Local Plan Review Comments from Perton Parish Council

By Email 11 December 2019

Local Plan Review comments from Perton Parish Council

Perton Parish Council understands that the criteria that has been used has regard to National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Greater Birmingham Housing Market Area) GBHMA and existing housing policy. Our major comments and concerns are detailed below.

Greenbelt

Purpose 1 & 2 We believe our green belt protects us from merging with Wolverhampton. Perton has a very clear identity as a separate village community preventing sprawl with Wolverhampton. We note that Perton Playing Fields are regarded as vulnerable greenbelt and development of S57A would mean loss of a leisure and a recreational facility and the playing fields are known for flooding.

S59A would join our community to Wightwick which provoked a strong reaction from Wightwick residents who wish to retain a Wolverhampton identity. Perton is noted as having flooding during excessive rainfall, the area to the north of Perton, S56A is unsuitable for housing due to the wet condition of the land and we are concerned that any addition to our housing will exacerbate the existing flooding on Wrottesley Park Road and within our village in the areas of Cloverdale, Epsom Close, Severn Drive, Mercia Drive, Kelso Gardens, Hawkstone Close, the west side of Sandown School and at the Natural Burial Ground.

S57A includes the only remaining natural stretch of the River Penk which flows from the Wolverhampton boundary through the remnants of Tettenhall Wood towards the Pavilion and Gainsborough Drive. This whole site contains many fine trees including major oaks and the scarce black poplar. Four years ago, this stretch of the Penk was chosen by the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust as the only urban site in Staffordshire for the re-introduction of the critically endangered white clawed crayfish. There is also a badger sett on this land.

The major part of S57A is designated playing fields all of which has been used historically for various sports including football.

S58A has already been subject to two planning inquiries, that have been refused on greenbelt grounds.

Local Plan Review comments from Perton Parish Council

Option G We are a tier 2 village, without a railway or excellent public transport links yet we are expected to have 6.6% of new growth 3 times more than other tier 2 villages. As a tier 2 village we have limited employment opportunities which mean that the majority of jobs are located elsewhere, and this has an impact on our infrastructure for transport.

Perton is noted as having flooding during excessive rainfall, the area to the north of Perton is unsuitable for housing due to the wet condition of the land and we are concerned that any addition to our housing will exacerbate the existing flooding on Wrottesley Park Road and within our village in the areas of Epsom Close, Severn Drive, Mercia Drive, Kelso Gardens, Hawkstone Close, the west side of Sandown School and at the Natural Burial Ground.

The Parish Council has understood the need to house our young people as we have 10% of 0-16 year olds in the district. We have co-operated fully with the existing site to be developed by Housing Plus Group to meet this need and we have understood that the safeguarded land will eventually be developed. Due to our transport infrastructure problems we do not wish to overburden our residents until the infrastructure is improved. Many of our residents moved here from the Wolverhampton area as a deliberate choice to live in a garden village with more green accessible areas for recreation, open views, adjacent country side, accessible environment for those with disabilities, good educational facilities, a well-used shopping area and community devoid of urban sprawl.

In the new development and the safeguarded land the Parish Council acknowledge that the number of older people means that residents will wish to downsize their properties preferably into bungalows, this would release properties within the village for growing families.

The number of buy to let properties has led to a shortage of reasonably priced rental properties for younger people and the lack of opportunity to buy their own house. The Parish Council regard the high level of rent as a barrier to young people’s aspirations of home ownership and growth of their families.

Local Plan Review comments from Perton Parish Council

Infrastructure and Highways

We need extra capacity for 500 cars on the current site allocation and there will be an additional increase from the safeguarded land as there are no employment job opportunities and people will need to leave at peak times.

1. We need an extra ghost lane to the A41 traffic lights for left turning traffic towards Kingswood.

2. At Jenny Walker Lane traffic lights with Pattingham Road, a traffic island at this location would prevent queuing traffic being held up exiting Perton and removing the lights would decrease the cost to the County Council of maintaining the lights at this location. It would also decrease the pollution from stationary traffic.

3. At the A454 the left turning lane should be devoted to permanently filtering the traffic into Wolverhampton or a roundabout at this location would again speed the flow of traffic out of our village. This would again reduce the cost to the County Council.

4. For green infrastructure the Parish Council believe that a Country Park in the area of Cranmoor Farm, Wrottesley Park Road, would be of leisure and recreational benefit to our residents who already use the existing minor road as a link to the Staffordshire Way and Monarchs Way. This will provide an opportunity for us to have a Visitor Centre with Tea Room highlighting our heritage as a World War 1 and World War 2 airfield and our historical connections to the route of King Charles through our parish, linking us with Kingswood and Boscobel House.