urban area. Nevertheless there need for a central place with was a view that there was a strong somewhere to meet, for formal sport community ‘ethic’. Most people and recreation. Overall however in thought of themselves as belonging to terms of the range of views gathered, Little Aston and that its ‘identity’ was there was no consensus on whether different from the adjacent areas. Little Aston lacked a ‘heart’ or whether there was a need to create a place to 3. During the workshops in February fulfil the function. 2011 groups defined the boundaries or edges of Little Aston, as principally St. Peter’s Church 6. Some people thought that Little being formed by open farmland to the Aston needed a clearer ‘identity’ as a north and north-west, by golf courses in 4. People attached great importance separate place or community and that the west and north, and by the different to the ‘leafy streets’ characteristic of the existing features that give it urban character it showed when much of the area and felt that it was identity therefore need to be protected. compared to the adjacent areas within important to maintain the current type Again however, overall there was no2 great consensus on whether a clearer environmental quality was 11. Several suggestions were made ‘identity’ is needed. consequently important to them. Part indicating lengths of road where the of protection included to keeping open speed limit should be reduced. These 7. Within Little Aston parts of the some views out of Little Aston to the included Mill Lane/Aldridge Road – settlement lie within gated areas. north, including from the area by St. from 40 mph to 30 mph, making all of Many of these were created much Peter’s Church and the area north of Blake Street 30 mph, and making the earlier in time than is common within Little Aston Lane that looks into open A454 route through Little Aston all 30 the West Midlands and most are areas countryside. There was a suggestion mph. In addition a suggestion of traffic of very low density development in an of wildflower and tree planting in these calming Aldridge Road and Little environment with a substantial tree areas to improve the environment Aston Lane was made, although not canopy. The ‘gated communities’ further. People wanted to see by using ‘speed humps’. Some people appeared to be an issue amongst environmental control exercised over thought that part of the problem was some people who responded to the the area to prevent future erosion of its poor enforcement of the existing consultation. Some thought that they quality and were concerned that ‘over- speed limits in the area. had some harmful impacts in terms of development’ could also impact upon limiting the potential for pedestrian or the quality of the settlement. 12. Some people expressed a concern cycle access within Little Aston and a that the footpath network was social impact in separating • Transport and traffic relatively poor, both in terms of its communities and restricting management maintenance and also that there were community cohesion. lengths where the width of footpaths 9. Many people who contributed to the were inadequate. questionnaire or workshops had issues over road traffic and public transport. The speed of traffic was a particular issue. 10. There was a consensus that speeding traffic affected a number of roads within Little Aston and this appeared to be the most important traffic issue to many people. Many thought that the speed of traffic was Roman Road too high particularly on Little Aston Lane, Aldridge Road, Walsall Road Forge Lane outside school hours 8. People who contributed to the rural and Rosemary Hill Road. ‘Rat running’ masterplanning project all seemed to 13. The issue of walking access to was thought to contribute to the value the environment of Little Aston. Little Aston Primary School had a problem and increase the amount of The protection of its current number of facets. Parking on Forge traffic within the area. 3 Lane to drop off and collect children workshops are shown on the 16. In terms of specific suggestions a was seen as an issue of safety Composite Plan of Workshop Ideas. request was made for a bus stop on because of the number of cars and the the north side of Aldridge Road narrowness of the land and footpaths. 15. One of the top priorities that outside Little Aston Hospital. As a Reference was made to the emerged from the ‘stakeholder’ possible longer term suggestion the narrowness of footpaths having workshops held in November 2010 reopening of passenger services along prevented the establishment of a was to improve the ‘disjointed and the ‘Sutton Park Line’ was also ‘walking bus’ for schoolchildren. insufficient’ public transport facilities. suggested to allow connections with Suggestions were made that a One of the issues arising from this was Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, Aldridge footpath connection could be made the lack of a regular bus connection and Wolverhampton, with a possible between Forge Lane and Little Aston from Little Aston to Blake Street station within Little Aston. Lane through the recreation ground, station. The quality and frequency of and that this would be a convenient buses to Lichfield has also been 17. The maintenance and route for some. Mention was made raised as an issue. However improvement of the existing local that a footpath could have been questionnaire results suggest that at shops was seen as important to the created between Blake Street and present most people did not use public life of Little Aston. The improvement of Forge Lane, but the opportunity to transport, citing cost, infrequency, the parking facilities at Burnett Road was create this was missed when the golf walking distances to reach services mentioned as something that could course was developed. and the lack of information about help to sustain the shopping centre services as reasons they didn’t use there. 14. There was a desire to improve the bus services. Those who did use potential for walking and cycling in the public transport tended to use the train • Community activities and area and some saw the presence of service from Blake Street into Sutton facilities gated areas as inhibiting this. Many Coldfield and Birmingham. people however, disagreed with this 18. The consultation showed that view. Several suggestions were made many people recognised that Little for new recreational footpath links or Aston has a range of community opportunities. As well as the Forge facilities, but there were issues for Lane – Little Aston Lane link, some in improving them. People suggestions were made that this area attending events or answering the north of the village would be good for questionnaire variously identified circular routes and the land to the west existing facilities to include two of Little Aston hospital was considered shopping area, the village school, to be an opportunity to establish church, Parish hall, recreation area footpaths across or within it (the same and football/hockey at Chester Road. area, however, was also suggested as There was some concern however a potential housing location – see Clarence Road that the dentist identified within the below). Suggestions made at the Lichfield District Rural Sustainability 4 Study was purely private and that the creation of a new community hall as a to live” and this included keeping open settlement currently has no doctors place to meet and that this could be views where they exist.