Comment

Representation ID: 10946

Received: 17/08/2021

Respondent: Martin Redden

Hi
I understand that you're wanting input from citizens of the black country.
I would like to see beautiful neighbourhoods built please. The accepted idea that people must travel somewhere to see something old to experience beauty is ridiculous, if you think about it. Many people understandably, are NIMBY’s and want to cling to the green belt at any cost;but to my mind this is only because residential neighbourhoods are so ugly.
There are neighbourhood that try to be beautiful. They usually managed estates built for tenants rather than home buyers, for example the model villages of Bourneville and Port Sunlight, the ‘garden cities’ of Welwyn and Letchworth, some of the London neighbourhoods on university campuses are managed environments too with leisure and beauty in mind.
I believe that better tans can be planned. The road at the front model of the 1930s was fine for when vehicular traffic was only for deliveries, but it's downright dangerous when everyone owns a car. In factories, health and safety officers take great care to separate pedestrians and vehicles and there is not likely to be any children or elderly people in factories, so how did residential set ups get away with things that wouldn't be permitted in factories. To my mind the road and the residential parking spot should be at the back, next to the wheely bin, so the front of the house can be safely connected by footpaths into open parkland. You can't walk down the street without risking being run over by somebody reversing off their own drive. In fact, you're lucky to be able to walk down the pavement at all, with all the cars parked on the actual pavement.
Ancient trees should be built around rather than ripped up. Natural and historical features are assets, not obstacles. Councils love to have parks as separate areas that you travel to, I would argue that the whole neighbourhood, where people actually live should be the park. The houses should blend in like cottages in an ancient village.
Please be kind to pass on my email content to planners, or to publish it in your documents.
My contact information should remain private please.