Praise as homes plan at Dudley tip site put on hold
Campaigners have praised the decision to put controversial plans for 100 homes on a former tip site on hold.
They say the delay gives them hope that the development will not go ahead.
Council bosses voted to defer the plans to build on the site in Bourne Street, Coseley, after concerns about a lack of information about the type of contamination on the site.
But a spokesperson for a residents group opposing the plans has expressed hope that the ‘right’ decision will be made.
Resident Margaret Holden, who has lived near Bourne Street for 50 years, said: “When the licence was given to tip, we knew very little about it.
“It kicked off in 1978 but they didn’t start to tip then. They started to tip a few years later.
“Our fear is, and it’s also shared by our local councillors, once they start to disturb this waste what risk is it going to pose to us as residents and also the poor souls who are going to try to buy the houses.
“The other thing is our schools are extremely full, they can’t be anymore full, the doctor’s surgeries can’t cope, the sewage system can’t cope and the roads locally are very narrow.
“We are afraid of what is going to happen to these people living on this site, the tipping has been horrendous.
“The deferral gives the residents that live surrounding this piece of land a little bit more hope that the right decision will be made.”
A document presented to Dudley’s planning committee last week stated an investigation of the site revealed the site could be redeveloped subject to remediation.
However, councillors decided to defer the Real Homes One Limited application to build up to 100 new homes.
A packed council house heard Councillor John Martin raise concerns.
He said: “I think members do require a basic level of assurance, I think it’s really important to know what type of contamination it is we’re talking about.”
The site was a former tip and quarry, which was was filled in over three decades – and completed in the 1980s.
Ahead of the decision a 527-strong petition from residents was also submitted against the plans along with 32 letters of objection.
The council says the housing developer must ensure 25 homes are ‘affordable’, and the developer must also pay £203,280, which will go towards ‘education’.
