Object

Representation ID: 17631

Received: 10/10/2021

Respondent: Mrs Paulette West

As a resident of Walsall, I was shocked and extremely disappointed to hear about the plans to build on green belt land around Walsall and in particular the plot adjacent to the Arboretum and surrounding areas.

The conditions of living under covid has thrown a spot light on the essential need, of the physical, mental and social wellbeing for everyone, for green spaces surrounding such an already built up area to be valued and maintained for the enjoyment of all. We are very regular visitors throughout the week to the Arboretum, along with many other people, and know that visitors drive distances to enjoy this space and its surrounding areas. Having spaces to view, share and enjoy together as a community, whether publicly or privately owned, is an incredibly precious and important right - otherwise why have green belt land in the first place?

Building the proposed new housing will have a detrimental effect on an already built up and overloaded system - such as roads (including air pollution), schools and health care. This additional pressure on our community is not needed, especially at this time. We need consolidation and support for our existing town and community.

What is also of deeep concern, is that in an age of multi-media, why is it that we only heard about the details of this Plan on the national news, two days before the deadline? More should have been done to ensure the details were more publicly known, therefore being more thorough and fair, even with an apparent extension of the deadline.

Now more than ever, more must be done and seen to be done, to develop brown field sites for affordable housing.