Policy DSA1 Land South of Holbeach Lane /Wolverhampton Road, Kingswinford

Object

Representation ID: 11064

Received: 25/08/2021

Respondent: Laura Willetts

I hope this email finds the correct people in order to object to the building of new houses near Holbeache and Summerhill.

I have lived in Wordsley and then Kingswinford all my life and have always loved the area because of its close proximity to nature. we need to keep these green spaces as what they are and have been for so many; places to unwind, relax, get exercise and fresh air. Mental health is an enormous problem, how will more congestion on roads, more noise, traffic, pollution be anything but a hugely negative, backwards step?

Roads in this area are already far too busy, new housing developments will make this even worse. Schools are already oversubscribed; where will our children go to school? GP surgeries and Russel's Hall are already swamped; how will these services cope with hundreds of new patients?

The local residents who live in and love our area do not want these developments to take place. Listen to the people who live in these areas and please, do the moral, reasonable thing and use brownfield sites first

Object

Representation ID: 11073

Received: 30/08/2021

Respondent: Miss Tina Priest

[Holbeache]

This area does not require any further housing development. More housing and more people living in this area will have a detrimental effect on the people and services which are already here and already under strain. Local services are already stretched. Our local hospital trust (Dudley Group) has lengthy waiting lists and GP surgeries are struggling with the number of patients they already have on their books. More houses will inevitable mean more cars on the road and this is already a problem, especially on the morning and evening commute. Traffic will be queuing and emissions will increase. Our local small roads will become 'short cuts' for people to try and avoid jams.

Our greenbelt land is very important. It can have a positive effect on the mental health and well being of the residents who live here. This has been especially true during these difficult covid times. We cannot afford to lose this valuable asset. The countryside around our area will be adversely affected by the building of more houses. Air and noise pollution will increase and the general health of the population will decrease.

Object

Representation ID: 11074

Received: 31/08/2021

Respondent: Mrs Stephanie Rudge

[Holbeache]

This village cannot sustain this amount of housing - we do not want our green spaces taken away and wildlife and plant areas destroyed! Surely the amount of housing built/ still being built at the top of Stallings Lane is Sufficient - we need to preserve village communities - also we don't want our house prices to decrease as this will put people off living in a village. The road from Himley through Wallheath is busy enough without adding to it - plus the fact of the historic Holbeache House being right by this development. NO! NO! NO! Listen to Andy Street and use brown sites, old industrial areas, not GREEN BELT & GREEN SPACE!!

Object

Representation ID: 11075

Received: 30/08/2021

Respondent: Miss Sarah Lee

[Holbeache]

- Effect on our local service. I work for the NHS and already we are stretched. Not enough local doctors, long wait times at the emergency department, further delays to local services
- Roads are congested, increase in emissions and poor air quality
- Stretched school spaces, how can we develop schools and exercise programmes for children if we are just chopping up our green spaces
- Youth will suffer, an increase in children, no support or limited children centres or sports centres
- HUGE loss to the green belt and the poor wildlife you will be killing in the construction let alone the long term effects on loss of habbitat and loss of agricultural land.
- We need to support the people that already live in our local area and who have done for many generations, bringing in expensive houses is not supporting who is LOCAL to you.

Object

Representation ID: 11077

Received: 29/08/2021

Respondent: Mr Paolo Arenare

[Holbeache]

I strongly object to the building of houses on this field. We don't have the resources needed for the extra people who would be living here. Also the disadvantages to nature ad wildlife would be irreversible.

Object

Representation ID: 11079

Received: 28/08/2021

Respondent: Mr James Fildes

[Holbeache]
There are multiple problems with the building plans for these areas

The local NHS waiting time partly as a result of COVID but also pre covid is to long and will not be able to cope with this increasse. Local doctors surgeries dont have the parking or capacity for new patients as it is.

The local infrastructure is not setup nor suitable for the additional houses and traffic coming in and out, yet alone the building work vehicles. The main part of wall heath has long delays due to the "double islands" and these are in no way suitable for an additional influx of traffic. The main car park is wall heath for the COOP holds around 40-50 cars and again would be significantly over crowded. Adding an additional road onto the major A449 causes significant risks to the car as has already seen following the one way system brought into place from the turning onto beachcroft road. There have been multiple accidents near holbeache house and this will not help.

There are also not enough spaces for children to obtain places within the currently school setup, and with the locations of the school again even if the school could accommodate this the road setup and parking situation is not suitable for an increase in traffic numbers. School places cannot cope with the existing so further demand will not help, this means families will have to commute further to schools and thus increasing emissions and travel delays.

If 81% of the sites found can be brownfield then why not the smallest proportion of houses also be moved to brownfield sites. The impact on the green belt is damming and brownfield sites should e considered. The local areas provide good areas for people to walk within the short reach of the housing and allows people to take time away from the centre. Losing these areas would mean people then have to drive to nearby areas in order to walk or use the nicer outdoor areas. The impact on the local environment through the construction, travel, infrastructure and waste will damage the areas considerably.

Object

Representation ID: 11080

Received: 01/09/2021

Respondent: Ms Heidi Harrison

Having moved to Beachcroft Road last year I was surprised to read about the proposed plans. I currently live adjacent to the proposed site and I feel there are several factors that will affect myself and the local area.
1. Effect on local services: Roads
-The A449 is an extremely busy and noisy road. Extra vehicles will increase this noise, cause higher CO2 emissions and worsen the air quality.
2. Effect on local services: NHS
-Russells Hall Hospital and local G.P's are under a lot of strain regarding waiting times etc increasing the population in this area will be detrimental to these services.
-My partner and I haven't been able to register with a local NHS dentist. Local dentists are either private or have no NHS places available unless you are willing to go on a waiting list.
3. Effect on local services: Schools
-On speaking to residents I've been informed about the lack of reception and primary school places. With plans to start a family in the near future it is worrying this is currently the case not taking into account the proposed plans and future higher population.
4. Loss of Green Belt and impact on local wildlife and the environment:
-All available brownfield sites should be used before green belt.
-Holbeache is excellent agricultural land, and the government committed a 25-year plan to protect land of this quality and use the soil in a sustainable way.
-Loss of hedgerows would be detrimental to wildlife including bees, butterflies, owls, buzzards and red kites which are already declining in numbers.
-The proposed site acts to absorb huge amounts of rainwater. With increasing rainfall due to climate change where would this water go? The drains don't seem to cope with sudden downpours and water can be seen flowing like a river down the roads. The area could be at risk of increased flooding.
5. Effect on Residents;
-Light pollution will be increased.
-The building work will impact locals in terms of noise, traffic, visual and smell.
-Local green space is so important for mental health and wellbeing and the green space was one of the reasons I chose to move to this area.

Object

Representation ID: 11081

Received: 22/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Geoff Swingler

[Holbeache]

Loss of green belt and impact on wildlife and the environment;
All brownfield sites should be used before green belt.
Holbeache is very good agricultural land - it is grade 2, where a range of crops can be grown.
The government committed a 25year plan to protect land of this quality and use the soil in a sustainable way.
The hedgerows all around Holbeache and a small plot to the left form a SLINC.
Building here will mean a loss of wildlife, trees, daffodil annual display.
Local people appreciate the green belt through walks and cycle rides.
Residents of Wallheath have chosen to move away from large residential areas and live close to rural areas with cleaner air and green spaces.
Building this size will cause air and water pollution with chemicals released during construction.

Effect on local services: Roads
The A449 is a very busy, noisy road. Local infrastructure is already congested. Additional vehicles will add to congestion, cause higher CO2 emissions and poorer air quality, increased accidents. It will also cause drivers to cut through the Maidensbridge estate, creating road safety issues.
Additional housing will add to flooding issues which regularly occur on the A449 at Holbeache Nursing Home at times of heavy rain.

Effect on local services: Schools
Data supports that local parents have had difficulty attaining places for their children at local schools. For the September 2021 admissions, the only school with places for year 7 is Wordsley. Most other year groups are full. This will only become worse with additional housing in the area.

Effect on local services: NHS
There aren’t enough doctors and dentists in the local area. Moss Grove Surgery, Kingswinford is having to send patients to their Kinver practice.

The proposed plan is for limited high value homes. This is not what the government proposed.
Affordable housing should be built on High Streets in place of vacant shops.

Object

Representation ID: 11084

Received: 27/08/2021

Respondent: Mrs Christine Browne

[Holbeache]

This is green belt land which has been used by the community for many years, Why use this instead of using all brown land sites? Another erosion of our green spaces for luxury homes. The A449 cannot cope with anymore traffic and more pressure on our infrastructure. This land provides the residents on The Maidensbridge and Charterfields estate an opportunity to walk and exercise their animals and improve our mental health.

Object

Representation ID: 11108

Received: 22/09/2021

Respondent: Mrs Tracy Price

Wall Heath-Kingswinford-Wordsley is one large housing estate. Green space in k’ford is irreplaceable.

Object

Representation ID: 11124

Received: 24/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Andrew Johnson

I wish to object to the amount of housing proposed for Kingswinford. The 3 sites (DUH208-211-203) total 1475 new houses, this will change the nature of Kingswinford for ever. The loss of the greenbelt at DUH211 for over 500 houses is horendous.
Kingswinford rush hour traffic is a major problem for residents, this will make it much worse. The Swindon Road / Lodge Lane junction is already a bottleneck before 500 new houses - up to 1000 additional vehicles.
The plan to lose so much greenbelt is a disgrace, and your comments about Greenbelt Loss Mitigation so much hot air.

Object

Representation ID: 11130

Received: 24/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Andrew Johnson

I wish to object to the amount of housing proposed for Kingswinford. The 3 sites (DUH208-211-203) total 1475 new houses, this will change the nature of Kingswinford for ever.

Object

Representation ID: 11136

Received: 03/09/2021

Respondent: Mrs Rosemary Raybould

, 1. Loss of green belt
- It is better to use old factory sites (Brownfield) and re-develop inner cities to revive town centres.
- This is useful Agricultural land graded 2. The increase in population needs more food as well as houses.
-The Visual Amenity and Character of the Area would dramatically change.
2. Quality of life
- Developing green belt means loss of access to countryside, once it ' s gone, it ' s gone. Locals enjoy
walking round the perimeter of the farmer's field, it is good for mental health and wellbeing. Is it a public right [
of way?. It is a haven for wildlife e.g bats, owls, bees and butterflies. '
- Higher noise levels impact of adjoining residents and wildlife.
- Increase in light pollution in a much needed area of tranquility.
- Poorer air quality impact of adjoining residents and wider area, particularly from increase in traffic.
: Kingswinford is already congested,becoming a car park due to queuing traffic, a large number of houses
I have and are in the process of being built in the Stallings Lane area.
- Impact of building from construction noise and traffic.
3 Effect on local services
- There are not enough doctors surgeries, dentists, schools, shops, emergency services in Dudley to serve
the area.
I know of several people who are moving away from the area due to traffic and lack of doctors etc.

Object

Representation ID: 11147

Received: 10/09/2021

Respondent: Ms Liz Crawley

I object to this area adjacent to Holbeach Lane being changed from a Green Belt to enable building of residential properties. This is good agricultural land that could be used for a variety of crops and used in a sustainable way. It would also be detrimental to wildlife with a loss of bees, butterflies as well as bats and . There will also be increased light pollution.
I have lived in the area since 1976 and have seen a considerable deterioration in the area. We currently suffer from air contamination from the local landfil and you are unable to ventilate properties. The doctors are already struggling and you are unable to get appointments and at time Moss Grove Surgery has to send patients to Kinver which is impossible to reach easily without transport. Russells Hall hospital A & E pre lockdown would regularly have waits of over 4 hours. It can take weeks to get a blood test appointment or any other outpatient appointment.
The A449 is a major trunk road and is already noisy and often has queues as does Stallings Lane (B4175). The main A491 can be at a standstill several times a day and to get through Kingswinford is extremely time consuming and if there is any incident or roadworks the whole place becomes grid locked in a short space of time. Drivers often cut through estates and side roads at speed making these dangerous. The schools within walkable reach of Wall Heath are already well subscribed with very few vacant places already. If class sizes had to be increased it would have a detrimental impact of education.
We have no local sports centres available to residents and there is also a lack of parks with good quality equipment.
The whole infrastructure of the area is already struggling and quality of life for exisiting residents is decreasing with the increase of crime and lack of available police already without increasing the areas for patrol.
This site is very close to Holbeach House which has a high historical value and is listed. There will be a visual impact on the landscape surrounding it which needs more investigation in the future.
Green spaces are essential for mental health and the current mental health service is already totally unable to cope with mental health issues on the increase.
We have no local rail network or cycle network. The public transport has already declined in the area too.

Object

Representation ID: 11228

Received: 16/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Satish Patel

Green belt land (kingswinford) should not be used for housing, there is plenty of industrial brownfield site around the area, which should be used for housing.

By using brownfield site, you also turning around unsightly factories / eyesore etc that have closed and decaying and putting to good use.

Object

Representation ID: 11230

Received: 10/09/2021

Respondent: Sarah Poole

I am a resident of the Kingswinford area.
I would like to object to the proposed plans for both The Triangle DUH 211 page 371 and Holbeach
site DUH 208 page 371. I am gravely concerned with regard to the amount of traffic this will bring to
already extremely busy SMALL roads, also the impact on schools. I am also disappointed that houses
become priority over our green belt, where there is such limited green belt left and the impact it will have on the wildlife.
Please reconsider this proposal taking into account residents views.

Object

Representation ID: 11233

Received: 12/09/2021

Respondent: Mrs Sarah Lawson

I am writing to object to the development of parts of our Green Belt, in particular sites
referred to as Holbeach and The Triangle. I have lived in the Kingswinford and
Wordsley area since 2004 and am a regular user of the Green Belt adjacent to where
I live. This is a valuable, much used and much loved part of the local area, especially
during the recent pandemic when people found much solace in escaping to the green
areas near our homes for leisure and escapism.
To my knowledge both sites are currently used for agriculture, where a range of crops
can be grown. We should continue to protect this land and use the soil in a
sustainable way. Significant loss of countryside will no doubt impact on wildlife in the
local area; we have , owls, foxes, hedgehogs and moles locally as well as a
plethora of other species. As well as loss of important habitats such as hedgerows
and significant tree species. This will be devastating to those of us who enjoy nature
and enjoy that it is so close and easy to access. My young family and I often go for
walks and bike rides in these areas to enjoy the peace and tranquility that they offer -
an escape from the rapid pace of life. We indeed moved to the road we are in now
due to its proximity to the countryside.
Additionally, as a local resident, especially to The Triangle, which is a 4 minute walk
from my home, I am concerned about the impact of additional homes and families will
have on the local roads and services. Roads in the Kingswinford area are already
especially busy, particularly during peak flow times in rush hour and school pick
up/drop off times. Roads such as Cot Lane and Stream Road are bumper to bumper
with traffic; it is regularly a long wait to pass through the traffic lights by the Harvester
Pub at the junction of Cot Lane and Lodge Lane. The A449 also has an extremely
large volume of traffic throughout the day; I would not support a future plan to expand
or widen this road in order to support your plans for housing on the Green Belt land.
With more residents to the area would only bring more traffic congestion, more noise
and a reduction in air quality. We already suffer from a large number of
cars/motorbikes using Lodge Lane as a race track - which has caused a fatal accident
in recent years.
Additionally more local residents would put increasing pressure on our local services
such as schools, doctors and Russell’s Hall hospital. These are already
oversubscribed and overused services. Summerhill School is over subscribed; with
an active waiting list. The nearby Kingswinford and Crestwood schools are also full to
capacity. Crestwood School and Wordsley school recently upped their PAN number in
order to accommodate the growing number of school age children in the local area; I
am not sure where you propose further families to the area would send their children?
The local doctors surgeries continue to struggle with provision after the Covid
lockdowns meaning that people are continuing to wait to be seen or speak to a GP. I
myself used the out of hours provision this weekend at Russell’s Hall hospital and had
to wait for 3 hours to be seen by a doctor in order to get medication. Without
significant improvements to our local education and healthcare providers I cannot see
how they would be able to cater for more families; they would be a drain to an already
failing system.
There has been no real investment in the area in terms of leisure and recreation other
than an improvement to Cot Lane park lead and funded by a local action group. This
means there is little to do in the area for children and young people. In recent years
we have seen an increase in anti-social behaviour including drug dealing on Cot Lane
park, evidence of drug and alcohol use on Cot Lane park and Wordsley park as well
as more general anti-social behaviour in the alley way behind Summercourt
Square/Summercourt Drive close to the Triangle site. Young people have set fire to
part of the Ridge woods and have left much litter and mess there after lockdown meet
ups. I am very concerned about the impact of bringing more families and young
people to the area and only see these issues becoming more of a problem.
In the Black Country we have much in the way of brownfield sites, some of which
have already been developed. This means these areas are improved and become
more desirable. I believe that continued investment should be made in developing
brownfield sites as a priority over the development of green belt land. This would not
only provide the housing stock the Black Country needs but would also be an
investment in the local area as run down and derelict ex-industrial sites would be
improved. I am a geography teacher at a local secondary school and regularly
discuss with classes the importance of sustainable development and land
management.
I hope you see sense and listen to the objections I know friends, neighbours and local
residents will make against this particular part of your Black Country Action Plan

Object

Representation ID: 11239

Received: 16/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Philip Guise

I object to the proposed development Site reference DUH208p371 regarding Swindon Road & Holbeache Lane.
My concerns are as follows:
1. The massive increase in traffic to already congested and dangerous volumes of traffic which will affect pedestrian safety and pollution .
2.The local NHS is already stretched to breaking point and GP's & dentists could not cope with such a rise in Local population.
3. The loss of habitat for an already struggling local wildlife population.
4 We should maintain all the agricultural land that we can to help produce food to feed the general population and look to build on all available Brown Field Sites

Object

Representation ID: 11241

Received: 15/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Paul Westwood

I object to this development on a number of grounds.
I live on Holbeache Road, traffic on the road is heavy as it stands and at times unsafe with speeding drivers, with the proposed number of new homes either side of the road my concern is that traffic will become even heavier and more dangerous.

My local doctors surgery (Moss Grove) is over subscribed, my last appointments I have been sent to the Kinver surgery due to a lack of appointments at Moss Grove, this will be further exacerbated by the proposed developments.

A large factor of our decision to move to the area was the quality of schools for future children, a major concern is the impact of two large housing developments on classroom sizes and how this would be detrimental to the development of local children and the quality of their education.

Another major appeal of the area is the greenbelt land which surrounds the area, some of which is slated to be built upon as part of the proposed development. The impact on the local environment would be huge, the array of local wildlife we have will almost certainly be harmed, not to mention air quality not only during the construction process but following on from this should the development go ahead and be occupied.

There are a large number of brownfield sites in the surrounding area which should in my opinion take precedent when looking into the provision of new housing rather than green belt land which is good for the environment, the wellbeing of local residents and provides good agricultural possibilities.

Given the level of development locally (2nr large developments in Wombourne, 2nr large developments at Himley View and Ibstock brickworks), I feel that the area has become saturated, i fear that further developments in this vicinity will push local services to breaking point and will be massively detrimental to the local environment and to the quality of life of local residents.

Object

Representation ID: 11242

Received: 24/09/2021

Respondent: Jane Lewis

I am objecting to Black Country Site Assessment Plan, Dudley, Appendix A, Policy DSA2 DUH211 The Triangle and Policy DSA1 DUH208 Holbeach Lane/ Wolverhampton Road
I object for the following reasons:
1. Loss of Greenbelt
Local and regional councillors, as well as the West Midlands Mayor, are all opposed to development of Green Belt and have said they have a "Brown Site First" policy. In a time of environmental crisis, Green Belt Should never be a consideration for development. The Black Country area has significant amounts of disused industrial, factory and office sites which are much more suitable for use to meet housing needs and I would suggest that until these have been exhausted no Green Belt should even be considered for development.

The National Planning Policy Framework states "Land with the least environmental or amenity value should be considered for development and habitat networks and green infrastructure should be maintained and enhanced" . This is a government planning policy but the opposite seems to be being proposed for the Dudley area which is completely unacceptable.

The two areas above are important in preventing urban sprawl along the Western Edge of the Black Country. This Green Belt area is also under significant threat from the South Staffordshire Local Plan earmarked for substantial development along the A449, By the Black Country themselves choosing to build here it undermines any objection to the SSCC plans.

The land is useful agricultural land, graded 3 and above.

Housing built on Greenbelt land is almost always "High value" - expensive properties aimed at the top end of the housing market - and this is no exception. this type of build does not help to meet the region's housing need for affordable, entry level and family housing.

2. Pressure of local facilities
This are has already playing its part in providing new housing with developments still under construction on several sites locally within a 2-mile area - specifically at Himley View (Taylor Wimpey). Stalling's Place (Keepmoat), Himley Meadows (Bloor) and Fletcher's Rise (Bovis) with planning for more properties to the North of Stallings Lane on Oak Land the Development of Ketley Quarry. None of these sites have any provision of infrastructure improvements. The impact of thee incomplete developments cannot yet be fully measures but even before these are finished the local facilities are already under strain. Adding even more homes is completely unsustainable
* Current doctors' surgeries are already oversubscribed,
* Local Schools are already at full capacity with no spare places, with The Triangle having no local primary school. The majority of local school sites are physically constrained by residential areas and so the suggestion within the proposal that they could expand to meet demand is not realistic
* The road infrastructure is already struggling with high levels of traffic and congestion. The A449 and A491 and regularly gridlocked at peak time and leading to increased air pollution and road safety concerns.

Adding a total of 883 new households into this, which based on ONS average occupancy would add 2120 to the local population, is not realistic. The infrastructure simply cannot cope.

3. Traffic and Transport
There are no significant areas of employment local to these proposed developments and so residents would be commuters adding significant pressure to the road network.
There is a lack of public transport of cycle route provision. Hansen already rates this area as having the worst commuting score from homes to places of work - this would further worsen.
There is no rail access, with the nearest station being 30mins drive away
All this will result in even more pollution, health and road safety issues.

4. Destruction of important local environments
Local green spaces have been incredibly important to the local population, particularly during the recent pandemic, to maintain and boost mental and emotional wellbeing of residents. In an urban area such environments are particularly important and should be protected.

These areas provide wildlife corridors linking green spaces and habitats for countless British Wildlife and include a SLINC, "Ashwood Haye Fields" the perimeter and internal hedgerows of the Triangle site. This site is also part of the Mid Severn Sandstone Plateau, which is important for habitat conservation, and next to Ridgehill Woods an important woodland that would be significant disrupted by any development of this kind.

Not to mention the contribution to climate change and the increased risk of flooding that urbanisation of green belt inevitable brings.

I cannot understand how any council can support the destruction of these important areas against the wishes of so many parties and a backdrop where "Green" issues at the forefront - especially when alternatives are available, and so I wish to object wholeheartedly to these proposals.

Object

Representation ID: 11261

Received: 15/09/2021

Respondent: Miss Lynn Boleyn

I wish to object to the plans to build new houses on the green belt land in Wall Heath. All brownfield sites should be used first before any green belt land. Our green belt must be protected for future generations.
If allowed this will have a massive effect on local services including the NHS. Currently there are not enough GP's or dentists in the area to cope with existing patients with Moss Grove Surgery in Kingswinford already sending patients to Kinver. The average waiting time in 2019 (pre lockdown) at A&E at Russells Hall Hospital was over 4 hours with further delays in mental health services and other hospital treatments.


The A449 is an extremely busy road and the local road infrastructure is already heavily congested. Extra vehicles will increase noise and pollution, there will be more bus delays and inevitably increased accidents due to more vehicles on the roads.
There would be increased pressure on local schools where for September 2021 admissions the only secondary school with places in Year 7 is Wordsley. Most other year groups are full. There are no places in Reception in Wall Heath for 2021 and only one school in Kingswinford has places. Yes we are lucky to have such good schools in Wall Heath but where will all the extra children go if these houses are built if there are no local places for them? Data supports that some parents have had difficulty with getting places at their first choice of school and this will only get worse with increased pupils which will impact on class sizes and keeping legal class numbers in Key Stage 1. Pupils education has already been severely disrupted due to Covid and any added pressure on schools and staff will lead to further anxiety and mental health issues in the future.

There would be a strain on local amenities and already there is a lack of parks with good quality equipment. There is no youth centre in Wall Heath. Local green spaces are extremely important for mental health and wellbeing as well as helping give people pride in where they choose to live.

The loss of green belt will impact on local wildlife and the environment. The Government committed a 25 year plan to protect good quality agricultural land, like Holbeache, and use the soil in a sustainable way (updated February 2021). The hedgerows around Holbeache form a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation and building here will mean loss of wildlife, e.g. owls, buzzards, red kites, bats as well as a loss of bees and butterflies. Trees would be lost and also the beautiful and stunning annual displays of daffodils in Wall Heath.

Light pollution will be increased which is a source of annoyance to people, harmful to wildlife and undermines enjoyment of the countryside and the night sky. Less than 100 years ago, everyone could look up and see a spectacular starry night sky. Now, millions of children across the globe will never experience the Milky Way where they live. The increased and widespread use of artificial light at night is not only impairing our view of the universe, it is adversely affecting our environment, our safety, our energy consumption and our health.
The historial Holbeache House, famous for the Gunpowder Plot, sits right next to the proposed development. This is a Grade II listed building with high historic value and the elderly residents at the home will be affected daily for a long period of time if building work goes ahead resulting in considerable noise, dust, pollution and extra traffic.

I would be grateful if you will register my objections

Object

Representation ID: 11262

Received: 28/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Nicholas Breakwell

Loss of Green Belt land. More traffic, congestion and pollution in Wall Heath. The roads are overcrowded now and this development would make this problem even worse. Local NHS services would become even more overstretched than at present. Loss of local wildlife habitat and open space.

Object

Representation ID: 11263

Received: 14/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Lloyd Wakelin

Draft Black country plan
Site Reference DUH 208 p371

Object

Representation ID: 11265

Received: 17/09/2021

Respondent: Mrs Lisa Cooper

We cannot afford an increase in population in this area, I work for the local NHS and it is at breaking point already. Please consider waiting times (GP, Accident and emergency, in-patients and out-patients appointments) the impact of this on our communities health and well being.... r> Our current infrastructure is congested, higher emissions and increased CO2 will have an impact on our environment and the health of current residents another strain on the NHS
Has consideration been given to the impact on local education, September 2021 the only secondary school with places for year 7 was Wordsley School most other school years were full.
A huge concern for me as a mental health professional is the loss of green belt land. Brownfield sites should be used first surely. Loss of wildlife, bees, butterflies would have a detrimental affect on our environment and the mental health of our resident, yet another impact on our NHS.

Object

Representation ID: 11267

Received: 28/09/2021

Respondent: Mrs Janice Breakwell

Loss of green belt. Increased pressure on NHS services which are already overstretched in our area. Increase in amount of traffic on already congested roads, leading to increased pollution. The A449 and A491 are already gridlocked first thing in a morning. Lack of public transport making this area already difficult for commuting to work. There are also at least two other major development sites at Stallings Lane and Ketley Quarry which do not have any infrastructure improvements either.

Object

Representation ID: 11278

Received: 12/09/2021

Respondent: Keith Turley

Dear Sir,
I am writing to express my clear objection to the proposal to build 800+ new houses
on two sites in Wall Heath. The resulting huge increase in population and traffic
cannot be sustained, and the relatively small village nature of Wall Heath will be
completely overwhelmed, as well as destroying much valued green belt land enjoyed
by many.
The daily increase in cars alone, especially those travelling towards Wolverhampton
or Birmingham would make it difficult for us in Heathbrook Avenue to emerge on to
the A449 at all!
Lack of parking and facilities in the centre of Wall Heath could not possibly support
this proposed increase, and would just destroy the nature of it.
The construction of so many new homes cannot be carried out without the necessary
infrastructure; where are the required school places coming from? Local schools are
already operating beyond capacity, as are local Doctors' surgeries. We all know that
services will be choked to the detriment of all who already live here.
In my view, such a proposal is utter madness. Clearly, there has to be further housing
provision, but does it have to be done by severely reducing the quality of life for
everyone else?

Object

Representation ID: 11280

Received: 16/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Julian Roberts

I strongly object to hundreds of additional homes being built on greenfield sites such as Holbeache DUH 208 and the Triangle DUH 211.
The loss of these greenfield sites would be detrimental to those living in the area and their mental health. I and many others use the Holbeache area to walk around and the benefit of such an area cannot be understated. All brownfield sites should be utilised before any of these are considered.
Kingswinford is already gridlocked with traffic and not just at peaks times. The infrastructure to support this does not exist. This will make an already bad situation worse. The land at Holbeache would for example put more traffic onto an island that cannot cope now.
There are not enough school places to support those wishing to attend now. The local schools are already oversubscribed by hundreds. Where will these additional children be educated?
There are already homes being built around Stallings Lane and the Pensnett Trading Estate and more planned for Ketley Quarry.
Adding more homes may also cause flooding issues as more tarmac and less green fields to absorb the water may cause issues.
The bus services in Kingswinford are mediocre currently. Adding more people to use this service for work or to attend college will exacerbate the problem further.
The plan would be a disaster for Kingswinford and should be rejected

Comment

Representation ID: 11312

Received: 29/09/2021

Respondent: Mrs Emily Fitz-Harris

Future building needs to really take this into consideration, while I agree there is a need for new housing and the supporting infrastructure it is so important that it does not as stated cause a detrimental impact on the living conditions for future OR CURRENT occupiers of new residential properties, in terms of: privacy and overlooking, access to sunlight and daylight; artificial lighting; vibration; dust and fumes; smell; noise; crime and safety;
This is also why I feel that the Triangle, Holbeche and other green spaces should not be built on for new housig. The roads cannot cope with so many more households which will all have a minimum of 1 car. We need to provide green spaces within reach of housing for mental and physical wellbeing and cause as little negative impact on the environment as possible.

Comment

Representation ID: 11360

Received: 30/09/2021

Respondent: Mrs Maria Cassidy

These two sites are precious areas of green belt land to the local residents. Not only do they provide areas to walk and exercise, but they also form a distinct boundary of the Dudley Borough.

My concerns about these two proposed sites involve the following areas:

Roads & Transport

The road network through and around Kingswinford is already immensely overburdened and struggles to cope with the existing volume of traffic. To add to the problem with a potential additional 800 plus homes for residents within the Dudley Borough will only exacerbate the problems currently experienced. It is already accepted that Wordsley High Street is one of the most polluted roads within the Black Country and with absolutely no scope to alleviate the pressure, this pollution will only spread further along the main route between Kingswinford and Stourbridge, including onto surrounding roads.

To travel anywhere from Kingswinford involves high volume traffic and regular queuing traffic.

If the thought process of Dudley Council is that these two sites will potentially attract buyers of property from further afield that could access the sites by using the A449 (again another densely used road), this indicates that the properties are not being targeted at people requiring property within the Dudley Borough.

NHS Services

We are all acutely aware of the pressures the NHS is under nationally.

To add to this burden locally will certainly have an effect on the current residents of Kingswinford. Doctor’s surgeries already struggle to facilitate the current population in the area and, without major changes, would only struggle further should more residents require registration at the existing doctor’s surgeries.

Education

We have many excellent schools within Kingswinford and the close surrounding areas. Many families already relocate to the area to take advantage of these establishments. Should further properties be built, surely this will only increase the requirement for school places. Even if schools can accommodate more pupils, this is only going to be to the detriment of the pupils who may no longer be able to gain access to their first-choice school, thus having to travel further and again adding the pressure on the road network.

Green Belt

These two sites are precious areas of green belt land to the local residents. Not only do they provide areas to walk and exercise, but they also form a distinct boundary of the Dudley Borough. Should these green belt areas become large housing conurbations, it would surely only be a matter of time before South Staffordshire Council would also consider developing on green belt areas up to their boundaries. This would lead to immense areas of green belt that have existed for many hundreds of years being lost to facilitate housing.

Object

Representation ID: 11412

Received: 01/10/2021

Respondent: Mr David Shaw

There are numerous issues the development will raise, none of which are adequately reflected in the wording of this section. It needs to be completely re-written to include the all of the major negatives and pre-requisities which are missing.