Council set to approve Gornal homes plan despite residents' objections

Dudley Council has recommend the application for Summit Place, in Lower Gornal, for approval with certain conditions after objections from residents.

The applicant, A E Hawkins Management Ltd, is seeking to build five pairs of semi-detached three-bedroom houses, two detached four-bedroom houses and two bungalows.

The plot of land is currently grassland which is used to graze horses, said Gornal Councillor Anne Millward.

It is located between the The Bush Inn pub and an existing set of terraced homes.

Although now flat, the vacant plot of land used to house the Limerick which closed in 1999 and was demolished in 2002.

There have been numerous different planning applications to build homes on the site since 2000 when developers submitted plans to "demolish a public house and build 15 terraced homes", according to council documents.

In 2006, a new application was received to build 15 homes.

This latest application was submitted in October.

Congestion

The council has received seven objections from neighbouring properties over the plans.

Residents say the road is used as a "rat run" and this development will only "exacerbate existing parking, congestion and highway safety issues," planning documents say.

In a summary of residents' concerns, the report said: "The road is a ‘rat run’ and that traffic congestion regularly occurs with existing residents unable to access their own properties and emergency service vehicles cannot get through."

West Midlands Police has also raised concerns that "the area suffers a high rate of vehicle crime" and has asked for amendments to be made to address "concerns regarding the lack of natural surveillance", said the documents.

Dudley Council's planning committee has recommended the planning application for approval, subject to 25 conditions.

Among these are that no development should commence until details of the site access and parking arrangements have been submitted to the council and approved.

The land is not green belt and council bosses have prioritised building on urban and brownfield sites to address a new need for new homes in the Black Country.

The planning meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 22.