Diary for Blakenall and Walsall
Thank you for visiting this site. I will try and update this regularly!
Goscote and Poets. The Planning application has been submitted (on Friday 27th January) for approval to develop the areas of Poets and Goscote with a build of 700 to 800 houses. Now it is all about not just building houses but providing homes for people to rebuild a community. I was pleased to have talked on the doorstep to about 100 of residents, distributed a reply paid questionnaire to over 500 houses, held a couple of meetings with residents both at Blakenall village centre ( BVC) and Ryecroft Centre , together with talking to most of those who attended the exhibition at the BVC. I was also pleased to attend a meeting called by residents in Hardy road at the BVC.
& The main concerns are… why propose to use the green belt land at the Lea (top field above Swannies on other side of the canal). There is proposed a land swap to instead not use very much of the cleared site at Goscote ( just 70 houses) , build 700 to 800 houses of which 15% minimum would be ‘affordable’ that is available probably via Walsall Housing Group for rent . The land from the council and from WHG will be given free of charge and if passed at planning committee in March, the package will be offered under European tender rules in April. If a developer is prepared to take the financial risk, it may be that building could start this time next year. The contract would not impose any so called 106 ‘tax’ which is normally imposed to pay for road and school improvements. These would come from a contribution from the profits later in the scheme, along with other improvements such as landscaping of Goscote open space and provision of football pitches, fishing platforms and landscaping of Swannies field.
;Certainly I would very much regret both the use of the Lea for building and not rebuilding so much on the former Goscote site and that the new houses will be potentially too expensive for many local residents to afford. However if there are no realistic alternatives, this plan must go forward as the alternative is for this area to remain in limbo, with all the attendant fly tipping, fires, motor bikes, free roaming horses… more decent residents will leave and may threaten the area as more empty homes that remain unfilled increase in numbers.
I will ensure that those residents who are concerned will meet with planning officers, be kept fully informed of the plans and any meetings to further discuss details and I promise to represent them fully and raise their concerns at the relevant planning meeting and will question officers on points raised.. you can view the whole planning application on the internet but you may need some knowledge of ground surveys and the like… but I will plough through it and focus on points that need to be highlighted. Alison Ives is the planning officer heading this application .
;The other issue that caused me concern was the issue of granting planning permission to change the use of 176 Bloxwich road from a shop ( A1) to a fish and chip shop ( A5) . Now the reason this needs planning is that fish and chip shops produce smells and associated nuisance with extra car movements. This was recognised by planning officers who recommended refusal. The police recommended refusal and the environmental officers also recommended refusal. Two large petitions from local residents and numerous letters also asked that planning permission for this fish and chip shop is refused. No credible plan was presented for the extra parking needed for such a take a way. Despite all this evidence, planning was granted after 3 separate meetings and two tied votes when the chair cast his deciding vote in favour. Now the residents of Essex street and Bloxwich road are condemned to suffer the nuisance of this take a way and others using the junction will find it much more difficult to exit and will add to the risk of more accidents.
with a number of cases where WHG seem to be suing some sub contractors who are not communicating very well to the residents and some delays in implementing repairs… I hope the excuse is not that they are in chaos due to the move into the £7.5million new headquarters at junction of Littleton Street and Teddesley Street
.
Goscote and Poets. The Planning application has been submitted (on Friday 27th January) for approval to develop the areas of Poets and Goscote with a build of 700 to 800 houses. Now it is all about not just building houses but providing homes for people to rebuild a community. I was pleased to have talked on the doorstep to about 100 of residents, distributed a reply paid questionnaire to over 500 houses, held a couple of meetings with residents both at Blakenall village centre ( BVC) and Ryecroft Centre , together with talking to most of those who attended the exhibition at the BVC. I was also pleased to attend a meeting called by residents in Hardy road at the BVC.
& The main concerns are… why propose to use the green belt land at the Lea (top field above Swannies on other side of the canal). There is proposed a land swap to instead not use very much of the cleared site at Goscote ( just 70 houses) , build 700 to 800 houses of which 15% minimum would be ‘affordable’ that is available probably via Walsall Housing Group for rent . The land from the council and from WHG will be given free of charge and if passed at planning committee in March, the package will be offered under European tender rules in April. If a developer is prepared to take the financial risk, it may be that building could start this time next year. The contract would not impose any so called 106 ‘tax’ which is normally imposed to pay for road and school improvements. These would come from a contribution from the profits later in the scheme, along with other improvements such as landscaping of Goscote open space and provision of football pitches, fishing platforms and landscaping of Swannies field.
;Certainly I would very much regret both the use of the Lea for building and not rebuilding so much on the former Goscote site and that the new houses will be potentially too expensive for many local residents to afford. However if there are no realistic alternatives, this plan must go forward as the alternative is for this area to remain in limbo, with all the attendant fly tipping, fires, motor bikes, free roaming horses… more decent residents will leave and may threaten the area as more empty homes that remain unfilled increase in numbers.
I will ensure that those residents who are concerned will meet with planning officers, be kept fully informed of the plans and any meetings to further discuss details and I promise to represent them fully and raise their concerns at the relevant planning meeting and will question officers on points raised.. you can view the whole planning application on the internet but you may need some knowledge of ground surveys and the like… but I will plough through it and focus on points that need to be highlighted. Alison Ives is the planning officer heading this application .
;The other issue that caused me concern was the issue of granting planning permission to change the use of 176 Bloxwich road from a shop ( A1) to a fish and chip shop ( A5) . Now the reason this needs planning is that fish and chip shops produce smells and associated nuisance with extra car movements. This was recognised by planning officers who recommended refusal. The police recommended refusal and the environmental officers also recommended refusal. Two large petitions from local residents and numerous letters also asked that planning permission for this fish and chip shop is refused. No credible plan was presented for the extra parking needed for such a take a way. Despite all this evidence, planning was granted after 3 separate meetings and two tied votes when the chair cast his deciding vote in favour. Now the residents of Essex street and Bloxwich road are condemned to suffer the nuisance of this take a way and others using the junction will find it much more difficult to exit and will add to the risk of more accidents.
with a number of cases where WHG seem to be suing some sub contractors who are not communicating very well to the residents and some delays in implementing repairs… I hope the excuse is not that they are in chaos due to the move into the £7.5million new headquarters at junction of Littleton Street and Teddesley Street
.
- The number of stray horses has reduced from 81 to 40 over the past few weeks and I am campaigning to now find a site for the owners to lease, well away from the public, where they can be looked after and fed and not cause a nuisance with a payment to the council.. Why should others have to pay £300 to £400 a week to maintain a horse? I do however understand the wish of some who have been brought up with horses and lived on the road .. however they have to conform with some rules .
- I have also been active over a long time to bring those who deal in scrap from a business run at their home address to conform with the law... a scheme to enforce all these tat wagon owners to have to display a licence plate ( which is like those for taxis) and for this they have to be interviewed, declare their business address and be deemed a 'fit and proper person' as for a taxi licence to trade on the streets to collect scrap.. and conform to noise regulations! If they break these rules , their licence would be withdrawn and they will be committing an offence to be seen on the street collecting. This is currently with the legal department of the council to draft a by law.
Grateful for any feedback or comments.. above are just a few items that I am working on to hopefully make Blakenall a place where there is competition from good residents wishing to move here and not the reverse!
Cllr Ian Robertson
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