Urban village plans to take step forward

Plans for new access junctions, a new road and groundworks as part of the £176 million Bilston Urban Village scheme have been recommended for approval.

But a petition of more than 90 names has been submitted to council chiefs against the plans, it has emerged.

Hundreds of homes will be created in the town and are earmarked for land next to the Black Country Route.

Plans for the next phase of work will go before council planning chiefs on Tuesday.

Officers recommend they should be approved subject to some conditions.

Under the plans, groundworks carried out, mineshafts treated and sewers and woodland management carried out on land between Coseley Road and the Midland Metro Line.

It also includes the creation of new access junctions off Coseley Road, Highfields Road and Dudley Street, as well as a new bus link to Dudley Street and a road linking Coseley Road to Highfields Road.

A report to planning chiefs says: "Six letters of objections and a petition of 91 signatories from 60 addresses have been received.

"The main objections are overlooking and loss of privacy, noise from construction, the position of the main link road affects residents by reason of increased traffic noise and additional through traffic."

In the report, written by planning officer Jenny Davies, it says the new roads are needed to cope with the influx of residents new homes would bring.

She says: "The new road junctions are necessary at Coseley Road and Highfields Road to deal with the future capacity of the road network.

"The proposed road through the site linking Coseley Road and Highfield Road appears as a through road but it is intended to serve the new development and future traffic generated by new housing."

In March this year, a public exhibition was put on show in Bilston to show the latest development plans, put forward by the Homes and Communities Agency.

Traders and residents were invited to give their views on the plans which have previously been hailed by council chiefs including regeneration chief Councillor Peter Bilson who has described the proposals as 'great news'.

The planning meeting will take place on Tuesday at 2pm at Wolverhampton Civic Centre.