Unique castle site blighted

It is very good news that Advantage West Midlands have given a cash injection of £5 million to transform Dudley's Castle Hill and Zoo. This area is not only the gateway to Dudley but its history goes back 420 million years, when the hill first formed.In the last thousand years the castle in one form or another has dominated the skyline of the town. During the Industrial Revolution large quantities of limestone were removed from the hill. The rare fossils found during this period became well known throughout the world.

In May 1937, not only did the zoo open to the public for the first time but the reinforced concrete buildings, known as the Tecton Buildings, were a revolution in modern architecture.

Over the last decade or so, the zoo has undergone a complete transformation and visitor figures have increased. So just in this 60-acre site history is very much at the forefront.

All the right ingredients are there to make this area a world class attraction in its own right. Promoted properly there is no reason why visitors from other parts of this country or abroad should not come to Dudley and visit these attractions, along with the nearby Black Country Living Museum and Canal Trust.

This is what we have to offer in the way in tourism. After all, it is really the only thing we have left at this moment to attract visitors to Dudley.

As part of the work, St Modwen Developments are having an input into the design of the area. Part of their plan is to build houses. These houses will be very visible to the visitors and will alter the iconic landscape.

In June 2005 Dudley Planning Committee gave outline planning permission for these houses to be constructed right in the heart of the development. This will be totally out of keeping with the rest of it. All the efforts in creating a unique visitor attraction will be blighted with modern houses, so spoiling our heritage.

Douglas T Davies, Duncroft Walk, Woodsetton.