Draft Black Country Plan

Comment

Representation ID: 12158

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Sandwell Liberal democrats

It would be nice to see a greater level of coordination and cooperation between the boroughs in the Black Country and Birmingham, and the wider West Midlands. The lack of cooperation has lead to sites on the edge of borough and city boundaries being neglected in the past, and this still seems to true of the current plans.

Comment

Representation ID: 12163

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Sandwell Liberal democrats

The masterplan is ambitious, but leaves much of be desired in terms of detail. There also seems to be a lack of consultation with local businesses and community groups over what residents want. There is a danger of a consultants scheme being imposed on local residents with involving them in the planning stages.
Much is made of environmental measures, but little about how this would integrate with the current roads and existing car usage.

Object

Representation ID: 12167

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Sandwell Liberal democrats

SAH226 - Land to north of Painswick Close Sub Station

This site includes playing fields, and such community facilities should not be sacrificed for housing when there are outstanding planning applications that have not been built.
In addition to any mitigation for the loss of Green Belt, this proposal should be refused unless it retains the playing fields.

Object

Representation ID: 12175

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Sandwell Liberal democrats

SAH224 - Land off Tanhouse Avenue

Part of the land for this site has a long association with the neighbouring school and provides playing fields to the local community. In addition to retaining the playing fields, any development on this site will need to mitigate for possible subsidence or other problems from past mining activity in the area. It is also a known flood plain. With over 3,000 houses that have planning approval, but remain unbuilt, the need for these houses is questionable.

Object

Representation ID: 12177

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Sandwell Liberal democrats

SAH225 - Charlemont Community Centre

The proposal for this site is for one house, and that will have no impact on the housing stock while opening up the possibility of developers encroaching on the neighbouring open space. This proposal should therefore be rejected and the Council should instead look for ways to make use of the building as a community centre. This could be either through Sandwell Council itself, or inviting community groups to make use of it. The area is also prone to flooding and any building work would likely exacerbate this, and there is vacant lot close by.

Comment

Representation ID: 12182

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Sandwell Liberal democrats

We welcome Sandwell's decision not to include the land off Birmingham Road and Wilderness Lane (Peakhouse Farm) in the Draft Black Country Plan.

Contrary to the claim in the developer’s submission, there are several constraints that apply to this proposal.
1) The land is protected by Historic Hedgerow legislation.
2) The site is a Site of Interest for Nature Conservation.
3) There are archaeological remains underneath the surface of the fields, thought to be those of a moated farmhouse. This was confirmed by the archaeologists who dug a test trench commissioned by the developer in May 2021.

Support

Representation ID: 21368

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Sandwell Liberal democrats

Number of people: 102

Protect Biodiversity of Wilderness Lane from Developers
The land off Wilderness Lane in Great Barr is under threat from developers.

This land, along with land near Tanhouse Avenue, and other land in Great Barr has been designated as NOT SUITABLE FOR HOUSING by Sandwell Council, and is also important for nature conservation. However, it is still under threat as the developers who own the land are calling it for it to be included as a site that could be built on. These petition signers support the Council’s decision not to include this site in the Draft Black Country Plan.

We the undersigned call on Sandwell Council to protect the biodiversity of our green space, such as the land off Wilderness Lane, Tanhouse Avenue, and Sandwell Valley, and exclude them from development zones. We also urge the Council and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to resist pressure to make green belt land available for development.