Dudley Council officers are backing plans for new houses within a conservation area, despite facing opposition from hundreds. At the centre of the dispute is part of the Clockfields site in Brierley Hill, with the council preparing to deliberate on an application for three new detached homes adjoining Culverhouse Drive.
The land, while privately owned, falls under a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINC). However, authorities suggest that a developer’s contribution towards biodiversity monitoring for the entire Clockfields location would offset the 'limited harm' caused by partial loss of the SLINC.
A council report for the November 11 planning committee meeting claimed: "The development would create an appropriate form of residential development in a sustainable location."
In terms of design and infrastructure, it added: "The scale, design and layout of the proposed dwellings would create appropriate, proportionate additions to the site and would provide suitable parking and private amenity space."
Previously, plans for housing on this parcel of land were turned down in 2022 and an appeal was dismissed the following year. , reports .
Planning officers claim that new documentation submitted with the revised application has addressed the concerns that led to the previous rejection. The public consultation garnered 227 responses, including input from prominent figures such as councillors Cat Eccles MP, Pete Lee, and Adam Davies, as well as former West Midlands mayor Andy Street and former Stourbridge MP Suzanne Webb.
Many objectors expressed concern about the potential loss of trees on the site. However, officers argue that the trees in question are juvenile and could be removed, provided that better specimens near the site boundary are protected.
Notable objector Chris Baines, an author, TV programme maker, and vice president of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, stated: "The established woodland plantation at Culverhouse Drive should be protected by a group Tree Preservation Order as a matter of urgency. "Its significance should be celebrated by Dudley, and any suggestion of built development taking its place should be rejected permanently. " Objectors also point out that the site is covered by a deed of dedication related to urban forest protection, but planners consider this a private legal matter for the landowner or developer.
Like this story? Why not sign up here for free to get the latest business news straight to your inbox.
