Sunday 30^th March

Halesowen North Councillors Tour Green Wedge

Halesowen North councillors Jeff Hill, Karen Shakespeare and Lesley Faulkner joined local residents for a tour of  Coombes Wood Green Wedge on what turned out to be a beautiful Spring Sunday afternoon. The party, followed by an inquisitive green woodpecker at one point, were treated to magnificent views across Clent and the Shropshire Hills and of the wedge itself including the 10,000 year old ancient forest along the Eastern edge. It was generally agreed that the tranquility and scenery of the Green Wedge are unique and priceless local assets.

Thanks to the unexpectedly superb weather it was a delightful afternoon with a serious purpose as the residents made clear their opposition to St Modwen’s recent proposal to relocate Coombs Wood Cricket and Social Club within the Green Wedge. Issues raised included:-

• Concerns that the developers are attempting to "plant a flag" for further residential developement which could lead to the complete loss of the Coombes Wood Green Wedge, and ultimately the merging of Halesowen Town with the Birmingham urban sprawl.
• Anger at the proposal to site a more than 400 member strong Social Club famed for its real ale awards yards from a residential area in open green space valued for it's unique tranquility.
• Fears for the safety of local children used to playing on the Coombes Wood fields due to what would be a massive increase in the volume of traffic from the proposed relocated Cricket Club. The club's financial viability would rely upon the hosting of constant fund raising events.
• Worries that inadequate access and a massive increase in the volume of traffic to and from the proposed relocated cricket club would lead to congestion and pollution.
•  Fears that unique wildlife habitat such as that currently enjoyed by protected larks at Coombes Wood would be buried and lost forever beneath the massive earthwork terrace proposed for the Coombes Wood Green Wedge hillside.
• Fury that the more than 100 year old Coombs Wood Cricket And Social Club has been brought to it's knees by owners St Modwens imposition of a short term lease policy on the existing site.
• Dismay at what under the proposals would be a serious loss of green open space where it is most needed in an urban built up area.
• Predictions of disruption to the tourist trade brought to Halesowen by the internationally known Monarch's Way long distance walking footpath and the Dudley No 2 Canal leisure waterway. Both of these popular leisure facilities could be threatened by changes to the local water table brought about by the proposed construction of a giant earthwork terrace on the Coombes Wood hillside.
• Warnings that the ill-thought out plan to site a massive earthwork terrace on a hillside with a known and recent history of subsidence problems could lead to the proposed relocated sports facilities becoming an eyesore white elephant within five years.