Object

Representation ID: 45853

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr Peter Bennett

The TRIANGLE
BCP Site Ref DUH 211 Page 371
DSA 2 pages 424 - 428

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to voice my objections to the above draft development proposals. Having lived in Wall Heath for over 60 years I feel any further building in the Green Belt is unacceptable.
This site is a buffer green belt to the South of the Dudley Metropolitan Borough and was designated to be a Green Belt site to stop the urban sprawl. I've have always understood that the aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence. This would or should assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land, I do not feel that Dudley has exhausted it recycling of Brownfield sites. The land if built on would not be permanently open. This large development I feel it would have a detrimental affect upon the wildlife in this part of the borough damaging fauna and flora, with the loss of well-established hedgerows and trees resulting in a decrease in biodiversity. The land in this Triangle has been farmed for all the years that I can remember and seems to be good grade soil. This site has been a godsend during the recent Lockdowns due to the Covid 19 enabling people to exercise by either walking of cycling around these sites without breaking any social distancing requirements, I feel this has had a positive impact upon people's mental health during this difficult time, especially when the poppies are in full bloom. Though environmental issues are important, especially with the Climate Change Talks on the horizon other issues of concern are: -
The adverse impact this large housing development will have on our local hospital facility at Russell's Hall Hospital and the medical surgery I attend at Moss Grove Kingswinford. Russell's Hall is a good hospital, and its staff are excellent but like all NHS sites, even before the pandemic, are overstretched and waiting times are excessive. The medical surgery at Moss Grove is also at capacity and on occasion I have been advised to go to the Kinver surgery to get treatment because Kingswinford has reached its capacity, an influx of a large housing development cannot help this situation.
Now turning my attention to the local roads in Wall Heath, they are already congested not only during rush hours in the morning and evening, but during weekend and bank holidays, again an inevitable increase in traffic volume from this large housing development will compound the problem. It not only the circulation and free flowing of traffic that will be impeded but the inevitable upsurge in pollution and reduction of air quality as well more vehicle noise throughout the day. The vehicular access and egress to this site I feel will also have a negative impact on the flow of traffic throughout Wall Heath and Kingswinford where "rabbit runs" through local estates are now commonplace, especially through the Holbeach estate.

I note that the traffic through High Street in Wall Heath ( the A449) was disrupted during the Lockdown when the Severn Trent took the opportunity to work on the water/sewage facilities that ran from the High Street up to the junction of the Wolverhampton Road and Lodge Lane, which borders the proposed Triangle development, this I understand was carried out to improve the overstretched facilities as the stand rather than for any future plans for development in this area. A housing development of this size would surely require further improvements to be carried out to cope with a volume increase.
Though I no longer have children of a school age this large housing development again will put a strain on our local school system. Having been a governor at Maidensbridge School I appreciate how difficult it is to cater school children places. However, looking at recent OFSTED figure the capacity for school spaces versus the actual numbers is very close at the present time leaving only a small safety margin. I feel that this development would only make the situation worse.
I understand people need housing but I hope my points illustrate that this site will have too many adverse effects upon the local environment and local facilities