Residents ask for homes plans re-think

Plans to demolish a bungalow and its outbuildings on Erdington Road, Aldridge and build four homes in its place were approved at a Walsall Council planning committee meeting on July 6.

As well as residents putting forward their opposition to the plans prior to the meeting, council officers also recommended that they were refused by the committee.

However they will now go ahead after the plans were deemed suitable.

A total of 23 letters were submitted to the council prior to the meeting, saying the development would be out of character for the area, impact on residents privacy and

Resident Mark Ryder, said he has asked that the plans go back before the committee, as he feels they were inaccurate.

He said: "We have concerns over this site because it is going to be built on green belt land and will lead to urban sprawl.

"We also have concerns over visibility, Erdington Road is a busy 30mph zone where cars regularly travel at much higher speeds than that.

"It is going to lead to crashes if these homes are built because they won't be able to see out on to the main road.

"We believe that some of the measurements and planning put forward to be incorrect and we have asked that the council request the plans come before them again after being fixed.

"We are also set to start a Facebook group against the development and put together a petition."

Councillor Mohammed Nazir, who is head of the planning committee, said of the meeting: "We were aware that there were objections to these plans but we also had people who were in favour and wanted to speak.

"At the meeting, only those in favour showed up."

A statement from Walsall Council's planning officers, who recommended the plans be refused, read: "The proposals are contrary to adopted development plan policies and cannot be supported."