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

Object

Representation ID: 12668

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr John Evans

Holbeach DUH211 page 371
The Triangle DUH 208 page 371

My objection to the Black Country plan for the development of the said areas are as follows
1 - The extra traffic and polution to the area.
2 - Schools and Doctors will be under greater pressure.
3 - The loss of Wildlife, which is under great pressure with all the development that is already going on in this area

Object

Representation ID: 12678

Received: 25/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Alan Blackham

Highways
1. The A449 alongside Holbeach is a busy section of road with a history of accidents along the stretch the site is proposed. Due to this being a dangerous stretch of road, access to Holbeach Lane was stopped & access to turn right into the Maidensbridge estate also stopped. The further access points required & more vehicles from this proposed development will inevitably mean accidents, injuries and potential fatalities.

2. The geography of the local area means the road dips quite drastically to the Holbeache House access point, this has always been susceptible to flooding & to date has still not been resolved. The proposed development would mean minimal surface water absorption & increase surface run of drastically, this would further contribute to the existing issue of flooding on this section of the A449.

3. In peak times it currently takes in excess of 30 minutes to travel the length of Stallings lane, it often takes me less time to travel the length of Broad street Birmingham where congestion and pollution was deemed so severe a congestion charge was introduced. The extra vehicles on the road brought by the proposed development would mean considerably more traffic, more inconvenience affecting people's mental health, physical health, more pollution, more accidents.

4. Lack of public transport. Hansen rate this area as having the worst commuting score from homes to places of employment.

5. Kingswinford is not on a "transport corridor'' with No rail access. Time taken to reach the rail network is much longer than 30 minutes. Developing at Holbeache contradicts the green agenda.

6. There are also two other major development sites at Stallings Lane and (within 2 miles) which do not have any infrastructure improvements

Object

Representation ID: 12684

Received: 22/09/2021

Respondent: Mr Alan Clark

Holbeache - BCP Site REf DIH 208 Page 371, DSA 1 Pages 419-423
Far too much building in K'ford and surrounding areas. The roads will not cope with extra traffic, which are already conjested. Wall Heath to Stourbridge one of worst roads in the borough, Stallings Lane cannot cope with the new houses being built at the moment too much traffic. Not enough roads!

Object

Representation ID: 12687

Received: 19/10/2021

Respondent: Ms Alania-Rose Blackham

Greenbelt
1. The existing land is serving the community providing easy access to nature & common ground for people
to use without objection or incident from land owners.
2. The proposed 1-lolbeache land is farmland when in crop, and a bustling wild meadow when not, It is home
for species of wildlife and is part of a migration path for birds. The sight has lots of biodiversity.
3. The rhetoric from central government and the combined authority is “brow fields first”. There are plenty
brown field sights within Dudley available with excellent public transport. They are clearly tail as financially
lucrative but are the most ethical option so should be re-investigated before considering this site.

Object

Representation ID: 12691

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mrs Amanda Martin-Smith

Wall Heath is supposed to be a village, and Kingswinford a small town.
Traffic problems will be immense and schools will be overwhelmed.
It will be absolutely horrendous that so many more properties are to be built, road structure are the moment ca hardly cope as it is now.

Object

Representation ID: 12693

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mrs Amanda Round

I believe that the local roads and infrastructure of Wall Heath and Kingswinford would not be able to cope with extra traffic, schooling, and pollution of the amount of traffic that it would create in the future.
More facilities would be required for this to be a viable option

Object

Representation ID: 12695

Received: 21/09/2021

Respondent: Miss Alexia Fletcher

Firstly schools are overcrowded. How do we ensure the teaching levels are up to standard by increasing students but not space and teachers?
Doctors - an absolute joke to get an appointment. You may say you'll build another doctors but we need to focus on what we currently have and sort that out before we build another houses and another doctors.
Safeguarding our roads is vital. The traffic is stupidly busy. The roads need widening to allocate all the traffic. Holbeache is located near stallings Lnae. Stalling Lane is jammed packed with traffic fumes, people and pot holes. How can the roads take this traffic?
Mental health wellbeing? Since lockdown I do regular walks across the countryside, am I meant to walk amongst traffic?
Roads, people, doctors, dentists, pollution, mental health, traffic, crime will increase which damaging.

Object

Representation ID: 12706

Received: 30/09/2021

Respondent: Mrs Alison Jones

Waiting times for appointments at hospitals and Doctors are too long, getting into Dr's is difficult enough. More houses equal more children for less school places.
More people waiting for appointment. More cars on the roads which are not built for the sheer volumes of traffic , longer queuing times, pollution and air quality will be affected, less clear air.
Our green spaces help peoples mental health, the wildlife once lost will not come back. It is a fine balance between wildlife, environment and humans.

Object

Representation ID: 12708

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mrs Amanda Smith

Black Country Draft Plan 863
I strongly object to the plan 863 to build new homes on south holbeache Road & Swindon Road Triangle. Wall Heath has no further NHS services to offer, our doctors, Dentists & Hospital for this area is at full capacity. Our roads busy already, the A449 carrying high volumes of traffic, further commuters will add to the noise, co2 emissions, and traffic delays. Schools in this area are not going to offer new parents places for primary or secondary children, they are full. The NHS Ambulance Service to Wall Heath is struggling with journey times taking far too long. Sometimes 40 minutes to get to hospital. Our wildlife for this area will be impacted if building takes place, destroying hedgerows and nesting for larks and other wild birds.
It was always the plan with new builds to use "brown field sites" 1st before Green Belt and Agricultural land. why are we considering either of these Green Belt sites at all as Green Belt land is protected.

Object

Representation ID: 12711

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Ms Amy Hill

The building of 870 properties on the Triangle and he fields at Holbeache would destroy at least two greenbelt sites in Dudley.
It would put unsustainable pressure on the local services and infrastructure that are already under immense pressure.
In addition, the destruction of two green belt sites would cause irreversible harm to wildlife and their habitats.
We also object to these plans because our roads are poor quality and extremely congested. The air quality in Dudley South would further deteriorate.
Furthermore, we object to the proposed plans because noise and light pollution would increase to the detriment of existing residents.
No one should be expected to keep losing open spaces whilst brownfields, unused buildings and industrial sites are available. As residents of Kingswinford/ Wall Heath for most of our lives we strongly object to all of the plan.

Object

Representation ID: 12719

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr John Greensill

Black Country site assessment report
The Triangle & Holbeach SA0025-DUD SA0017-DUD
Appendix A page 79 DUH 208 & DUD 211

Loss of green belt: - affecting air quality & wildlife, wildlife corridors & walking routes.
Traffic: - Huge increase in an already busy problem area. Wall Heath regularly grid locked. Increase in noise and poor air quality.
Infrastructure: - Can only add further to already overcapacity Hospitals, Doctors and Schools.
Further expansion into Green Belt should be stopped now!

Object

Representation ID: 12722

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Miss Amy Preece

Keep the Green spaces!!

Object

Representation ID: 12750

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr John Harthill

Too much pressure on Doctors, Hospitals, Schools etc
Wild Life Nature
Green Belt disappearing

Object

Representation ID: 12780

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr Andrew Chance-Hill

Permission should only be granted if additional schools, GP surgery + Road infrastructure are legally committed too. Otherwise serious reduction in community services will occur.

Object

Representation ID: 12785

Received: 05/10/2021

Respondent: Ms Alison Milburn

I object to the development of building houses on the Holbeache site.
- It is a greenfield site and should be protected, brownfield sites should be priority.
- Local facilities, local health services (including Russells Hall Hosp) are operating at capacity and under pressure, substantial developments will place a greater burden on services.
Schools - local schools are operating at full capacity, the lack of availability of local places will present parents with transport issues. Children unable to walk to local schools would be transported to secondary schools, adding to congestion and decreased air quality.
Environment - The A449 is already a busy major road. There are several points of congestion locally - Stallings Lane, Himley lights to Stewpony lights and several roundabouts in Wall Heath. This congestion in 'normal' and this XXX XXX XXXX becomes gridlocked in the event of road traffic accidents XXXX XXXX road works and flooding. This presents environmental issues, safety issues XXXX and difficulties for the free movement of emergency vehicles.
Flooding - I believe the development of the site for housing will increase the risk of flooding in the Holbeache dip on the A449. Already reduced to single carriageway in flooding rain.

Object

Representation ID: 12795

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mrs Andrea Griffiths

REF - DUH208 - Page 371 Holbeache .
- Losing greenbelt
- Traffic - too much already
- Schools - Not enough places
- more pressure on the NHS/doctors surgery

Object

Representation ID: 12798

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr Andrew Brownswood

Holbeache - BCP site Ref DUH 208 page 371, DSA 1 pages 419-423

- Traffic noise, congestion
- Lack of schools, doctors, green space
- Disappearance of wildlife
- Over populated
- No economic benefit to area apart from builders
- Infrastructure does not allow for size of development

Object

Representation ID: 12800

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr Andrew Davis

Dudley Council, Holbeache Lane, DUH 208 P371 (Holbeache)
I strongly with the development of greenbelt land of Holbeache Lane. My main concern is the impact on the local amenities. Holbeache Lane was shut some time ago due to traffic safety concerns.
There are plenty of brownfield sites to be developed and there is no point of a green belt if you are just put more holes to let it out as you please. The lan fill along Stallings Lane is intended in the future to maintain a nature corridor down from Saltwells, Fens Pool, Barrow Hill to the open fields. Building on this proposed site will close this corridor down.
Holbeache house and osier are of historic interest as is the old Oak Farm.
Housing is planned due to the growing population at the cost of valuble aribale land needed to feed this same growth.

Object

Representation ID: 12801

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr John Kingsley

Holbeache DUH 208
The Triangle DUH 211
1 - Green productive farmland
This is valuable - productive - arable farmland. Well fertilized, well maintained for generations, cropping barley, oats, wheat and currently (Sept 2021) under a superb maize crop of dense 7 / 8 foot high corn-on-the-cob. Plants feeding humans, livestock a source of biofuel - or - processed into a range of useful chemicals - an ideal location for traffic concrete and bricks
2 - Really? with brownfield sites backing up into established towns like Dudley + Brierley Hill all around is this farmland really the only best used around to build affordable starter homes.
3 - Kingswinford is a village already choked by totally inadequate car parking + naturally inescapably throttled by its main village feature "The Cross" into which the 4 miles to more urbane Dudley pours its traffic - would really be aided by once naturally - find a further 1/2 mile of built up area bottlenecking progress

Object

Representation ID: 12804

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr Andrew Grealey

I have lived in the Wordsley/ Kingswinford Area for over 60 years and have seen both villages grow. Unfortunately amenities such as doctors schools and hospitals have not grown at the same rate. All these services are more and more stretched, our roads carry an enormous amount of traffic and read recently that Wordsley high St is one of the most polluted stretched of road in this area. travel between Stourbridge and Kingswinford is a nightmare. The A449 from Kinver to Wall Heath and Beyond is constantly clogged both directions. This Green Belt and Farmland that has been given over to farmland in my lifetime is phenomenal. We are told the West Midlands has a good stock of brown land to be used for housing so why take our farmland. We still see a huge variety of Birdlife, Foxes, badges, Munstack and even Roe Deer. Surely we should be trying to protect this. Our copses and woods are under threat, surely we should be planting not destroying out trees.
My other concern is that South Staffs seems intent to build on our borders so we take over the health needs and schools required for houses built in their area.

Object

Representation ID: 12805

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr John O'Malley

Summary of my objections:
There has been a lack of proper consultation and due process - this is a strong concern - I don’t believe this to have been done within the parameters of such a process.
There is enough derelict brownfield sites to ensure that nothing is built on the Green belt in the Black Country for at least 10 years
The plan for Dudley is utterly askew -860 of the 1100 properties planned are in two developments less than 1 mile apart, both affecting Wall Heath.
Surely plans should be more spread out rather than focused in on such a small geography
I do not see how development on green belt can be justified.
There is a huge amount of disused brown field land within striking distance of the proposed developments I can see no realistic requirement, bar the fact developers can make more significant profits to develop these sites.
Promoting the development of brownfield first should be the priority
Our valuable green spaces and improves the look and feel of areas
The local area does not have the facilities to accommodate the new proposed residents
There are already no spare capacity in the schools
The A449 is enormously busy and noisy, the proposed developments will add traffic and also impact the flow of traffic
NHS services are already stretched, please note wait times and ratings of services.
The impact of the local wildlife will be negatively impacted

Object

Representation ID: 12810

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr Andrew Harvey

No Comments made

Object

Representation ID: 12813

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr John Richardson

for sites DUH 208 p371 - Holbeache
DUH 211 p371 - Triangle
As attached sheet but in particular the loss of green belt and the precedent of the boundary being moved. It can never be moved back.
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 3 and above.
• The Visual Amenity and Character of the Area would dramatically change.
• This is an important and strategic tract of Green Belt preventing urban sprawl along the Western Edge of the Black Country. If the proposed A449 Kidderminster Road forms the amended Green Belt boundary then all the Greenfield sites encompassed by that on the boundary and currently vulnerable from the South Staffs Local Plan would be at risk from development as a precedent would be set for a new boundary.
2. Quality of life
• Developing green belt means loss of access to countryside, once it’s gone, it’s gone.
• Higher noise levels impact of adjoining residents and wildlife.
• increase in light pollution in a much needed area of tranquillity.
• Poorer air quality impact of adjoining residents and wider area, particularly from increase in traffic.
• Impact of building from construction noise and traffic.
3. Impact on traffic and transport
• Increasing numbers of vehicles will mean increased pollution, road safety consequences.
• Road traffic congestion in the area is already high. A449 and A491 gridlocked in a morning. Nor do we want more roads e.g. ‘Western Strategic (Orbital) Route’ destroying more green belt.
• Lack of public transport or cycle routes. Hansen rate this area as having the worst commuting score from homes to places of employment.
• Poor rail access. Time taken to reach the rail network to Wolverhampton/Birmingham is much longer than 30 minutes.
• There are also at least two other major development sites at Stallings Lane and Ketley Quarry (within 2 miles) which do not have any infrastructure improvements either.
4. Pressure on local facilities
• There are not enough doctors surgeries, schools, shops, emergency services in Dudley to serve the area. The proposal to build 533 new houses on the triangle would increase the local population by 1279 (Office of National statistics average occupation rates are 2.4 people per household)
• Local Health Services are already over subscribed and un-sustainable.
• Primary Schools over 15 minutes walk away.
• Road Infrastructure already struggling to cope at present with high traffic levels. Impact on the wider road network particularly Kingswinford and Wallheath junctions.
• No suitable or regular bus routes or cycle network.
• No nearby employment sites or network.
• Providing more “High Value’ housing does not solve the problem of lack of affordable or social housing, which would also need a sustainable infrastructure of health facilities, education, mass transit and employment centres.
5. Destruction of the local environment
• loss of ancient trees, natural habitats, biodiversity.
• loss of SLINC (Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation) hedgerows to create access.
• this will contribute to climate change
• Loss of wildlife, impact on the fields and meadows.
• Loss of wildlife corridors linking green spaces.
• Flood risk affecting drainage of the area and ground water.
• Contributing to rapid loss of species in Britain in recent decades eg moths, butterflies, bees have declined significantly.
• Replanting schemes do not replace ancient habitats and features.
6. Important locally
• Local people love and appreciate this green belt area, and want it for future generations
• Important local green space, valuable trees, hedgerows and open fields. Many trees have Tree Preservation Orders
• Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINC) - ‘Ashwood Haye Fields’ - hedgerow around the perimeter of the site and some within the site
• It contains Important local green space, valuable trees, hedgerows and open fields.
• There is an important network of footpaths (rights of way) across the area including links to Monarchs Way, Staffordshire Way, linking to Cheshire Gritstone Trail, the Heart of England Way and the North Worcestershire Path.
• It is next to an important woodland Ridgehill Woods, which will be hugely impacted. Disrupting the wildlife corridors and surrounding habitats for these would be irreversible.
• It is part of the Mid Severn Sandstone Plateau - important for habitat conservation.
• In addition, it is an important habitat for declining British wildlife (list species where known).
• Disrupting the wildlife corridors and surrounding habitats for these would be irreversible.
• Historic character of Prestwood. Prestwood is a locally designated Historic Landscape area. A collection of Scheduled Ancient Monuments associated win the Greensforge Roman Camp are situated in the area between Swindon and Prestwood to the west of Kingswinford.
7. Huge opposition by the local community
• These housing proposals are not meeting affordable housing targets with expensive housing in the Green Belt.
8. Legislation could be quoted
The National Planning Policy Framework (the government’s planning policies) says “where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality should be preferred to those of higher quality” and identifies that:
• Sites of biodiversity should be protected and any impacts minimised (para 170)
• Land with the least environmental or amenity value should be considered for development and habitat networks and green infrastructure should be maintained and enhanced (para 171)
• Protect and enhance biodiversity and geodiversity and safeguard local wildlife-rich habitats and priority habitats and species, and ecological networks (para 174)
• Inappropriate development is, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and should not be approved except in very special circumstances. (para 147)

Object

Representation ID: 12816

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr Andrew Robinson

Holbeache - BCP Site Ref DUH 208 page 371, DSA1 pages 419-423

1. Greenbelt land is to stop the sprawl of large built up areas. Dudley has little Greenbelt land & this development erodes this even more. Dudley is an urban area, the greenbelt gives it residents a chance to walk in inspiring mental relaxing areas.
2. Greenbelt land is to stop the sprawl of large built up areas, with the development of these sites - The Triangle, Holbeache, we are getting closer to Wombourne, especially with the development of Himley Meadows.
3. Himley Meadows, the triangle and Holbeache developments will result in even more pressure on Dudley Council & amenities. Dudley Council already struggles to provide enough doctors, schools, shops, hospitals & household tips. Local services such as bin collections already struggles - our street is often missed off on our dedicated day. Who knows what will happen after development.
4. Transport is a major issue. There is no good infrastructure. It takes 20 to 40 minutes to travel from Kingswinford to Dudley in a morning. More traffic will increase the problem.

Object

Representation ID: 12817

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mr Jonathan Evans

The road network in and around Kingswinford and Wall Heath is not able to cope with existing traffic levels, especially at peak times. Emergency vehicles already use the A449 between Wall Heath and Stourbridge rather than the A491. Traffic travelling along the A449 into Wall Heath from Stourbridge backs up beyond the junction with the B4178 where your strategy indicates that between 100 and 300 homes is a good idea. Congestion, polution, erosion of green belt. "It's only 3%". Concentrate on the 97% brownfield sites, then see where you are in 2038.

Object

Representation ID: 12824

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mrs Josephine Dalloway

Loss of green belt
Brownfield sites should be used before green belt is used. Very good agricultural land should not be built on. This area is very good agricultural land.
Effect on local services roads
The A449 is a very busy noisy road and with any increase in traffic the roads in the area would not cope with higher CO2 emissions would result in very poor air quality.
Schools
Schools in the area would be overwhelmed and would not have enough places.
Environment
The loss of green belt would have a devastating effect on wildlife. Trees would be lost, trees are needed to combat CO2 emissions and reverse global warming.

Object

Representation ID: 12825

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mrs Judith Wild

Loss of green belt
Brownfield sites should be used before green belt is used. Very good agricultural land should not be built on. This area is very good agricultural land.
Effect on local services roads
The A449 is a very busy noisy road and with any increase in traffic the roads in the area would not cope with higher CO2 emissions would result in very poor air quality.
Schools
Schools in the area would be overwhelmed and would not have enough places.
Environment
The loss of green belt would have a devastating effect on wildlife. Trees would be lost, trees are needed to combat CO2 emissions and reverse global warming.

Comment

Representation ID: 12853

Received: 20/09/2021

Respondent: Susan Allen

Effect on local services: NHS
- Not enough local doctors and dentists in the local area - for e.g. Moss Grove is having to send patients to Kinver surgery. , - Pre-lockdown, the average waiting time at Russell's Hall was over 4 hours (2019).
Effect on local services: Roads - The A449 is already a very busy, noisy road. Traffic surveys showed high volumes of vehicles (even with reduced traffic due to people still working from home and during the holidays Local Road infrastructure is already congested. Extra vehicles will increase noise for local residents, cause higher CO2 emissions and poorer air quality, more bus delays, increased accidents and tailbacks due to the proposed 'crossing'. Also, more drivers cutting through
Maidensbridge estate (seen 28/8 during survey) - A second access road onto A449 would slow
traffic, forcing drivers to use local village roads.
Loss of Green Belt and impact on local
wildlife and the environment:
- A brownfield site has just been released at Bourne St & Cedar Avenue in August '21 for 72 Houses. These figures should be included and ALL brownfield sites used first 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 25-year plan to protect land of this quality and use the soil in a
sustainable way (updated Feb '21) - The report claims Holbeach would become a 'permanent' boundary if fully developed - this is not a true statement since the green belt itself prevents urban sprawl. 'Filling in' is not a good enough reason for building on Holbeache and creating further need to build in the area to correct problems caused to the infrastructure. - The hedgerows all around Holbeache and a small plot to the left form a SLINC Building here will mean loss of wildlife (sightings of owls, buzzards, a pair of red kites, bats and - both protected); also loss of bees and butterflies and biodiversity that the wildlife corridor is trying to protect due to declining numbers. - p76 and 78 note that there are 'significant trees', a 'survey needed' and should be 'retained where possible' - there will be a loss of these, as well as the yearly daffodils display. They add to the character of Wall Heath, are photographed across the region and create "a positive image" to enjoy. - Local people appreciate the green belt through walks and cycle rides - we want to protect it for _future generations. Once gone, gone forever!

Object

Representation ID: 12869

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mrs Iris Marsh

(Holbeache, DUH208)
- Greenbelt land is home to generations of travelling communities, leave their homes alone. This development will disrupt their lifestyle.
- Greenbelt is home to beautiful wildlife and nature.
- No efficient public transport prior to this and now bus waiting times have been increased.
- Roads are dangerous especially near schools. I have heard of many crashes and accidents regarding children walking home from school.
- We need green areas for mental health and asthmatics.
- Global warming and climate change. stop polluting the planet!!

Object

Representation ID: 12876

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Mrs Julie Robinson

With particular reference to DUH211 p371 (The Triangle)
I am very concerned about the development of this site for a number of reasons.
1 - The effect that extra people will have on the services in Kingswinford. Doctors' surgeries are already under pressure, schools are oversubscribed and our local hospital is working at full capacity.
2 - the amount of traffic is already at crisis point - our roads cannot sustain further cars with people trying to commute to work in the conurbation - public transport is not an option for many who work further away than the local area. The air pollution will be increased affecting the children walking to school.
3 - Recent development on Brownfield sites (which I support) has already put strain on local services - these extra homes will only add to this.
4 - Lodge Lane and Swindon Road are the only options for an access road onto the new housing development - it is a major route to school for many - will it be safe?