Object

Representation ID: 20032

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mrs Helen Moore

Holbeache BCP Site DUH 208 page 371
Triangle BCP Site DUH 211 page 371
I object to the proposed housing developments on Holbeache and the Triangle in Wall Heath for many reasons.
I, like many others chose to live in Wall Heath because it was a village on the edge of the greenbelt because of all of the benefits living in a small village brings: close community, close to pleasant walks, quiet, low crime rate, close to local wildlife, etc. For this, we have paid a premium, as the average price of a house in Wall Heath is £291,624, compared with £201,232 in neighbouring Wordsley and £148,161 in Pensnett. In changing the nature of where we live irreversibly, you will make the sacrifices that we have chosed to make futile. You will change everything we moved here for!
Another reason that we moved here was for our children to go to good schools. We have a child in a local primary school which is oversubscribed in some year groups; and a child in a local secondary school, which is also oversubscribed. Their education will undoubtedly suffer. I teach in one of these schools, where we have 47 children in a year group which should be 45. Extra-curricular trips are more and more difficult to book and less financially viable when you need 5+ adults to go on the trip. We chose these schools because they are good, community -based schools. again, a greater population in the area will change this. If more houses are needed, they should be built on brownfield sites and where towns are already established with greater services and infrastructure.
Another reason for not building on our greenbelt land is the potential damage to our local wildlife. We have many protected species such as bats, not to mention many others, which will have their habitats destroyed and ecosystems will be ruined. These areas where we, as a family, and many others walk regularly, have been essential for our mental health, particularly in our recent lockdowns. Preserve these for us and others who live in the Black Country, rather than build more houses.
Many houses have already been built nearby. We do not need more expensive houses to be built. By proposing these builds, you are showing a complete lack of understanding about Wall Heath and its residents. You will force those who can afford it to move further into more rural areas to replace what you have taken, thus driving demand for more housing into more greenbelt land. Where does it stop?
In conclusion, I fiercely object to the building of houses on Holbeache and the Triangle in Wall Heath.