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What Can I Do?
Current Situation as of September 08
St Modwen's application to develop Coombs Wood Cricket Club and Coombeswood Green Wedge was officially registered with Dudley MBC on September 11th 2008. This means that the process has now entered it's final stage, and that further objection letters should now be sent to Dudley MBC planning, NOT to the Halesowen North Cllrs. The target deadline for letters is 13th October 2008.
IMPORTANT! Please note that even if you have already written a protest letter to the councillors, you should now write a second letter to the Planning Dept to ensure maximum effect. Letters should be sent to:-
Planning Help Desk
Planning and Environmental Health
Directorate of the Urban Environment
3 St James's Road
Dudley
West Midlands
DY1 1HZ
Each letter should quote the planning application reference number and the address to which the application relates:-
Application ref no: PO8/1373
Address: Land off Stewarts Road, Coombs Road and
Olive Hill Primary School, Halesowen, West Midlands
Content Of The Letter
Note that the final submitted plans are virtually identical to the proposal plans first revealed last February. Planning objection letters should only be concerned with the following planning matters – anything extra will be not be taken into account:-
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Planning regulations (Unitary Development Plan or UDP).
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Site considerations, i.e. levels of the land, contamination, flooding, trees, boundaries etc
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Visual appearance, i.e. materials, height, scale, massing, design, density and layout in relation to surroundings.
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Relationships to neighbouring properties e.g. overlooking/overshadowing problems, noise/smell/fumes/glare or parking/access considerations.
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Impact on listed buildings or conservation areas, archaeology or natural conservation.
Useful To Quote
The following extracts from the council Unitary Development Plan may be useful to quote in objection letter arguments. The strongest objection letters will argue amost exclusively in terms of these regulations:-
Dudley UDP LR1 Open Space (applies to existing site of Coombs Wood Cricket Club)
Proposals for development will be resisted if they would result in the loss of open space, which is defined as land with or without public access, in private or public ownership, taking into account its value for the following reasons:-
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It is an important component of local distinctiveness
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It enhances visual amenity
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It provides a facility for informal recreation, formal sporting recreation or children's play.
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It provides a necessary buffer zone between incompatible uses.
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It is within an area deficient in open space
Development may only be allowed in the following exceptional circumstances if:-
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It is for recreational or community use in keeping with the use of the open space.
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It results in the improvement of open space provision.
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Alternative provision of the same or better quality and quantity is provided in the proximity.
Dudley UDP LR8 New Leisure Facilities (Green Wedge)
All proposals for new leisure facilities will be considered on the basis of:
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compatibility with nearby uses;
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scale and nature of the development
Dudley UDP NC4 Local Nature Reserves and Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (Green Wedge)
Development likely to have an adverse effect on a Local Nature Reserve or a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation will not be permitted unless it can be clearly demonstrated that there are reasons for the proposal which outweigh the need to safeguard the substantive nature conservation value of the site or feature.
UDP NC5 Sites Of Local Importance For Nature Conservation (Green Wedge)
Within the network of Sites of Local Importance for Nature Conservation identified on the Proposals Map the Council will seek to maintain and where possible enhance the quality, amount and distribution of the key habitat types and features.
Development within areas identified as part of the Sites of Local Importance for Nature Conservation will be required to protect areas of high ecological value in the design and layout of the proposal. Measures to protect the integrity of corridor and linear features will be required.owe
Dudley UDP S01 Green Belt (Green Wedge)
The puposes of including land in Green Belts are:-
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To check unrestricted sprawl of large built up areas;
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T prevent neighbouring towns from merging into one another;
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To assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;
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To preserve the setting and character of historic towns.
Within the Green Belt development will not be permitted except in very special circumstances unless for:
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agricultural or forestry use;
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essential facilities for outdoor sport and recreation, for cemeteries, for uses which preserve the openness of the Green Belt and do not conflict with the purposes of the Green Belt.
Dudley UDP : HE2 Landscape Heritage Areas (Green Wedge)
Within Landscape Heritage Areas, the Council will resist any development, or other works taking place, which would be detrimental to the character, quality and historic integrity of the landscape.
The council will seek to protect and enhance views into, from or within Landscape Heritage Areas. Approval will not be given where such views would be unduly interrupted or harmed, or where the opportunity to enhance such a view would be lost.
Dudley UDP: Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINCS) (Green Wedge)
The Borough's wildlife relies not only on the sites covered by the preceding policies but also on the wider habitat network within which they are found. The overall value of this network must be maintained and enhanced in order to provide vital support for the wider abundance and diversity of wildlife, and for the implementation of the Biodiversity Action Plan process. The following habitat types are particularly significant:- Hedgerows, Woodland, Grassland, Heathland, Open water and wetland, Linear features providing potential for use by wildlife such as railways, canals, river and stream corridors, green lanes and tree belts.
The grouping and proximity to each other of any of these habitats provide important nature conservation features in their own right and it is important not to isolate any particular area where this would be detrimental to that habitat mix.
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