Comment

Representation ID: 85

Received: 19/12/2023

Respondent: Mr David Phipps

The site in question was described in the 2021 final Dudley SHLAA as greenspace.
It was misdescribed in the recently refused Dudley planning application P22/1853 as brownfield.
This Local Plan 2041 now gives the site as greenfield.
It's a small field always used for agriculture sandwiched between Dudley houses and the South Staffs green belt. When the row of houses in The Straits was in South Staffs, the site 200 field was also in SouthStaffs in their green belt.

There are more than enough brownfield sites in Dudley to fulfil the 2041 Housing need.
So "Brownfield First".
Please remove this greenfield site from the table, and make it greenbelt again!

Object

Representation ID: 97

Received: 19/12/2023

Respondent: Ms Emma Hill

1. The plan should include all brownfield sites in line with their own policy; the land proposed is greenfield and should be excluded on that basis 2. The recent proposal to build on this land was rejected due to the flood risk. The land, adjacent properties and roads are flooded with every storm, or heavy rain period. Building on this land will only make this worse, causing issues to current residents. 3. The field is bordered by greenbelt, and the total area is rich in wildlife including badgers, deer, bats, kestrels, owls, rabbits, and foxes. There are mature trees and hedgerow rich in wildlife which would be destroyed if the area was developed. This would negatively impact the biodiversity of the area which could not be off set within any development, especially one with so many houses. 4. Access to this site could not be achieved without risk to the surrounding community. The site would have to be accessed via The Straits on which there is already a lot of street parking and there have been accidents and many near misses especially with the number of children in the vicinity due to the shops, local primary school, and bus stop for a local high school. Visibility for any new road onto The Strait would be an issue. Thank you for any support you can provide in supporting the removal of this piece of land from any development plans. It is a worry that despite the recent defeat to development of this land, we could still live the threat of this area being developed to the detriment of Lower Gornal

Object

Representation ID: 98

Received: 19/12/2023

Respondent: Mr Darren Jeavons

regarding the potential erection of 23 new dwellings, next to Majors Fold in Lower Gornal. This project, like the previous rejected one, will destroy wildlife habitats, possibly create flooding to neighbouring areas and put extra burden, on local services such as schools and medical practices. There are enough brownfield sites, to redevelop along with derelict sites, so utilise those and leave the greenbelt alone.

Object

Representation ID: 141

Received: 21/12/2023

Respondent: Dudley

The site is not suitable for housing development and cannot cope with flooding as the site stands now

Object

Representation ID: 142

Received: 21/12/2023

Respondent: Mr Bryn Challenor

This land is unsuitable for building due to the potential flooding risks
We must also , consider the wildlife and the local infrastructure This land Should never be considered

Object

Representation ID: 146

Received: 22/12/2023

Respondent: Mr craig cartwright

I object on the grounds that the proposal is on greenfield site. There are plenty of brown field sites within the area for housing development. The proposal is in an already crowded area where the infrastructure is completely inadequate for the current residents, let alone additional. (e.g quality of roads, schools available doctors and hospital services) Furthermore there is a significant amount of wildlife that will be displaced as a result of any development here. There are badgers and a wide variety of bird life within the area including owls. The council should focus on protecting our greenfield spaces.

Object

Representation ID: 156

Received: 22/12/2023

Respondent: Emma Haden

I submit this objection to this land being included in the LP and being used for development based on:

Impact on environment.
Greenfield parcel of land.
Impact on highways.
Flooding - evidence has already been provided during previous objection.
Housing in Dudley has obtained it's quota.

This land has already been refused planning permission and needs removing from the Dudley Plan. There are many questions as to how a green field was included on this plan initially. This land remaining on available sites register is causing many local residents stress and anxiety.

Object

Representation ID: 202

Received: 21/12/2023

Respondent: Clare Wasdell-Carter

DLP SITE REFERENCE H021 Site reference 200 The Straits/Majors Fold I’d like my objection
noted with regards for the above land being listed as a available site in Dudley Councils Local plan. After extensive research and recent plans being declined. I wish for my objection to be noted. The land that has been listed is Greenfield land which I believe should be reinstated to Greenbelt as it was. Brownfield first as Dudley Council suggest is their policy. The land has abundance of wildlife and ancient trees and in important part of our environment and ecosystem.

Object

Representation ID: 205

Received: 22/12/2023

Respondent: Doreen Corns

Objections for new plans at Major's fold (following your recent letter posted to local residents):
Building on this green belt land would have an impact on the wildlife there, quality health of residents, biodiversity and air quality for both residents and wildlife. Local schools are already oversubscribed and are struggling to educate the children in the area already. Why put further pressures on this system. Extra load will be placed on doctor’s surgeries, local hospitals and dental services. The doctor’s surgery in the village is already at full capacity after closing the surgery on The Straits. This will affect other services such as waste disposal, extra strain on the emergency services such as the police, ambulances and fire brigades. Transport is already poor in the area with bus services being cut regularly. An additional strain will be places on these services with increased congestion on narrow lanes that aren’t suited to increased congestion. This added congestion would increase noise and extra fumes, causing more damage to the environment. The infrastructure links are poor to surrounding areas. Parking and street access are already limited in Gornal Village. Narrow streets are already full with parked cars trying to access this small village. Dudley does not have a predicted need for additional houses and brownfield sites that are already available should take preference as this is already a waste of land that could be put to good use.

Object

Representation ID: 208

Received: 21/12/2023

Respondent: Elaine Scott-Dow

I wish to object to potential housing development The Straits/Majors Fold. Both Himley Road and The Straits are exceptionally busy roads and High Arcal Road is used as a short cut. Doctors dentists and schools are under pressure . There is a lot of brown field sites in the area.

Object

Representation ID: 215

Received: 21/12/2023

Respondent: Steven Jones

I wish to object to the potential housing development at The Straits/Majors Fold Gornal on the
following grounds : 1. Infrastructure incapable of coping with increased numbers - already nigh on impossible to get doctors appointment, next dentist appointment available is mid February etc. 2. Road structure cannot cope with increased traffic 3. Impact on wildlife 4. Ample brownfield sites available which should be used before greenfield sites are used

Object

Representation ID: 216

Received: 05/01/2024

Respondent: Marco Longhi

I am registering my objection regarding Site ref: 200 (The Straits/Majors Fold, Lower Gornal).

Brownfield First Policies:
The Government has announced its recommitment to a brownfield first policy, by prioritising the building of new
homes on brownfield land and giving voices to local communities. Many local residents have objected to this
development, and all have argued for a brownfield first approach. This site is not brownfield, and the Council should align itself with Government policy in this area. There are many other brownfield sites in the Black Country to meet our housing demands.
Furthermore, the Black Country Core Strategy states in section 2.3.4 that Brownfield sites should be prioritised over greenfield sites for development. This too was backed by the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust in their comments

Ecological Impacts:
The Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust are of the opinion that the potential impacts of the housing
development on Bats, Herptiles and Invertebrates. There have been sightings of many badgers (which are a
protected species), rabbits, deer etc. that are at risk

Highways Concern:
The Highways Department have also highlighted concerns with the development on this site. They have raised
visibility concerns in relation to the junction with the new development and The Straits, saying it is not achievable. T
It will be highly appreciated if this can be acknowledged and the objection can be registered.

Comment

Representation ID: 244

Received: 19/12/2023

Respondent: Alice Higginson

Afternoon, I'm writing to object to the potential housing development at The Straits/Majors Fold (site ref: 200). The reasons for this objection is due to the already heavy traffic flow within the area, as well as the site homing many animals. The additional homes put extra pressure on local facilities such as schools as well as the
doctors, which cannot cater for the amount of people within the area. The entrance/exit, I presume, will be on onto The Straits road adjacent to Browning Road, which again causes risks as well as the children that use the crossing, or onto High Arcal Road, which is extremely busy and narrow. The exit of The Straits, either via Sandyfields or High Arcal are very congested at rush hour and the extra traffic will only add to this.

Object

Representation ID: 245

Received: 21/12/2023

Respondent: Amy Bates

Good evening I am writing to express my concerns regarding Majors Fold being part of the development plan. We have campaigned very hard over the last 12 months to reject plans that were put forward. These plans were stopped due to the numerous concerns raised by residents. I will now list the reasons why Majors
Fold SHOULD NOT be part of the development plan! 1. Flooding! The fields are a huge flooding risk. Over the past
months a number of houses on The Straits Road and Wallows Wood have been flooded by average rain fall. This has caused damage in excess of thousands of pounds. The fields flood on a regular basis due to the natural springs and nature in the fields. 2. Having another junction on to The Straits Road is extremely dangerous. Residents already speed on The Straits Road and there have been many accidents around junctions. 3. Wildlife is another concern badgers, horses, bats, deer and other animals reside within these fields and this must also be taken in to account. There are also oak trees within this field that must not be disturbed. 4. Also, who is going to provide services for the residents who will be living in these new developments? There have been 100s of new homes created within Gornal but yet no new schools, GP or any other services. Our local schools are over subscribed and patients already have to wait weeks to see a GP. As mentioned earlier, we worked tirelessly to deter the previous development plans. We are also unsure how this piece of land was actually down graded from greenbelt to greenland. There are numerous brownfield sites that should be sought before Majors Fold is added to the development plan.

Object

Representation ID: 246

Received: 22/12/2023

Respondent: Carol Robinson

I wish to have My comments to the above made known to Dudley Council.
I have lived in My property for over 50 years,
Any buildings on this property will cause serious problems for the houses surrounding it.
My understanding of Dudley Councils policy is, Brown Fields first.
Several years ago we had severe flooding and because the land was then under South Staffordshire Council, they
ordered that the property owner at that time, to install pipes in order to carry the water away from our property. This was then carried out. If the pipework is disturbed in any way, we will have a recurring problem of flooding on our land.
Also a natural spring is in that plot of land and this too was piped away from the existing houses.
The proposed entrance to enable access to this property would cause severe problems with traffic. On an already
busy road.
Also wild life is in abundance on this land which includes hedgehogs, badgers. Foxes, owls and Muntjac deer are
present, plus all the beautiful old oak and various species of trees.
Please make it know that I am totally against any proposal to build now or in the future. There are many empty
factories in our areas which could be developed which would not impact on existing house.

Object

Representation ID: 248

Received: 19/12/2023

Respondent: Guy Marsh

Object to Majors Fold greenfield site being included as part of Dudley Local Plan for housing
Problems with flooding, ecological damage, proximity to SLINC, no reference is made to conserving existing
biodiversity on site and also enhancing it.nor development toward biodiversity net gain is not addressed and as A
GREENFIELD SITE EXPECTS NO LESS THAN 10% NET GAIN DIVERSITY AS A RESULT OF DEVELOPMENT
and that greenfield sites development such as this one should be DISCOURAGED . DLP SITE REFERENCE H021 Site reference 200 The Straits/ Majors Fold

Object

Representation ID: 252

Received: 20/12/2023

Respondent: Michelle Williams

I wish to oppose building plans for Majors Fold Site. This land should be Green Belt as it used to be. There is an abundance of wildlife, ranging from deer, birds of prey, bats foxes badgers rabbits to garden birds. It provides a cushion from the busy Himley Road to the Straits. There is enough traffic on local roads and dangerous junctions. Doctors Surgeries, Schools, Hospitals And Dental Practices are beyond full now without extra residents.

I forgot to put flooding issues on my objection and my home was flooded out in June, cannot believe that I
didn't put it on the form! Still stressed and awaiting repairs to be completed.

Object

Representation ID: 255

Received: 17/12/2023

Respondent: Alison Turner

Re: Majors Fold Still have concerns over drainage, junction being too close to Browning Road, not enough local schools, hospitals, doctors, roads/traffic, wilfldlife. Plenty of Brown belt land that could be built on.

Object

Representation ID: 256

Received: 17/12/2023

Respondent: Gwyneth Lucas

Number of people: 3

Just wondering if this is the way to object to planning applications on Majors Fold. If that is the
case, count myself, Martin John and David Lucas in on the objectors.

Object

Representation ID: 257

Received: 19/12/2023

Respondent: Mr Darren Jeavons

Like many others, I am in receipt of your correspondence of December
12th, 2023, regarding the potential erection of 23 new dwellings, next to Majors Fold in Lower Gornal.
This project, like the previous rejected one, will destroy wildlife habitats, possibly create flooding to
neighbouring areas and put extra burden, on local services such as schools and medical practices.
There are enough brownfield sites, to redevelop along with derelict sites, so utilise those and leave the
greenbelt alone.

Object

Representation ID: 258

Received: 19/12/2023

Respondent: Jayne Marsh

Dudley Local Plan OBJECT to inclusion of greenfield site Majors Fold in plan on grounds of ecological damage drainage issues ,concerns ref local SLINC , GREENFIELD SITE EXPECTS NO LESS THAN 10% NET GAIN DIVERSITY AS A RESULT OF DEVELOPMENT and that greenfield sites development such as this one should be DISCOURAGED DLP SITE REFERENCE H021 Site reference 200 The Straits/ Majors Fold.

Object

Representation ID: 261

Received: 17/12/2023

Respondent: Judith Cox

I am confused about the plan which Dudley are trying to implement . There were a lot of objections to building on this land and I ,and many other people , thought a decision had been made to keep the area green. There are many issues - wildlife in abundance, destruction of open 'breathing' space, and the inability of local
infrastructure to cope with more people and obviously more traffic on our already overcrowded roads. The access to the site is very questionable being opposite shops and a road junction .There is a possibility of flooding on this land which would be made even worse should more houses be built. Once again it is a case of urban sprawl on the boundary of two local councils. I can't help but feel that this is a very underhanded way of Dudley Council freeing up green land whilst doing very little about encouraging developers to use brownfield land - or even press for the renovation of unused / derelict houses / shops etc. In doing so they are doing nothing to endear themselves to the Council Tax payers.

Object

Representation ID: 262

Received: 20/12/2023

Respondent: Linda Ann Markham

I object to the Potentiial housing development The Straits/Majors Fold, Gornal (Site ref:200)
because it is an infringment on the Green Field Space which is one of the reasons for us living in such a nice area for over 40 years. There is also an abundance of wild life at the moment, including Muntjac deer, foxes and bats and fields behind where horses are grazing freely. I also do not feel the road infrastructure would be able to cope with the extra traffic, particuarly High Arcal which is still full of pot holes which are opening up again.

Object

Representation ID: 264

Received: 19/12/2023

Respondent: Matt Dransfield

In response to the proposed development at majors fold. As a local resident I object to this site on several basis; 1. Developing a greenfield site over a brownfield site when there are copious amounts available is not in keeping with the dmbc development plans. 2. Increased traffic on an already busy road without as well as the increased demand on already stretched resources is certainly not a positive for anyone. 3. Disturbance to landscape and wildlife Please submit my response with the others you are compiling.

Object

Representation ID: 266

Received: 19/12/2023

Respondent: Olivia Marsh

Object to inclusion of majors fold greenfield site on Dudley Local plan DLP SITE REFERENCE
H021 Site reference 200 The Straits/ Majors Fold GREENFIELD SITE EXPECTS NO LESS THAN 10% NET GAIN DIVERSITY AS A RESULT OF DEVELOPMENT and that greenfield sites development such as this one should be DISCOURAGED Problems with flooding , ecological damage, proximity to SLINC,

Object

Representation ID: 267

Received: 18/12/2023

Respondent: Richard Kennedy

Afternoon, I'm writing to object to the potential housing development at The Straits/Majors Fold
(site ref: 200). The reasons for this objection is due to the already heavy traffic flow within the area, as well as the site homing many animals. The additional homes put extra pressure on local facilities such as schools as well as the
doctors, which cannot cater for the amount of people within the area. The entrance/exit, I presume, will be on onto The Straits road adjacent to Browning Road, which again

Object

Representation ID: 268

Received: 09/01/2024

Respondent: Shane Guest

Strong Objection to Majors Field Development Proposal Dear Marco, I am writing on behalf of residents
on The Straits to strongly object to the current proposal for the development of Majors Field. Firstly, it is deeply
disheartening that consideration is being given to constructing houses on this greenfield site. Established
documentation underscores the priority for building on brownfields first, as it is more sustainable and responsible to repurpose previously developed land. In accordance with Dudley Council's commitment to sustainability, this proposal should be automatically refused, given the absence of requests for planning permission on alternative sites. The National Planning Policy Framework emphasises the effective use of land, urging substantial weight on brownfield utilisation. Greenfield sites should only be allocated for affordable homes or if brownfield land is maximally utilised, particularly in town and city centres. Furthermore, Majors Fold has already inflicted disturbances such as increased noise, traffic, and pollution. Adding 14 additional houses is an unreasonable suggestion, encroaching upon our space
and privacy. Issues of light, severe overshadowing, and flooding have arisen, all of which stand to worsen with this
proposal. The already busy road, bus stop, and shops have led to increased crime, affecting resident welfare and
safety. Noise, traffic, and pollution concerns should not be underestimated. The proposed properties will exacerbate
these issues, significantly increasing the carbon footprint and contradicting Dudley Council's policy. The agricultural impact, including risks to land, grass, trees, and habitat, poses a substantial threat to both the environment and public health. The proposal raises concerns about physical health due to hazardous substances, while the lack of privacy can adversely affect mental health. Additionally, the disruption and digging of land pose risks to properties and the surrounding areas. The proximity to the British Geological Survey's identified epicenter raises unaddressed risks.

Moreover, the proposal will adversely impact property values, perpetuating rising inequality. The strain on local
amenities like schools, doctors, and dentists, already stretched, will only intensify. Gornal Village's congestion and traffic issues necessitate careful consideration of potential safety concerns arising from additional roads. In
conclusion, Gornal residents are overwhelmingly against this proposal. I urge a thorough review of the planning
application to prevent serious issues from arising. The Straits does not need additional congestion, people, cars, or houses. I implore you to take these appeals seriously, revoke the planning permission, and redirect attention to areas in greater need.