Homes plan to 'reinvigorate' site of former Walsall pub looks set to fail
Plans to build houses on the site of a former pub in Walsall are set to fail due to the ‘Cannock Chase Tax’.
PSK Pubs Ltd has put forward a proposal to build a total of five houses, along with parking and gardens, on the land which once housed The Sneyd on Vernon Way.
But members of Walsall Council’s planning committee are being recommended to refuse the proposal for a number of reasons including the negative impact it will have on the Green Belt.
The land also falls within the Cannock Chase Special Area Of Conservation (SAC) which requires developers to pay more than £250 per property to go towards the upkeep of the beauty spot.
This controversial levy was criticised by Walsall councillors who labelled it the Cannock Chase Tax.
A report to members, who will discuss the application at a meeting on Thursday said: “This application has failed to provide SAC mitigation payment and the proposal does not accord with local and national planning policies and guidance.
“The proposal represents inappropriate development in the Green Belt, fails to take account of the local distinctiveness and rural character of the area and the proposed built development would poorly relate to approved adjacent development in terms of scale, mass, design, density and layout.
“The proposal also fails to include details of the proposed funding, management, and maintenance of the Greenway.”
In the application, PSK said the building suffered fire damage some years ago and had become a hotbed for people dumping rubbish and committing anti-social behaviour before it was demolished.
There is already a development for three new houses being built on the pub’s former car park.
Agents JBVJ Architects said: “The remote and derelict nature of the site attracts vandalism given the secluded nature particularly to the rear of the site which backs onto private existing residential gardens.
“In essence the proposal seeks to reinvigorate what once was an attractive site, by providing a high quality residential development and associated landscape works that create a character site that is more in keeping with the locality of the land.
“We are confident that the approach has been carefully considered to ensure the site conforms to the Green Belt nature through appropriate built form, landscaping, pedestrian routes and security.”
