Draft Black Country Plan

Object

Representation ID: 14274

Received: 07/10/2021

Respondent: Hagley Parish Council

Land at Worcester Lane, Pedmore – sites DUH 206 207 and 209
Hagley Parish Council is opposed to the development of this site.
The gap between Hagley and Pedmore along Worcester Lane, Pedmore has already been narrowed to a mere 500 metres and should not be narrowed further. One of the purposes of Green Belt is to keep towns apart. Though it likes to consider itself a village, Hagley has a population of about 6500, which is larger than some Worcestershire market towns. Hagley and Pedmore are already joined along one side (only) of Stourbridge Road. Any further erosion of the gap ought to be unacceptable.
On the side of Worcester Lane where the development is proposed, there is already some old ribbon development, a house called Little Barton, which immediately adjoins Hagley; and Treherns Farm, an ancient farmstead, now partly used in connection with the playing fields of Old Swinford Hospital (a school). If this development proceeds, the gap between Trehern’s Farmhouse and the development will be reduced to a mere 250 metres.
As one crosses the railway bridge at the north end of the site, there is some development on the left, but it is set back and relatively unobtrusive, so that one can begin to feel one has entered the countryside. This is reflected by the current speed limit being 40 m.p.h. However dense development of the site (on the right hand side) will have the effect of extending the urban area out very considerably.
The development on the west of the site beyond the railway extends out considerably less far than that on the east side of Worcester Lane. That estate is Quarry Park Road, which was developed pre-war at a low density, which is secured by mutual restrictive covenants. This resulted in a development of large houses on large plots. When an owner seeks a variation of covenants, it is necessary for the applicant to have the deed signed by all owners on that estate and well as paying a sum to the Feoffees of Old Swinford Hospital as the vendor covenantee. These covenants secure the character of that estate. The original plans for the estate would have extended it further out into the countryside, with what are now two cul-de-sacs being joined to form a large loop. The imposition of Green Belt meant that the rest of that estate was never sold or developed. This means that that estate extends out considerably less far (by 550 metres) than is proposed for this development site.
The land on the east side of Worcester Lane was offered for sale in (perhaps) the 1930s by the same Feoffees, but was bought by a consortium of local residents who wanted to keep Pedmore as a village. The purchase was made by Pedmore Land Company Ltd, in which each of member of the consortium had 10 shares. By the 1970s, the character of Pedmore had changed considerably, so that it was no longer a village. Pedmore Land Company therefore resolved to have its property developed. This led to a hard-fought planning appeal, at a time when the site was classified as White Land. This resulted in the grant of planning permission, but, due to the character of the area, the density was limited, again resulting in large houses on large plots. Pedmore Land Company sold off its land at the rate of a few plots each year over a considerable period, resulting in the main part of the development (whose spine road is Redlake Drive) being one of individual architect designed houses.
The density proposed by the Black Country Plan Review for the site is thus too high, so that development of the site at the density required by the Plan would be out of keeping with the area.
The area between Hagley and Pedmore has a network of very well used footpaths, two of which cross the site. The development will adversely affect the setting of both. One continues a path through the Redlake Drive estate and leads over a railway bridge to Quarry Park Drive, thence to Ounty John Lane, so named because the cottage on its corner with Racecourse Lane was occupied by John the mole catcher, “ount” being a dialect word for a mole. Ounty John Lane leads to further paths going out into the countryside. The other leads directly into the countryside. The popularity of these is shown by the frequency with which cars are parked on Worcester Lane at the end of the paths.