Support

Representation ID: 54

Received: 09/12/2023

Respondent: Lapal Canal Trust

The Lapal Canal Trust was established in 1990 to support the restoration of the Dudley No 2 Canal from Hawn Basin in Halesowen through Leasowes Park, across Manor Way and across Woodgate Valley Park to Selly Oak. It is the major restoration project in Dudley. And the Trust is widely supported by the community with local Members of Parliament and Councillors supportive. We fully support the laudable objectives outlined in Policy ‘DLP36 Canals’. Both Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and Birmingham City Council have invested in protecting sections of the canal route.

We ask that this specific canal restoration project be referenced to directly and that the plan should refer to the Atkins Feasibility study. In 2008 supported by Dudley Council the Atkins Consultancy produced a detailed study, with road crossings at Mucklow Hill and Manor Way, it advised a partially new route via Woodgate Valley which would be of much more public benefit. Reopening the tunnel which collapsed in 1917 would be costly and only boaters would benefit. The Trust wholeheartedly supported this initiative.

Trust volunteers have continued work on keeping the route across the Leasowes clear and the redevelopment of the Sandvick site will help with crossing Manor Way. This bridge would also form a pedestrian route across this very busy Dual Carriageway. We are also active in Selly Oak, where there is a section 106 agreement which provides £724k contribution to the restoration of the canal past Sainsbury’s retail park. Whitehouse Wharf has just been completed at a cost of £350k to allow boats to moor and turn to enter the restored canal. This was recently opened by Mayor Andy Street who has been very supportive.

Support

Representation ID: 452

Received: 13/12/2023

Respondent: Revelan Developments Ltd

Agent: Harris Lamb

Policy DLP36 Canals
We support the recognition that Dudley’s canals are an important resource and provide an opportunity to deliver high quality development taking advantage of their setting. However, the criterion in policy DLP36 are designed to restrict and control development, rather than actively encourage it. Whilst we have no particular concerns with any of the criteria within the policy it is our view that it should be amended to advise that the Council will actively encourage new development that makes best use of the canal network. A balance will be struck between the need to regenerate poor quality sites next to the canal network and the plan’s density, housing mix and planning obligation requirements.

Support

Representation ID: 657

Received: 22/12/2023

Respondent: Natural England

Natural England welcomes this policy. We welcome the reference to green infrastructure in the justification, and would support a reference being included in the actual policy.

Comment

Representation ID: 711

Received: 22/12/2023

Respondent: Canal and River Trust

The Trust welcomes the inclusion of canal-specific Policy DLP36 – Canals within the draft plan. Clear reference has been added in relation to the importance of assessing impact on structural integrity, maintaining opportunity for canal restoration, and in identifying the role the canal network can play in delivering good design.
We further request

In terms of additions the Trust requests the following:
• Mention of delivery of integrated sustainable travel through towpath and way-faring enhancements. In relation to design quality, the canal network presents also opportunities for positive placemaking and the reduction of anti-social behaviour.

• Amend ‘reinstate and/or upgrade towpaths,’ to ‘reinstate, introduce and/or upgrade towpaths and access points’ within sub-heading 2(g)
• Add ‘including through the introduction of suitably designed and sized wayfinding information’ (before
o ‘and link them’ within sub-section 2(g))
• Add ‘To be delivered through the reasonable use of planning conditions or S106/CIL obligations’ to the end of 2(g)
• Add 2(h) for ‘use of canals for surface water management purposes, provided that SuDS and other mitigation measures are built into a scheme’
• Add into 3(a), “and delivery of the wider well-being agenda”
• Include an additional sub-section specifying, ‘Facilitate continued access to Trust assets for inspection and maintenance purposes’
• In relation to Residential Moorings, add to 10 that moorings also should not be permitted near existing uses which currently give rise to adverse amenity impacts, noise for example, in accordance with ‘agent of change’ principles
• The justification text at 11.67 or thereafter should identify that the assessment of ‘all necessary boating facilities’ should consider bin storage, collection and waste disposal, water and power supplies, and car parking provision on a case-by-case basis to allow greater flexibility in relation to site-specific needs. It should also state that need for parking and access requirements for residential moorings is to be assessed against other relevant DLP policies and car parking standards on a case-by-case basis.
• The Trust requests insertion of a list of existing Trust and non-Trust mooring sites within Dudley for identification purposes as potential constraints to development. The associated justification text should make clear that both Trust and non-Trust residential mooring sites may also vary in existence throughout the duration of the Plan until 2041. Up-to-date statistics for our own moorings are available from us on request. (ACTION REQUEST)