Object

Representation ID: 20675

Received: 10/10/2021

Respondent: Mr Neil Hicklin

Specifically in the Wall Heath and Kingswinford areas, the disproportionate proposed building of circa 800 units will be environmental sacrilege against one of few remaining areas of green space in this area, leading to loss of habitat, wildlife and vital leisure space. The amount of increased traffic would be environmentally damaging, a health risk, safety nightmare and lead to unmanageable levels of congestion, both being on a major Highways England trunk road. Already on 17-07-2021 at 2.45pm it took me 11 minutes to just cross the A449 outside of the Holbeache estate, which is not untypical. With the road works planned through Wall Heath in the coming weeks a foretaste of what might be to come, will be evident. The existing infrastructure is already inadequate for the developments that have been allowed and there would be expediential increased demand for more supermarkets, chemists, food outlets, restaurants, petrol stations, electric charging points, convenience stores etc, etc. Who will fund and build the car parks? There would be a need for huge electric, gas, telecoms, sewerage and water reinforcement works. What traffic measures would be put in place in Wall Heath to replace the already inadequate mini islands (no doubt the belief is this issue will be lobbed to Highways England)? There will be yet more pressure for school (and nursery) places in schools that are already highly popular and with a county border on one side so local children are limited in where they can attend. It was only a few years ago that Dudley MBC were adamant that Maidensbridge School should close! Expansion of existing or more new schools, road crossings, lights, etc at a cost, with more traffic and pollution is not viable. S106 contributions will not fund what would be required so who foots the bill if it ever gets built?
The ability to get into a Doctors/Dentist in the local area is already a joke and this will only serve to exasperate the issue. Access time to Russell's Hall, the nearest A&E, will be further lengthened which could be a matter of life and death. Concern has been expressed previously by the Authority regards the outward migration of professionals and higher wage earners and this will do nothing to stem such a flow and will indeed accelerate it, resulting in eventual lower tax takes and disposable income in the area. The historic and nationally important Holbeache House will be dwarfed by a sea of bricks and mortar if this debacle is allowed. There are numerous adjacent developments going up in Wombourne and Swindon which are already adding to traffic chaos, with the threat of yet further and even more substantial ones. This will add to traffic crossing the border as those residents obviously use the facilities on offer in Wall Heath and Kingswinford. My wife suffered what could have been a fatal accident at the turning to the Holbeache estate around 4 years ago, caused by a motorist clearly trying to avoid waiting in the heavy traffic, a situation which will only get worse, should this go through. What guarantees are there of no repeat? Once it has gone it has gone - all for short term gain, in an area where it is noted that Land Values, Section 106 values and Council Tax values will all be higher than the Borough average. If any rational and impartial person were presented with the full facts regards this proposal, they would unquestionably conclude that the plan is, in anybody's view, flawed and must be rejected out of hand. My father , a lifetime resident of Dudley who bemoaned that throughout his years, the views of the locals have never been considered. Just recently he recalled how he used to be able to wander across swathes of open land before the decimation caused by years of uncontrolled development put paid to it all and merged the once distinct Black Country communities into one impenetrable huge brick and asphalt mass where life isn't allowed to breathe. Every available piece of development land in the Wall Heath and Kingswinford area has already been taken, so please leave the little that is left, alone; to be enjoyed by generations to come.