Land plagued by fly-tippers could be turned into affordable homes for people in Brownhills

Walsall Housing Group (whg) wants to build 10 new properties on land off Castlefort Road and make them available for affordable rent and meet a need in the borough.

The provider said the area, which is behind existing houses, was previously used as a garage site but has been unused for some time with people now using it as a dumping ground.

If the application, currently being considered by Walsall Council planning officers, is given the go-ahead the homes will be built in five semi-detached pairs.

As part of a review, whg has identified more than 500 small sites that could be developed into affordable housing.

They said redeveloping this land would improve the safety and appearance of the area and will not overlook neighbouring homes or ‘overpower’ the site with its size and scale.

Agents Arcus Consulting said: “This application is proposed to have 10 new homes for affordable rent that will expand the number of affordable homes in the area, as part of the wider development of sites, providing much needed accommodation for the local community.

“The site was formally a garage site. Some years previously all garages were removed, and the site is now currently redundant and suffers significantly from local fly tipping.

“It is considered the proposals help meet the demand for affordable family homes identified for the area.

“The proposals ‘fit’ appropriately within the existing built context without detrimental impact on the amenity currently enjoyed by neighbouring properties.

“The proposals for the Castlefort Road Development have been informed by the site’s characteristics and surrounding context.

“People are attached to areas that they become familiar with, either through living in a locality or through frequent visits.

“It is essential that amenity spaces within the Castlefort Road development are accessible to existing as well as new users.

“The scheme will transform and underutilised ‘brownfield’ site and improve the appearance of the area.”