Object

Draft Black Country Plan

Representation ID: 13084

Received: 20/09/2021

Respondent: Mrs Kay Lowe

Representation Summary:

The areas I am opposed to directly are DUH208 - Holbeache; (330) DUH211 - The Triangle; (530)DUH203 - Ketley (612).

A further 2 sites will have a direct impact also and these are, DUH223 - Brockmoor Foundry North;(60) DUH001 - Cookley Works (70).

My main objection to this proposal is that on no draft are we shown any plans for the extra amenities that will be needed to be built in order to cater for these 1602 houses currently proposed for the areas detailed above.

Firstly, schools. The houses in the areas listed above currently have 4 secondary schools serving them. Summerhill, Kingswinford, Crestwood & Wordsley school. I was lucky enough to get places for my sons at Summerhill in 2008 & 2012. However, in 2007 a child could only get Crestwood from our address and in 2009 only get Wordsley. Fast forward to 2016 and a child got none of these four schools and instead, was given Ridgewood in Wollaston. The problems regarding places at secondary schools already exist and have for a long time in this area so how are they supposed to cope with the children generated with the extra housing? Since the capacity for those schools currently stand at 3755, how do you propose to fit over 40% more children (average one child per household) in?

Next would be GP surgeries and hospitals. Prior to the pandemic when we could actually get to see a GP the phone lines would be engaged from 8am with everyone calling in a desperate attempt to secure an appointment for that day. Generally, unless it was an emergency, appointments were being given for two weeks ahead at my surgery. How many more GP surgeries have you planned to build under this proposal? Has any consideration been given to the expansion of Rssells Hall and/or the building of a new hospital? In April of this year, they were told to improve so how are they going to do this with extra patients?

Finally, this would be bad enough when considered on its own but, given that propsals have been drafted/submitted to build another 800 homes on Ridgehill Woods which is out of the Black Country Plan but whose residents would use Dudley Services and amenities as opposed to Staffordshires then our schools, GP's and hospital will be at breaking point.