Heavy lorries will stop near Aldridge
A new access road to stop heavy lorries thundering past homes en-route to an Aldridge quarry will be built, putting an end to a 30-year battle by campaigners.
Families in Branton Hill Lane and Little Aston Road are celebrating, after the Government granted outline planning permission for the road.
Plans submitted by Bliss Sand & Gravel Ltd had been the subject of a planning inquiry in November last year, amid fears the sought-after access road would eat into green belt land.
The firm wants to build a new road from its quarry in Branton Hill Road to the A452 Chester Road, which would take lorries away from nearby homes for good.
Residents claim lorries were rumbling past their homes up to 200 times a day, bringing mud in wet weather and dust in the summer.
A report by Richard Watson, on behalf of the secretary of state for communities and local government Hazel Blears, ruled planning permission should be granted because of the "significant benefit" the access road would bring to residents.
It said: "In this particular case, the beneficial effects of the proposal amount to very special circumstances, and are of sufficient weight to clearly outweigh the harm to the green belt, and other harm."
Planning permission has also been granted for nine homes in Chester Road. Branton Hill Lane resident Valerie Moore and husband Alfred are relieved.
Grandmother Mrs Moore said: "We have been fighting for this for a long time."
Steve Morgan, joint owner of Bliss Sand and Gravel, added: "We're absolutely ecstatic. It's been a long time coming and we're very happy for the residents."
