Object

Representation ID: 11559

Received: 06/10/2021

Respondent: Mrs Alison Round

To whom it may concern

I wish to register my objections regarding the proposed building of houses on both North and South green areas of Severn Drive, Brierley Hill. (DUH222).

The main reasons for my objections are as follows:

These green areas, which used to consist of one large green, are, or at least were when I moved into Severn Drive in the late 1980's, a designated play area for children on the estate and as such are widely used by local children as a safe recreation space where parents have peace of mind that they know where their children are and that they are not in danger from traffic. As a designated play area this should exempt this land from any form or building project. If these greens, along with the other proposed housing sites, are swallowed up for housing then where are these children supposed to go and play safely and get the fresh air and exercise that Government and NHS executives alike keep telling us children really need.

During the current Covid-19 pandemic, especially during the full lockdown periods where exercise was permitted for one hour daily, this green space became an essential area where local residents could walk to get what little exercise they were permitted outside of the confines of our own homes. This space is very important to help everyone with not only fitness but more importantly mental health and wellbeing.

As well as the above 2 points this green is also used by many dog walkers, again as a safe local area where dogs can be allowed to exercise safely, the Council having provided dog litter bins as well as general litter bins for that very purpose.

This area is also important for our local wildlife. Wildlife needs green space as much as their human counterparts. We have foxes within the local area, birds of prey use these green spaces as part of their hunting grounds, we have at least one breeding pair of buzzards locally that are seen flying above the estate, there are also bats seen regularly and nightly an owl can be heard from the area of Severn Drive north.

The local infrastructure is also totally insufficient for any increase in both population and traffic. There have been so many houses built in the local area in the last couple of years that there are no longer enough school places, Doctors Surgeries, Dentists etc to cope with the existing population without trying to increase it further.

The estate roads are definitely not built with construction traffic in mind, Corbyns Hall Lane is far too narrow, Corbyns Hall Road always has multiple vehicles parked both sides day and night on the top section passed Corbyns Hall Lane, and the corner of Comber Drive has a sharp bend and narrow road, which is dangerous enough to cars.

The new road junction on the High Street is already proving to be not fit for purpose. The traffic queues it was supposed to improve are just as bad if not worse than they were before the project took place, and will only get increasingly worse with the new commercial buildings currently under construction, the only improvement thus far is traffic alighting from Tansey Green Road, however, the traffic that used to be able to alight from Corbyns Hall Lane and turn right now find it is an impossibility at most times of the day due to being so close to the traffic lights, this causes people to have to exit the estate from the top of Corbyns Hall Road, however, this is a totally blind junction to try and turn left or right at and with the speed the traffic travels along Commonside a collision is highly likely. With new housing in the area this is only going to exacerbate the situation making the area even more dangerous. Corbyns Hall Lane has also become a negotiating hazard due to cars parking on the road to visit the Sainsbury Local, and you want to introduce more traffic in these areas!!

There are multiple local sites that have become complete eyesores over the years which would be far better demolished, why can't this be done and then these areas be rejuvenated for housing. There are also other brown sites which should be utilised, instead of taking away what little green space we have left to enjoy in the local area.

Aerial photographs of the local area show just how little green space there currently is. These plans will mean there will be no safe green spaces left for communities to use.