Plea to deny planning permission

The scheme to demolish garages and build the houses on land behind Marlborough Gardens, Wordsley, was given the go ahead by Dudley Council officers using delegated powers.

But objectors now hope councillors will overturn the plans at their first virtual meeting of the development committee.

Members of the committee are being asked to approve the officers’ decision taken after the coronavirus outbreak suspended normal council business.

Councillor Matt Rodgers, in a submission opposing the scheme, has said the scheme would lead to local people losing their privacy and add to traffic on already heavily congested roads.

And he warns: "This leads to dangerous and often illegal parking along the pavements and junction into the toad. This is especially dangerous at school drop off times. This affects the safety of pedestrian users, especially children and families walking to the primary school in the next road.

"The loss of garage parking would add to the already dangerous situation and increase the amount of car parking on the pavements."

Residents have also objected, listing over 20 reasons why the project should not go-ahead.

But asking councillors to approve their decision, planning officers have said: “The development would provide new housing to help meet the borough’s demand for new homes, and the proposed type, tenure, layout and design are appropriate for the area and can be accommodated without any significant adverse impact on existing residents, trees and ecology, on safety or traffic on the local highway network.

“The proposals would provide a high quality development, which is considered would make a positive contribution to the area and which constitutes sustainable development.”

The development committee will meet on May 26.