More than 1,000 homes and 20 traveller pitches on way in South Staffordshire

South Staffordshire Council has earmarked land in Bilbrook, Brewood, Cheslyn Hay, Codsall, Coven, Featherstone, Great Wyrley, Kinver, Swindon, Wheaton Aston and Wombourne for the new 1,070 homes.

On top of this, 20 new pitches will be added to existing traveller sites in Brewood, Cheslyn Hay, Coven, Coven Heath, Essington, Hatherton and Wombourne.

The plans have been unveiled in the council's latest site allocation document, which was released to the public yesterday.

The council announced in 2014 that it needed to build more than 1,000 new homes in the region and consultation has been ongoing.

The final proposals are still out for public consultation until the end of February.

Codsall is the area where the biggest number of homes have been earmarked for with 230 in total.

This includes 160 on land at Watery Lane, 50 on land at Keepers Lane and 20 on land at the former adult training centre on Histons Hill.

A total of 102 homes are planned for land in Bilbrook off Pendeford Mill Lane.

Councillor Matt Ewart, who represents Codsall, said the village had been 'signposted for development' because of the services that are already in place.

He said: "This is one of these difficult areas as we know more homes need to be built, that is Government policy.

"To find appropriate sites a sophisticated process was then put in place and outsourced.

"What we have now are the identified sites and unless a legal challenge is brought forward these sites will be built on.

"For Codsall my personal opinion is that there is another site that would have been more suitable for homes.

"Due to having schools, shop and pharmacies, Codsall is able to sustain new homes because we have the services.

"We have been signposted for development and we need to accept that new sites for Codsall are valid. But that is not to say residents are happy about it or want to see it happen."

Perton is due to see the single biggest development with 163 homes earmarked for land west of Wrottesley Park Road.

Further south in Kinver, residents have raised objections against one of the sites that has been earmarked, which would be on green belt land.

Planners want to build 30 homes on land off Hyde Lane and 30 homes off land south of White Hill. It is the latter that is contentious for residents.

Speaking about the White Hill site Councillor Henry Williams said: "One of the sites behind Hyde Lane will not have much impact on Kinver at all, but the other site off White Hill is green belt land.

"It is going to create a lot of extra traffic going through Potters Cross. It is one of them that looks fine on paper until you are stuck in a long queue of traffic trying to get out of the village. There is two big schools in the area and any extra traffic will cause problems for pedestrians.

"This site was not a preferred site by the residents of Kinver and I still believe there is more arguments against it than for it."

Wombourne has been earmarked for 179 homes, including 80 on land north of Beggars Bush Lane.

Councillor Alan Hinton said: "I looked at all three proposals for the sites going back well before Christmas and as far as I could see they would be very difficult to object to."

Proposals have also been put forward to make one temporary traveller pitch permanent on Poolhouse Road and add another pitch to the site.

Coven and Coven Heath are set to see the majority of extra traveller pitches, with proposals put forward to add pitches to sites in Granary Cottage, The Spinney, Brinsford Bridge, Horden Lodge and Glenside.

A total of 40 homes have also been earmarked for land west of School Lane.

In Brewood a traveller site at The Bungalow has been proposed to be extended by two, with 53 new homes on the way to land off Engleton Lane.

Brewood and Coven councillor Diane Holmes said: "The Engleton Lane site in Brewood did not have any major objections when it was out for public consultation.

"There were of course objections here and there but the majority came down in favour of this site."

According to Essington councillor David Clifft, the village is 'quite happy' with proposals for two traveller sites to be extended as original proposals included plans for three brand new sites.

These sites are The Stables on Old Landywood Lane and Brickyard Cottage.

Other traveller sites to be extended are High House and New Stables in Hatherton and Hospital Lane in Cheslyn Hay.

A total of 10 and 15 homes have been earmarked for Swindon and Wheaton Aston respectively while 158 are on the way to Cheslyn Hay and Great Wyrley. Featherstone would get just 60 at Brinsford Lodge.