Controversial beauty spot car park plans to be 'considered carefully' after 100 objections

There have been more than 100 objections to Dudley Council’s application with residents fearing the car park at Netherton Park will destroy wildlife and be a magnet for anti-social behaviour.

Councillor Simon Phipps, Dudley Council cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, promised the application would be carefully considered by the planning committee.

Councillor Phipps said: “A planning application was received in September to create new car parking spaces at the park.

“This application is being dealt with in line with the required planning process and will be assessed in accordance with Dudley’s planning policies.

“The application will go before the planning committee later this year where elected members will make a decision.

“Local residents continue to have every opportunity to make further comments, whether supporting or objecting, on the proposal before a decision is made.”

Despite trees and hedges being destroyed during the construction of the car park and access road, Dudley Council’s tree protection officer John Greaves recommended the application be approved.

However, Mr Fraser insisted on several conditions be met if the application was successful.

He said: “The root protection areas of the retained trees will extend into the development site. It is considered appropriate to require adequate protection measures to ensure that the trees are not subject to inadvertent damage during the construction process.

“Any trees removed without such consent or dying or being seriously damaged or diseased during that period shall be replaced with healthy trees of such size and species.”

The Friends of Netherton Park have outlined their overwhelming opposition to a new car park and access road in raft of objections claiming 24 hour car park will cause “vandalism, drug dealing, loitering, indecent sexual activities, fly tipping and littering”.

The new car park and access road will cost £350,000 and the Friends also complained the unwanted application is a waste of taxpayers’ money.

The Friends' objection letter said: “We have many unanswered questions in relation to this development. What is the purpose of this car park and who is it for? We as a long-standing Friends group of the Park are bewildered as to why we were not consulted before.”

Leader of Dudley Labour group Netherton, Woodside and St Andrews Councillors Qadar Zada and Elaine Taylor both submitted objections.