Developers in bid to delay Darlaston homes scheme

The transformation of Darlaston wasteland into an estate of more than 300 homes is to remain on hold - more than two years after receiving the go-ahead by council planners.

Extra time to carry out the work has been requested by the consultants behind the scheme between Moxley Road and Heathfield Lane West.

The project was due to kickstart the regeneration of the 50-acre site of the former AP (UK) factory and land next to Moxley Tip. Walsall Council planning chiefs approved an application for 304 homes in 2008.

Now, a request has been submitted by Renwick Consultants Ltd to allow more time to carry out any work.

Darlaston councillor Paul Bott said they were still waiting for the transformation to get under way.

"We thought once the plans were submitted and approved it would start to go ahead," he said.

"The area desperately needs it as there is a shortage of housing. The site is just fly-tipped and overgrown."

Councillors on the planning committee had originally refused to consider the plans.

They said there was a lack of detail provided in the application and they had not been given enough time to look through a lengthy supplementary paper submitted just before their meeting.

A previous bid for 324 homes on the site was also rejected in 2008 due to concerns including the layout of the residential scheme.

The creation of three warehouses and an office block, creating 80 jobs, on the Moxley Tip site were approved earlier this year.

But objections were received from Natural England over the possible impact on protected species such as great crested newts.

A total of 18 emails and letters, one signed by 18 people, were lodged with concerns on noise, traffic and loss of open space.

But councillors gave their backing to the scheme anyway.