Table 21 - Sandwell Growth

Comment

Representation ID: 13470

Received: 08/09/2021

Respondent: Lee Walker

Having read through the very long plan I didn't find it easy to identify the actual short medium and long term benefits to my local community. I struggled to see how the plan focuses on how it improves existing areas like where i live and how my area will thrive and existing housing become more energy efficient which is desperately needed.

I'm concerned with the loss of environment and any green space. Even more so now communities need green areas for wellbeing and to be better planned. My concern is what the new housing is like and how it contributes to a healthy, thriving community. There's not enough detail about the quality of housing/infrastructure developments. Existing landlords across shops/town centres/neighbourhoods don't have enough empathsis on responsibilities to improve areas and keep standards high. All I see with this is how the majority of landlords/developers will make more money without being clear on responsibilities they have to maintain and help communities to thrive.

The roads/cycle network across the region and Sandwell are very poor. There's simple improvements at right turn junctions on main roads and waste that isn't and hasn't been addressed for years. Now traffic levels are returning to normal, road safety concerns me, especially around schools. We continue to see speeding and injuries around the area and increasing the population on the current roads doesn't bode well, especially given poor driving standards and speeding. Public transport isn't good enough to take the pressure off the roads. It's expensive, never the right temperature and you often encounter anti-social behaviour whenever I use one and now Covid has highlighted how viruses are transmitted this way I won't be using for a long-time.

Basically I worry there's a lot of detail (some good) in the plan but overall will it improve the quality of existing neighbourhoods/communities to thrive, protect the environment, regenerate poorly planned neighbourhoods that have sprung up across the region, review how existing areas could house people better (especially social housing & cheaper, affordable, good quality rental properties). Good to see tourism is focussed on but this will need signigifcant support/incentives post covid. If this region doesn't improve though and I dont think this plan helps; I will move area and I guess many others will too.

Comment

Representation ID: 13475

Received: 15/09/2021

Respondent: Chris Wrathchild

We do not need our green spaces buried under concrete, we have few enough as it is.
You build on them, and people will take them, expanding the population and requiring even more homes to be built.
What we need is not more homes - we need less people!

Object

Representation ID: 13478

Received: 21/09/2021

Respondent: Peter Smith

Dear Sir,

I am very opposed to the area once used as a golf course and known as Brandhall Golf Course being developed. This was land given by the farmer to Oldbury Council on the understanding that it would remain open space. Unforunately this was not written in to a legal document. Sandwell as usual are looking for the easy option to help them acheive their housing target. There are so many brownfield sites in the Black Country which should be developed first but of course they require remedial work and are therefore more expensive to develop.

A large area of the site runs along the side of the M5 and to build here would condem the people to constant noise and pollution.
There are streams running accross the site which have water attenuation measures to slowdown the flow and reduce silt.
There are a lot of trees in a mixture of mature and recently planted which would have to be felled to make way for the development.
In our current climate awareness it seems criminal to destroy so many trees which are cleaning the air and sequestering carbon. Chopping down the trees would result in a large release of carbon which all adds to climate change.
There would be a considerable loss of habitat for birds animals and insects which could not be replaced.
It is not possible to assess in monetry terms how a green space improves peoples wellbeing.
There will be more traffic on the surrounding roads with the resulting increase in pollution and local services will be put under additional pressure. Once the green space has gone it has gone for good and that will deprive generations to come. The people who make the decisions to build will not have to live with the consequences.

Yours faithfully


P Smith

Object

Representation ID: 13480

Received: 19/09/2021

Respondent: Jacqui Shepherd

Object strongly with SMC handling of golf course closure we need green space we live very near here traffic will be horrendous and destruction of wild life and flora I believe this land was left to the people to be used as green space .Councillors should only be appointed from in the are not living in other council area
Strongly object to loss of green space and object to the way sandwell council has handled it

Object

Representation ID: 13488

Received: 21/09/2021

Respondent: Elaine Stanley

I am commenting on the Draft Black Country Plan 2039. Sandwell development.
My family and I have lived on the [location disclosed] for 33 years.
The local golf course has been a big part of our life here and I view it as part of our culture and heritage. I do not want to see it developed for housing or anything else.
I am concerned about the disruption of having more than 2000 people added to our estate.
That is the lack of infrastructure to accommodate them. That is the lack of school places and doctors surgeries and shops. I do not believe the current availability is sufficient. I am also concerned about available road space and in particular parking which is already irksome in the area. We already have cars cutting through the estate to avoid traffic on the Grafton Road. I am of the opinion that the proximity of the golf course with its greenery and it particular the trees has been cleaning out air for generations. With the current state of global warming it would be unadvisable, in my opinion, to destroy this local green space as it would be detrimental to the current population. I am sure there are many people here at Causeway and Brandhall have issue with this development. We sadly lack green spaces and you are about to take more away. I feel it is also about destroying the habitat of our local wildlife. I have recently been impressed by the fact we have had, what appear to be, sparrowhawks flying above our houses, something I have never seen before. There is a lot to be said about allowing the area to become wild as far as nature is concerned. This concludes my objection to the planned development.

Object

Representation ID: 13492

Received: 27/09/2021

Respondent: Annie Ingram

I object to the proposal to build approximately 560 houses on the site of the former Brandhall Golf Course in Sandwell.

The Sandwell Black Country Draft Policies Map shows this site allocated for housing, with no identification of any green space, in spite of the Council stating that a (wholly inadequate) area would be designated as public open space. The Map shows no Local Greenspace sites anywhere in the wards affected.

The decision to close the golf course and allocate for housing was taken in May 2020, in the height of the Covid 19 pandemic in the UK, and takes no account of the benefits to local residents during and after lockdown once golf was no longer played and the site was available be used freely. Nor does it properly consider the effects on the flora and fauna living there.

I do not think I need to set out any of the huge body of evidence showing the importance of green spaces for people's physical and mental health, and their importance for wildlife and the environment. For people, this is referred to in the Health and Wellbeing Chapter, as part of 5.7 - 5.13 and Draft Policy HW1.

Open Space, Sport and Recreation is specifically referrred to in Draft Policy ENV8. This states that development that would reduce the overall value of the open space, sport and recreation network in the Black Country will be resisted. The current proposals singularly fail to comply with this.

It is difficult to see how they would comply with Draft Policy ENV4, given the number of mature trees on the site. It is also unclear how chopping down the number of trees needed to allow this development will enable it to comply with the air quality requirements of Draft Policy CC4.3

In addition, the site appears to be a Core Habitat Zone, part of the Nature Recovery network referred to in Draft Policy ENV3 and Appendix 6, where there is a priority for protection and restoration. The proposals will seriously damage the high ecological value of the site.

Draft Policy HW2 requires the protection of existing primary and secondary healthcare infrastructure and services. The existing local Medical Centre will certainly not be able to cope with the needs of the occupants of an additional 560 houses. The Council's only response on this seems to be to let the NHS sort it out.

The site is a flood storage area for a housing development adjacent, and is subject to flooding itself. It is unclear what effect developing this site for so many houses will have. It is hard to see how it can comply with Draft Policy CC5.

This proposal is laughably named Brandhall Urban Village, but in reality, it comprises housing, the relocation of an existing school, and the bizarre concept of the 'creation' of a public open space on an area of public open space! (The idea that a former golf course owned by council tax payers and in the care of the Council, is not considered public open space is truly disingenuous. )

I do not question the need for housing, but this is a built up residential area, and my ward of Old Warley already has a paucity of open space (0.86 hectares against the borough average of 3.63 hectares.)

It also needs to be borne in mind that green open space at Londonderry Playing Fields, some two miles away, has recently been lost to the new Aquatics Centre. I do not intend to rehash the arguments about that, but it is a matter of fact that that green open space has now gone for good. Sandwell simply does not have enough open green space to lose any more.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has said "It is hard to accept that we could be losing a significant amount of green belt for housing despite so much brownfield land still existing across the Black Country". This applies to all our green open space. Undeveloped sites such as Brandhall Golf Course represent easy wins for developers, and indeed for Councils, but we need to take on the challenges of redeveloping brownfield sites if we are to have any quality of life in the Black Country.

Object

Representation ID: 13501

Received: 08/10/2021

Respondent: Christine Cliff

Number of people: 2

This objection relates to the inclusion of Peak House Farm, Wilderness Woods and Aston University Recreation Grounds in the Black Country Plan as part of the call for sites.

I give my wholehearted support to Sandwell Council re their decision to save Great Barr’s Greenbelt.

It would be a sin to build on this wonderful oasis of green space. If this was built on the whole character of the area would be lost, but also it would have such a devastating impact on all of the following:-

Traffic - Extra traffic in an area that is overwhelmed by congestion - doctors - schools - dentists.

Pollution - Also bearing in mind that there is already concern regarding air quality and carbon dioxide emissions, to lose such a wonderful open space with ancient hedges and established trees would add to the problem.

It is wonderful that Sandwell Council are supportive of not including this land for re-development is a credit to everyone who can see the benefit of retaining this precious site.

Well done Sandwell, , Nicola Richards ,Andy Street, Liam Gallagher, Mark Smith, Beacon Action Group & everyone else supporting this cause.

Chris Cliff

Support

Representation ID: 15676

Received: 09/10/2021

Respondent: Christopher Blake

UPPORT

I am fully supportive of the development of brownfield sites, particularly those which are old industrial sites. In my local area I would fully support:

Forge Lane/Lower High Street, Cradley Heath (Sandwell)

Additional housing puts further pressure on public services, so this should be a consideration when prioritising sites.

Object

Representation ID: 16489

Received: 01/10/2021

Respondent: Miss Erin Ross

(Brandhall Golf Course and Parsons Park)

I have concerns over the planned development in Sandwell which will swallow up the green space of the old Brandhall gold course and Parsons park. I note that this plan started its consultation back in 2017 when the golf course was still fully in use, this gives the appearance that the closure of the golf course was a foregone conclusion prior to Covid being a factor.

There loss of this green space would have a significant detrimental effect on the community. Since the lockdowns is has become a valuable green space for many local people. The next nearest green space to go for a walk and recharge your batteries is either Warley woods or woodgate valley.

Within the plan the markings only outline the whole of the Brandhall golf course and Parsons park for housing development. What alternative green space for residence will be provided? Can more specific plans be provided on where housing will be placed? Will the entire area be urbanised or will a significant swath of the now re-wilding golf course be left for the public to enjoy. There is considerable wild life habitat, a significant number of trees as well as water features that will potentailly be lost. This will impact local wildlife, air quality (it is a decent area of green lung which remains around here), noise from the motoroway (trees provide some shielding) as well as flooding prevention. Having looked at the Black Country plan it is not clear how these impacts will be mitigate. Yes we do need additional housing but to take out the whole of the last remaining large green space in this neighbourhood seems unreasonable. Looking around the area there has been significant numbers of new houses built in the last 20 years, I do not believe this is the only viable are for development.

Please can we see more detailed plans of what is proposed in terms of layout of the site and percentage area of the green space that will be left, wild life corridors, tree preseraaation, noise sheilding from the motorway, flood contingency.

Object

Representation ID: 18369

Received: 28/09/2021

Respondent: Niki Makepeace

I am a resident of the Brandhall area and wish to object to the building of 560 new houses on the Brandhall Golf Course site. I have viewed the proposals and also the map of the Sandwell and Dudley area where is it clearly shown that there are NO green spaces in the Old Warley borough. Brandhall is not an affluent area and many residents do not own a car, during the pandemic the golf course was our only access to green spaces within walkable distance. It is wholly unacceptable to take away the only green area and destroy 1000's of trees in the process. The golf course provides a buffer in terms of polution from the M5 motorway on one side and the Wolverhampton Road A123 on the other. The removal of so many trees will no doubt have an effect on air quality for residents in the area. Also at the present time it is almost impossible to book an appointment at our local GP Surgery at Warley Medical Centre, myself and my family have been sent to the emergency treatment centre at City Hospital as our GP surgery has now available appointments. Adding 560 more homes to the area will have a detrimental effect on services locally. Already Perryfields Infant and Junior shcool have had to expand to double it's size to accommodate children in the area. The River Tame runs over my property and flooding has always been an issue ourside out properties in the dip of Tame Road and the Kingsway with the road being sonstantly dug up to deal with drainage. The River Tame starts at Tame Road and runs through the golf course, how will this upset the water table? we already have issues with water run off in a very hilly area with my home at the bottom of the dip at Tame Road. Weas a family go walking over the Golf Course and have spent a lot of time over there since its closure. I appreciate that there is a housing shortage but there are derelict areas around Smethwick and the Black Country where factories have closed down, these are the sites that should be considered for building on and not extremely valuable green ares. Our children already have very limited places to be outdoors and the air quality will be severelty compromised with the removal of trees and the added effect added traffic through the area. Please register my objection to the pplan and advise me of any further methods whereby I can object to this planning.