By Email 4 December 2019 Green Belt Concerns
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By Email 4 December 2019 Green Belt Concerns - SSC Housing Strategy (Option G) Further to your request for feedback to new housing proposals I wish to strongly protest against the proposal to build new housing along green field sites around Wordsley, Kingswinford and Wall Heath alongside the busy A449. My objections are as follows: Increased traffic in an area which is already congested As a local resident I am extremely concerned about the high volume of traffic and daily congestion in Wordsley, Kingswinford and Wall Heath on the major roads, A449 and A491, as well as on the surrounding roads. Housing developments along this part of the A449 would inevitably lead to increased traffic with a negative impact on road safety in the area, particularly near local schools such as Belle Vue School, The Ashwood, Dawley Brook and Summerhill, and also near the local parks in Lawnswood Road and Cot Lane. In Wordsley the Forest Lawns/Ashwood Park housing estates and neighbouring residential roads are already used as shortcuts to bypass the heavily congested junction between Lawnswood Road and Wordsley High Street. The narrow old residential streets around Wordsley High Street have also become “rat runs” and since many were not originally built for traffic they are becoming increasingly dangerous. In Kingswinford the Valley Fields estate is used as a shortcut to avoid the heavy traffic along Moss Grove, since the A491 between Wall Heath and Stourbridge is gridlocked mornings and evenings and busy throughout the day. Dawley Brook School is along this shortcut. Whilst we would like to encourage our children to walk to school this activity is becoming increasingly dangerous. With the proposed housing developments and even busier roads it will become more likely that children are driven to school, further increasing traffic and denying children the opportunity to walk to school and enjoy the exercise. On the A449 it is particularly hazardous for traffic turning onto and exiting between Wall Heath and Stourton, with accidents and many “near misses” along that stretch of road. Further development will lead to additional traffic trying to access the A449, particularly at Lawnswood Road and Lodge Lane, where it is already extremely difficult. Impact on health and quality of life On 28/2/19 and 5/3/19 respectively, The Stourbridge News and The Birmingham Mail reported that, according to an Air Quality Audit from Friends of the Earth, Wordsley High Street (along the A491) was one of the biggest pollution hotspots in the West Midlands. Nitrogen dioxide levels of 50ug/m3 were recorded, which are significantly above acceptable limits, whilst 40ug/m3 should be the objective. Such levels are particularly harmful to the elderly and for the young, whose lungs are still developing. At present this green belt area, where development is proposed, at least provides a traffic- free buffer area between the A449 and A491, where trees and fields provide some relief from pollution from the heavy traffic on both roads. Loss of this green belt will inevitably lead to poorer air quality, higher noise pollution and a lower quality of life for residents. Do we want to put the health of our residents at further risk? Pressure on Local Services and Facilities. Such a large development will have a negative impact on the community, where there is already pressure on local services. According to the Rural Services and Facilities Audit 2019, there are not enough doctors’ surgeries, schools, shops and emergency services. The planned development will have a massive impact on waiting times and put further pressure on resources. Destruction of the local environment and additional impact I strongly feel that we should be protecting our green belt areas, which help to protect the environment. We should be planting more trees, not destroying trees and green sites. It is important to conserve the green belt for future generations. If it is built on we will have lost that valued green area for ever. Local people regularly enjoy this area and it is popular for both relaxation and exercise. It is an important network of rights of way and is easily accessible for local residents, who would otherwise have to use transport. Any development of this site will have an impact on wildlife. I regularly walk in this area, which is a haven for wildlife including species which are classified as “in decline” such as skylarks, butterflies and bees. We should be protecting our wildlife and natural habitats and conserving their environment. There is obviously poor drainage on the A449 at Stourton, where the road is regularly flooded, and also along Lawnswood Road just before the junction with the A449. With fields and trees being replaced by houses, hard roads and driveways and with the tendency to replace front gardens with additional hard parking areas, this is surely going to cause further problems with drainage and flooding in the area. I am sure you are aware of the huge opposition locally to this proposed development. Attendance to address fears for our Green Belt at Belle Vue School in February 2019 was far beyond expectation when around 500 people attended. It is an important local green space with valuable trees, hedgerows and open fields which helps contribute to the well-being of the local community. We local people love and appreciate our area and want to preserve it for future generations. I very much hope that you will seek alternative sites after carefully considering the unsuitability of the proposed development and the detrimental impacts that this development will have. Yours faithfully, J Marson Wordsley .