Comment

Representation ID: 15515

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Natural England

Policy MIN3 - Preferred Areas for New Mineral Development

MP1: Birch Lane, Aldridge, Walsall.

This site represents a key local site in the area that meets the aspirations of Natural England’s Purple Horizons project (see Annex 1 for more details) to expand and connect up new and existing heathland habitat mosaics. Natural England recognises that mineral operators require new land for mineral extraction but would encourage them to create restoration plans that enable it to revert to heathland mosaic habitat that allows access for local people too. Policies that support new country park creation are an option to make this a reality. Local Nature Recovery Strategies are key to identifying these sites while revealing the big picture scenarios to influence landowners. Supporting local landowners with funding opportunities such as Biodiversity Net Gain and other Natural Capital Investments could make this a reality.

MSwa9 - (MB3) MX3 Sandown Quarry, Stubbers Green Road, Aldridge (Brick Clay)

We note that this site has been removed as a potential waste site and permitted minerals site and has now be allocated as employment land WAE412/GB1. We have concerns about this. This area includes and is in close proximity to the following SSSIs:

• Swan Pool & The Swag SSSI
• Stubbers Green Bog SSSI
• Jockey Fields SSSI

Any proposals would need to ensure that there would not be any direct and indirect impacts and be sensitively designed and should create and enhance the natural environment. Further comments on site allocations can be found below under 13 Sub-Areas and Site Allocations.

We would advise however that we believe that this site provides an excellent opportunity to combine environmental restoration as well as employment, could this site be the heart of a new Walsall
Wetlands Centre in 2050? Along with the Swan Pool & The Swag SSSI, Stubbers Green Bog SSSI and the restored Atlas Quarry as part of a nature-based economic redevelopment of the clay pit industrial
area. Combining Walsall special environmental sites and culture heritage to provide employment and a new tourist site that benefits wildlife and the local people?