Object

Representation ID: 12670

Received: 29/09/2021

Respondent: Ann Burton

Site Ref : WAH242 Calderfields West Site alongside Walsall Arboretum.

Please do NOT build alongside the arboretum. The green belt land is precious. Look to the brownfield sites first. Be proactive, be brave, search out the brownfield sites, move them / push them forwards. Do not build on Green Belt Land. Once gone, forever gone. Do not be weak and give up the Green Belt. Be strong, find alternatives. Look at some of the great regeneration success stories and learn from them - some of them are on your doorstep. Broad Street/Brindleyplace in Birmingham is a great example of housing and business co-existing and bring life and prosperity to an area. Surely, Walsall deserves and needs more than just more housing aimed at the more affluent. What about housing for the younger generation looking to start out on the housing market.
I know you will say 'We will plant a line of tree to hide the houses'. This isn't good enough. The open field views, the grazing animals add another aspect to the arboretum and visitors enjoyments of it. The pandemic demonstrated how important our open space is both physically and mentally. This particular view gives that feeling of 'space', it is different to the rest of the park. When I visit I see families enjoying these views. Don't wait until it is too late to realise how important this is.