Walsall care facility plan for vulnerable people is thrown out

Despite officers backing the scheme, members of Walsall Council’s planning committee refused permission for Keystone Homes to convert the former Black Country Saddlery building on Wednesbury Road into 11 apartments – which would have been an assisted living facility run by Aspire CIC.

The proposal sparked strong opposition from residents, businesses and nearby places of worship with more than 140 objections being lodged and two petitions put forward.

Palfrey ward councillor Sabina Ditta called in the application on the grounds the proposal would have insufficient parking, lack of details around waste, lack of privacy in neighbouring properties and fear of crime.

In a report to the committee, officers said there had been no objections from the police or other statutory bodies such as highways and housing standards bodies.

But chairman Mike Bird said three of the 11 apartments would be substandard and he raised concerns about putting vulnerable people in the properties.

He also said the area suffered from a high level of crime and cited issues such as impact on highways and a lack of parking and moved to reject it.

Bishop Dr Desmond Jaddoo MBE, presiding bishop of the neighbouring Village Fellowship church, said: “We all have issues regarding this. Fly-tipping, no rubbish strategy from them.

“Anti-social behaviour is rife in the area and it would only explode. Aspire CIC are not the best managing agents. I have made enquiries through an MP in Birmingham and Aspire have told me they are no longer interested in managing this site.

“When you go to Handsworth and Lozells at other sites they manage, the police are there literally everyday. That concerns me because I have 15 children that attend my church and when the evenings get brighter they will be coming for evening activities.

“The residents are concerned about the plight of their children should the wrong people be housed at these premises.

“The issue of criminality, safeguarding and that waste management strategy – is it a case of 11 wheelie bins?”

Agent Gulraiz Siddique said Aspire were still going to be running the facility, as far as he was aware.

He said: “We reduced the number of apartments from 17 down to 11 through negotiation. We’ve ticked all the boxes with environmental services, transportation, with Severn Trent.

“There are 11 individual units being created which are looked after by 24 hour surveillance, full CCTV and the police have ticked the box as well and said they are happy with the information provided.

“We respect how the community is but the requirements have been met in accordance with national and local planning policies and we feel there is no reason why this application should not be approved.”

Councillor Bird said: “These are vulnerable people and we’re going to put them in substandard accommodation. Three out of the 11 flats do not comply with our regulations.

“That says to me we should not be approving it. They’ve already probably had a bad throw of the dice in life and all we are doing is making it worse.

“I know this area very well and I could never park when I went there. It’s right by the traffic light junction as well.

“Quite genuinely I think this is the worst application I’ve seen in my life. If I had a child who was in need of supported accommodation, would I put them here? The answer is no I would not.”