Draft Black Country Plan

Object

Representation ID: 17239

Received: 08/10/2021

Respondent: Friends of Cotwall End Valley

Number of people: 43

This piece of land lies at the edge of Cotwall End Valley, the north-western section being adjacent to Cotwall End Valley Local Nature Reserve/Geosite. We object to its removal from the protection offered by Green Belt status and its proposed use for housing.
The Government’s own web-site emphasizes the permanence of Green Belt and states that the Green Belt boundaries should only be altered where exceptional circumstances are fully evidenced and justified. Two of the five state+d purposes of Green Belt are:
- to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built up areas and
- to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment
The Site Assessment reported that this site makes a strong contribution to preventing sprawl of the West Midlands Conurbation at Sedgley/Upper Gornal and to preventing encroachment on the countryside.
Urban sprawl is already heading towards Cotwall End Valley and threatening wild life corridors, with proposals to build housing along Sandyfields Road. Lock down has shown us the benefit of local green spaces to physical and mental health, especially to people without gardens and we need to give our green spaces all the protection we can. Removal of Green Belt status sets a dangerous
precedent.
Objection to making the site available for housing
The site assessment identified:
- the potential for protected species within the site
- The site has SLINC status (Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation).This classification provides some protection from damaging development under local and national planning policy.
- The site makes a strong contribution to preventing encroachment on the countryside