By Email

9 December 2019

SSC Local Plan Review Green Bely Area

GREEN BELT CONCERS SSC HOUSING STRATERGY PROPOSED AREAS FIELDS AROUND THE ROE DEER PUB AND FRIARS GORSE

Dear Sir / Madam I would like to register an objection to the proposed green belt development along the A449. At present when you leave Wordsley along Lawnswood Road and move into it represents the gateway to some of the most scenic countryside in the UK. From that point travelling west through Staffordshire, and into Wales it is a beautiful journey. The proposed building on this green belt site will only lead to more building until the countryside that we know will have been destroyed. The proposed development has no anchor in as the nearest village is Kinver. It is understandable if a proposed development is connected to an existing developed area such as Kinver, or but this proposal is totally from scratch with no amenities at all, it would be a new village / township.

What are the implications of this proposal to build 500 to 2500 houses? At present the existing roads including the A449 and the A491 will be totally inadequate to cope with a potential 5000 cars, vans lorries and buses. The current traffic situation on both the major roads is very congested with the A491 gridlocked for most of the day. Already the train stations along the line from to are full of commuters so that late comers have to park on the road. This proposed development will only make the situation far worse.

Kinver which is in South Staffordshire has to rely upon its Doctors surgery to be administered by the surgery in which is to the detriment of the patients in and around Kingswinford. There is only one major hospital in the Dudley area which is Russells Hall and that would really struggle to cope with the inhabitants of 500 houses never mind 2500

The green belt is something that every effort must be made to preserve, once it has gone there is no coming back With this proposed development the quality of life for a lot of the inhabitants of the surrounding area will be for the worse with increased air pollution, loss of the local green belt area to walk, run, cycle and exercise the dog in a safe environment.. In future to partake of the countryside people will have to travel in a car thus adding to the emissions in the atmosphere. They will be denied the opportunity of listening to birdsong and catching a whiff of freshly cut grass, the sounds and smells of nature which are enhanced in the countryside.

Arrangement will have to be made for schooling, the nearest schools are in the but they would struggle to absorb the numbers that are being quoted.

The area that South Staffordshire Council have designated for development is an area of outstanding beauty. The houses that are in Lawnswood Road are million pound houses, developers will not be keen to build 2 and 3 bedroom houses which are the houses that are needed to satisfy the demands of those who want to get on the housing list. They will be the same luxury properties that will see people moving from the West Midlands thus defeating the objective of South Staffordshire to reduce its housing waiting list.

I would suggest to South Staffordshire that it rethinks its plans and give greater consideration to adding to existing conurbations where most of the basic requirements are in place

Your faithfully

D. R. Thomas Wordsley