Object

Representation ID: 14716

Received: 08/10/2021

Respondent: Deborah Lamont

Black Country Plan - Walsall St Matthews Calderfields West Policy WSA7
I wish to register my objection to the above Black Country Plan and the proposed development of green belt land across Walsall, but I am focusing this response mainly on the above plan.
I believe that there is enough brownfield land and old industrial sites to accommodate housing targets within Walsall without the destruction of essential green belt land.
Also having witnessed the changes to Walsall town centre over the past few years brought on by the increase in online shopping which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, has the plan fully looked at the several empty spaces that are now part of the town centre profile and whether they could be turned into suitable housing? The companies that used the large retail spaces that have moved out of the town centre over the past few years will not be returning so creativity is required to think about how those spaces can now be used. Many communities around the world live beside and above shops, cafes and bars. Anyone travelling abroad for holidays will have witnessed this in several countries and it is common in central London. With the growing acknowledgment that how we live our lives directly impacts on the environment not only in this country but around the world I cannot emphasize enough how I believe this issue needs to be addressed in a more creative way.
I also believe that the green belt land identified contributes to the quality of the adjacent Arboretum which overlooks the open fields and forms an essential part of the setting of the Arboretum, which is Walsall’s much admired park and conservation area. The development will negatively the impact on the local wildlife. The development site would sit in the middle of the Arboretum, Arboretum extension, Park Lime Pits and Hayhead Wood which would destroy wildlife corridors and light overspill may negatively impact on the bats and other wildlife causing destruction of habitats. As mentioned previously this plan has been developed at a time when the importance of protecting our environment for future generations has come to the fore on a national and international stage. These plans appear to be a complete contradiction of this.
It is also well known that the Arboretum, the Aldridge Road, the Broadway North and the proposed site have a history of flooding which has increased over recent years and building over the area will only exacerbate this. This is linked to global warming and the points I made previously.
There is also the question of access to and from this site. The local infrastructure will not cope with the extra population and vehicles. The changes to the road layout between the Arboretum traffic lights at Lichfield Street leading to the Arboretum island which was only completed recently appears to have made very little difference to the management of traffic in the neighbourhood. The area will not cope with such a dramatic increase in the inevitable traffic, particularly as there is also a plan to build on other green belt land relatively close by at the junction of Longwood Lane and Sutton Road, despite what is stated in the plan. {Redacted] at certain times of the day it is difficult to join the Mellish Road to drive towards Aldridge due to the density of traffic. I cannot envisage the design of a new road development that would be able to successfully manage the additional traffic.
Finally, the pandemic has taught us the value of open space to the health and mental well- being of Walsall residents. The footfall across the Arboretum and all green spaces has increased dramatically since March 2020. The importance of green spaces cannot be underestimated and these plans to build on green belt land appears to be counterintuitive and counterproductive.