Object

Representation ID: 17340

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mrs Susan Readshaw

WOH274 WTNA WEC Smestow Valley Wolverhampton
I wish to object to the proposal in the Local Plan for a development of 14 "exclusive" dwellings on the above site.
It appears that a number of important factors have not been taken into consideration. The Plan states that there is no habitat of value on the site, relying on a survey from 2015 and an application for planning permission, now lapsed, from 2018. This is, quite simply, not the case. The site absorbs excess water from the nearby Smestow Brook, and as a result a shallow wetland is developing. Great Crested Newts, Herons and Little Egrets have been seen on the site, as well as five species of bat.
It appears that no Local Site Assessment has been conducted in connection with the Plan. The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country (WTBBC) notes that there is no evidence of consultation with the Local Nature Partnership. However, WTBBChas conducted studies in October 2019 and early 2021 which have concluded that the site is indeed of importance for nature conservation. The Plan shows no evidence of this information having been taken into account. WTBBC states further that the site adjoins a Local Nature Reserve, which will be severely impacted by any development.
The development is in fact simply unnecessary. West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has established that there is more than enought brownfield land within the Black Country to meet requirements for at leat ten years. The urgent need is for affordable housing, and a development of "exclusive" dwellings will do nothing to meet this need. This, together with the Prime Minister's commitment in his party conference speech to protect greenbelt, calls into question the reasoning behind this proposed development. On a practical note, there seems to be no recognition in the Plan of the difficulty of building on a site prone to flooding.
The WEC site is greatly valued by many people as a green space on the edge of Wolverhampton and as a site of increasing importance for wildlife. The value of such sites for the mental health of local residents cannot be overestimated. Its loss would be a severe blow not only to the environment but to the community.