Comment

Representation ID: 13544

Received: 20/08/2021

Respondent: David Archer

Sirs,

I see with great sadness that we are being ' forced' by HMG to forsake
some of our precious green belt and wild places (Like Pelsall North
Common and the old Pelsall Steel works site)

My view is that we should use vacant properties not in use for housing -
West Midlands Combined Authority's insistence on using brownfield sites
as a priority is, in my view, the correct and proper way to gain more
space for houses. Unfortunately insufficient opportunities of this type
have been identified to comply with HMG's requirements of increasing the
housing stock to their desired level.

However, it is evident to all that our town centres are dying and
becoming deserts - few people visiting and even fewer shops surviving.
Surely it makes sense to redevelop vacant shopping areas and properties
for housing rather than using green belt and wild places.

I bring to mind 2 huge areas in Walsall - the Old Square and Saddlers
centre. In historical terms these areas were housing and small family
owned 'upstairs' manufacturing areas during and after the industrial
revolution. Retail occupation has got to be below 20% at the moment with
little liklihood of that improving in the medium to long term.

Why not return them to housing areas?

Walsall council owns the Saddlers Centre - so in theory, they can do as
they please with this site.

Initial thoughts would be to develop that into a complete, cohesive and
integrated transport interchange hub freeing the areas of Bradford
Street and St Paul's for town centre type housing.

Similar sites exist throughout the whole of the Black Country -
Wolverhampton in particular comes to mind although it is now well served
for transport interchanges..

Using these sites would thus bring life back into the town centres,
restrict the demolition of Green Belt, and enable the existing transport
infrastructure to be better used without expensive extension to road and
rail provision.

In short - use what we have in a smarter way.

Best regards

David Arche