Object

Representation ID: 17711

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Jane Leighton

Number of people: 4

Walsall/Sites WAH237 and WAH253 - I strongly object to these proposed building sites for 4 main reasons

1. Transport and Access. Stonnall Road is already a busy road with many cars and delivery lorries especially for Richmond Hall nursing home. The bottom half of the road is a narrow twisting lane where the drivers do not stick to the speed limit. The proposed site will increase the volume of traffic on this road which will increase the pollution. The road is used as a cut through from the Chester Road and the junction with Chester Road can be very dangerous. Construction vehicles turning in and out of this junction will only increase the danger and risk to life at this junction. After construction 400 plus new houses will mean 800 additional vehicles using this road.

2. Green belt should be kept. Once it is destroyed it cannot be returned. This proposed site has borders of ancient woodland hedges with much wildlife living in it. The council should be keeping green spaces to stop climate change. This is not sustainable development and goes against current thinking on climate change and green spaces. I cannot believe that Walsall council does not have enough brown sites in the area for the number of houses proposed for this site.

3. Services. Medical services in Aldridge are already stretched. There is usually a wait for doctors/ nurses appointments. The schools in Aldridge are full. After Redhouse school was closed the remaining schools in Aldridge are already oversubscribed. Cooper & Jordan School is very busy at school drop off time with parents parking where ever they can including the town centre. Increasing class sizes would only increase the amount of parents trying to park near the school. I do not believe the schools have enough space to expand to accommodate the children that would be housed in 400 houses. Unless parking is considered for all 3 schools in Aldridge I do not think that Aldridge can increase the school intake without serious consequences. There is also very limited parking in Aldridge town centre. The surrounding roads are busy with parked cars of people either working in Aldridge or visiting to shop. Walsall Wood Road is particularly dangerous with parked cars as people are turning off the dual carriage-way.

4. To extract sand and gravel from these sites will change the road into a industrial site which will bring noise and dust pollution and affect the quality of residents life and health.