Object

Representation ID: 19049

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Miss Diane Saunders

Objection to all building Development on the land at Calderfields West Site
WAH 242, Policy WA7, SA-0078-WAL

I am privileged to live on Calderfields Farm, however other than adversely affecting the amenities there are a number of other reasons why I am objecting to the development, that I believe should never have been considered at all for the plan:

• Permanent destruction of Green Belt land, how does this help the biodiversity when over 50% has already been destroyed in the Uk and there are plenty of brown fields site available.
• Methodology for site being considered - According to the Black Country Plan’s own methodology this site is not suitable for development.
Draft Black Country Plan Site Assessment Report: Assessment and Selection Methodology and Results. Aug 2021, Chapter 3, Page 16, Paragraph 5 states:
“Sites located in areas where development is likely to cause very high harm to remaining green belt and where landscape sensitivity to development is likely to be moderate-high or high have been considered not suitable for development”.
Appendix C-4, Page 137 Sites Assessed for Housing and Selected (Walsall), St. Matthews, Site Reference SA-0078-WAL has rated the site as follows:
Green Belt Harm: North East Very High Harm, West High Harm = Red
Landscape Sensitivity: Moderate High = Red
• Previous planning permission for building houses have all be denied examples of refusal-
 Application - 19/1598 – refused due to
The proposed detached garage & workshop would be an inappropriate addition to the Green Belt. The addition of the outbuilding, on an open area of un-developed land, incrementally erodes the openness of the Green Belt, which is inherently detrimental to its character. No ‘Very special circumstances’ have been demonstrated which would outweigh the harm arising from the development. Therefore the proposal is not in accordance with policy GB1 of Walsall’s Site Allocation Document 2019 and the National Planning Policy Framework.
 Application - 14/0927/FL refused see attached document
• Wildlife on site and being the wildlife corridor from between Arboretum , Lime Pits and Hayhead – If we have the light and noise pollution of over 400 houses we will lose the [REDACTED - SENSITIVE] etc not just from Calderfields but also the arboretum
• No ecological report – If a report had been completed there is no way this site would have been put forward, even the Wildlife Trust of Birmingham and Black Country also believe that there should be no development on this site. If a report had been completed you would clearly know that there are protected species (such as [REDACTED - SENSITIVE] ) on site as well as many other wildlife species that I have seen and some I haven’t but do hear regularly
• Spoiling the only “open space” character and landscape from the Walsall Arboretum, everyone I have spoken to all say this would spoil the arboretum, following the pandemic we all know the importance of being outside and taking advantage of the wide open spaces for our well being
• Pressure on infrastructure and the generation of traffic – how would Buchanan road, Aldridge Road cope with excess traffic – would there have to be another access through the golf course or even the arboretum?
• Drainage and flooding – the contour of the land already suffers from excess flooding – where would drainage go? Arboretum? Golf course ?
• What checks have been made regards any archaeological significance as Heritage Statement, Calderfields Farm or Cauldy Fields goes back to medieval times (1066- 1540) which suggests there is? https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MBL1782&resourceID=1025
• Calderfields Driving range have not given permission for the land to be developed!

I am not going into great detail regards all these points as I am aware that you will have a lot more detail from others that are objecting, although I also know that there are a lot of people of Walsall and users of the arboretum that are still unaware due to the lack of communication through this consultation period.

I have attached the following as clear evidence of some of the wildlife right in the centre of the proposed development site, all of which I have taken in the last 6 month
• [REDACTED - SENSITIVE]

I urge you to reconsider using this land for development not only for myself but for the wildlife, the other residents this will effect, the users of the arboretum and the other people of Walsall