Object

Representation ID: 13753

Received: 28/10/2021

Respondent: Ms Lesley Shepherd

Walsall Borough - Proposed New Housing on Calderfields, Aldridge

This development would be an absolute disaster for Aldridge for the following reasons:

1. It would join Aldridge to Walsall completely eradicating our identity - which is totally different to that of Walsall. Aldridge would cease to exist entirely as a community and it is a separate community with a long history. People have chosen to live here because it is a separate entity - we are not a town as one of the planners described us to me.

2. This is green belt land and a pledge was made not to build on green belt land but to use brownfield sites - of which there are plenty! Apparently this is due to the fact that developers don't want to use them so Why not incentivise the facilitation of these sites. They are derelict and unless used for housing, will remain an urban wasteland forever. Surely this does not make any kind of economic sense?

3. We do not have the infracstrucutre or facillities to accomodate a community of this size. The current residents are unable to see a GP now and there are no others avaiable. The dentists have already stopped taking on new Nhs patients
There is one high school - already vastly oversubscribed - with a huge proportion of pupils coming in from the other side of Walsall already, meaning pupils from Aldridge are unable to get in The primary schools have no spare capacity and already turn prospective pupils away
The traffic on the A454 is already very bad - gridlocked at school times with parents bringing children in from Walsall areas. It is impossible at these times to drive off my property - this development would just add to traffic and increase pollution. Parents already block pavements and side roads
We have one supermarket with one (partially shared) car park
There is no parking anywhere in Aldridge (other than short term and always full) because Walsall Council have painted double lines everywhere - making it impossible to use public transport to get to Birmingham or anywhere else because there is nowhere to leave a car.