Draft Black Country Plan

Comment

Representation ID: 18046

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Brierley Hill Community Forum

The concern over loss of greenbelt expressed in consultations is noted, and the Forum shares those concerns - the adjacent greenbelt to urban areas is hugely valued and makes a substantial contribution towards quality of life and health to local residents across the conurbation. Addressing such concerns should not mask the challenges facing urban centres and these need to be addressed through the plan too. Consequently, we are also highly concerned about any proposals to lose highly valued green space in borough's centres.

Comment

Representation ID: 18047

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Brierley Hill Community Forum

Brierley Hill has demonstrated that high density housing (for example, adjacent to the Merry Hill Centre) can be highly successful. However, there is a concern that the over concentration of social housing for rent in particular areas can amplify social problems for towns, whilst contributing little to the economic viability of town centres. There is a view that all social housing is being concentrated in areas which already have high levels of such homes, whilst the proposals do little or nothing to address shortages in the west of the borough.

Object

Representation ID: 18048

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Brierley Hill Community Forum

We would urge that community impact statements should be introduced or, at least, incorporated as part of Health Impact statements in HW3, and that housing policies should be reviewed to put greater emphasis on balanced communities.

Object

Representation ID: 18049

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Brierley Hill Community Forum

We do not believe it a good idea to create concentrations of poverty for health, educational, social cohesion and sustainability reasons. It is important that proposed ratios for such accommodation are reviewed on a community by community, rather than an authority or subregional basis. We believe that this should be made clear in the Plan under policy HW1 to reinforce the need for mixed developments.

Support

Representation ID: 18050

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Brierley Hill Community Forum

The policies regarding Houses in Multiple Occupation are also supported A surge of applications in Brierley Hill Town Centre has been noted recently. Police response to individual applications reflect the concern felt ion the community about the proposals. It is hard to see what value an over intensification of these brings to towns. The Forum feels these should be tightened even further.

Comment

Representation ID: 18067

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Brierley Hill Community Forum

Little progress has been made towards uniting the three parts of Brierley Hill as envisage in the previous Black Country Plan. Merry Hill and Brierley Hill High Street continue to provide differing retail offers. The plan needs enough granularity to ensure that, as the journey toward uniting the three parts of Brierley Hill takes place, the High Street's needs are considered separately from Merry Hill (for example in car parking allocations and travel plans).
The introduction of a tighter active frontage policy to encourage shops to open on to their High Streets as opposed to car parks at their rear would also be welcomed (eg Pound Stretcher in Brierley Hill, various gyms etc).

Object

Representation ID: 18068

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Brierley Hill Community Forum

Paragraph 6.16 gives us cause for concern. Good access to schools is an important need for all children. This statement implies an outflow of young families from the centres. We do not believe that this contributes towards creating sustainable communities, neither is it viable in the longer term.

Comment

Representation ID: 18069

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Brierley Hill Community Forum

Large scale regeneration projects can have a huge impact on local community organisations. Post war regeneration in the Brierley Hill area entailed many people moving away from their local communities. This has had an impact on the long term viability of community and faith provision.

The rate of turn-over amongst younger residents in high density accommodation (for example Brierley Hill flats) makes it increasingly difficult to build strong community organisations due the constantly changing population.

Comment

Representation ID: 46159

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Brierley Hill Community Forum

The concern over loss of greenbelt expressed in consultations is noted, and the Forum shares those concerns - the adjacent greenbelt to urban areas is hugely valued and makes a substantial contribution towards quality of life and health to local residents across the conurbation. Addressing such concerns should not mask the challenges facing urban centres and these need to be addressed through the plan too. Consequently, we are also highly concerned about any proposals to lose highly valued green space in borough's centres.

Comment

Representation ID: 46160

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Brierley Hill Community Forum

The concern over loss of greenbelt expressed in consultations is noted, and the Forum shares those concerns - the adjacent greenbelt to urban areas is hugely valued and makes a substantial contribution towards quality of life and health to local residents across the conurbation. Addressing such concerns should not mask the challenges facing urban centres and these need to be addressed through the plan too. Consequently, we are also highly concerned about any proposals to lose highly valued green space in borough's centres.