Mayor calls review of plans for M42 services
CONTROVERSIAL proposals to build a huge new motorway services in Solihull should be “called-in” by the government, the West Midlands Mayor has argued.
Andy Street has raised concerns about the impact that either one of the rival applications to open facilities on the M42 would have on the Meriden Gap.
In a letter to the Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick he called for more detailed examination of the two applications, which could see a stop-off created in the vicinity of Catherine de Barnes or near Junction 4, Shirley.
He warned there would be a significant impact on the stretch of countryside intended to prevent the urban sprawls of Birmingham and Coventry merging together.
And he also referenced concerns about the safety of proposed facilities, in light of growing questions about smart motorway systems – which operate on the stretch in question.
Both bids have been stuck in the planning system for several years with a Solihull Council decision repeatedly put on hold due to requests for further detail from Highways England.
Mr Street has now backed a previous call by Meriden’s MP, Saqib Bhatti, to have the projects made subject to a public inquiry.
Writing to Mr Jenrick, he said: “Both proposals would lead to a loss of greenbelt in the Meriden Gap, which is already under considerable pressure.”
Talk of building a motorway services in Solihull has rumbled on for decades, with previous proposals having been the subject of a public inquiry back in 2009.
Campaigners were delighted when the plans proved unsuccessful, although developers always maintained there was an obvious gap on this stretch of the transport network.
Continued interest eventually saw the applications for Junction 4 and for a few miles further up, between Junctions 5 and 6, submitted in 2016 and 2015 respectively.
Mr Street argues that the approval of the HS2 rail scheme and a Junction 6 upgrade means that the local situation has changed since the last inquiry 12 years ago, strengthening the case for a fresh examination.
Applegreen Plc has drawn up the plans for Shirley, while competitor Extra MSA Group is the driving force behind the Catherine de Barnes scheme.