CAMPAIGNERS battling plans to build 3,400 new homes by Redditch are appealing for concerned residents to attend the borough’s full council meeting this Monday, January 30 at the town hall.
The development, on land between Foxlydiate and Bentley and stretching along the Bromsgrove Highway, is part of the Borough of Redditch Local Plan which is on the agenda to be formally ‘adopted’ by the council.
Members of Webheath Action Group (WAG) and Bentley Area Action Group (BAAG) have long argued that, rather than being built on pristine Greenbelt farming land with poor infrastructure, it should go to Bordesley, which is nearer the town’s main employment zones.
On Wednesday night (January 26) the plan was approved by Bromsgrove district council – Bentley village comes under that authority – and on Monday it goes before Redditch councillors.
Local resident David Rose, chairman of WAG, said developers were making such a mess of the 200 house development in Church Road he shuddered to think what would happen once they started on 3,400 new homes.
“One of our residents nearly had a head-on collision due to the lorries parked on Church Road. There is mud and mess everywhere and no one, whether planners at the council or developers Taylor Wimpey seem willing to take responsiblity for it,” he said.
Residents have catalogued 20 complaints against the developers, including piling outside designated hours, noise, mud and arriving during the school run.
Mr Rose said only county councillor Robin Lunn (Lab, Redditch North) was fighting their corner adding: “This is the first test of them managing the construction (if they adopt the plan on Monday) of thousands of houses surrounding Webheath and they have failed miserably … the Council is shirking it’s responsibility.”
A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said: “We’ve been made aware of an instance where a delivery by one of our contractor’s suppliers was not made in accordance with pre-agreed instructions. We immediately dealt with this and have reminded our suppliers of their obligation to adhere to the delivery procedures and construction routes.
“As agreed we regularly inspect the site roads to prevent materials spilling on to the public highway and road sweeping is currently being undertaken on a daily basis.”
