Object

Representation ID: 14009

Received: 21/09/2021

Respondent: Martyn West

My comments refer directly to the proposals in the areas surrounding Pelsall, these being WAH236 and the Land at Vicarage Road/Coronation Road, High Heath.

First my general comment and objection is around the vehicle impact of major housing developments in both these areas. As I'm sure you know, the existing road between Pelsall & Brownhills, already has high volumes of traffic for extended rush hour periods due to local work premises, school journeys to/from Shelfield/Brownhills/Shire Oak schools as well as the Primary schools in Ryders Hayes and Clayhanger. The development at WAH236 will add to the volume of traffic without appearing to deliver any additional vehicle routes away from the congested area. Maybe an idea to think of doing something?

Same concerns for the Vicarage Road/Coronation Road development, traffic to and from Ormiston Shelfield Academy already has a huge impact on the High Heath estate and pedestrians going to school. Again there is a constant rush hour congestion problem through High Heath into Pelsall which will be compounded by the development with no additional road planning to reduce this problem.

On the environmental side, the development in High Heath takes out a huge area of natural landscape and fields, which is habitat to many animals, including deer, and used by a high number of local people for leisure e.g. dog walking, exercise. Why not look at the land between the disused railway line and High Heath, on the opposite side of Fordbrook Lane? This is currently used for horse grazing or is waste land towards the Rushall school campus.

I would encourage you to look at your planning as though you were in the private sector, I understand things are easier in the public sector as you have no consequence of not performing or having to meet financial or operational targets, thus it is easy to make a decision when it won't impact the performance of your organisation. But look at the plans from the perspective of having to please customers (voters/council tax payers), providing a benefit to the communities in which you operate and also delivery the market requirements.

Make good decisions, not easy decisions.