Planning – In the early part of the year I had asked the Planning enforcement officer to keep an eye on the growth of a hedge shielding the allotments from Linthouse Lane. The Hedge grows wild and in the dark nights the twigs rake pedestrian’s faces causing scratches and taking spectacles off. I also dealt with issues relating to tree preservation orders. Also there had been a number of requests made to Walsall by residents to trim trees that are in the ownership of Walsall but affect properties in Snape and Simmons Road.
- In April I raised the poor condition of the fence in Chilworth Avenue which protects the public from land and the Wyrley & Essington canal. Sadly despite many attempts to get this matter resolved, to this date it hasn’t been. The latest response I have had states “we still have no traceable owner; we are working on it however and I will update you as soon as I can. In reality we need someone we can prosecute rather than putting a charge on the land”. For me this is a planning issue that is far from over.
- Also in April Hodson Close – restrictions on cycles and motorcycles in the shape of barriers and Bollards constructed
- April – I also wrote to Wolverhampton Homes about vacant land in Barnard road. Only to find that the land is not in public ownership but has been sold to a Care Home company in 2006. I requested that the fence be made safe and the land be tidied up- The private owners complied with the request.
- June – Controversy raised its head when the owners of the land in which the Ashmore Inn stands, applied to build a Co-operative Superstore, this has been opposed by some. But planning Committee has agreed to its construction. There are some issues outstanding I believe, but a new store looks likely to grace Ashmore Park this time next year.
- July brought a new Fish & Chip shop to the Top Shops, there were few objections to the shop, and Planning gave the permissions.
- October – An Archeological dig took place at the site of the former Danesmore School with a view to locating a tramway that moved coal in the 1800’s. The desk-based assessment identified a late 19th century tramway that linked the pits of the Ashmore Park Collieries with the Wyrley and Essington Canal, extant until the mid-20th century, and possibly surviving as a buried structure within the site. This former tramway does not form a major constraint upon any future development but since collieries and their associated tramways form a significant component of the historic character of Wolverhampton and the Black Country it is recommended that an archaeological evaluation is conducted to confirm the presence/absence, nature, date, and extent of any archaeological features, structures and deposits on the site.
Here below in table form is a list of Planning Permissions sought during last year and this year…
| Land adjacent to 163 Linthouse Lane (1 house – completed) |
| Former Garage Site To Rear Of 19 And 21 Phillips Avenue * (4 bungalows – full permission) AM |
| Garage site to rear of 2 to 6 Wolmer Road * (1 dwelling – outline permission) |
| Garage Site to rear of 30 to 36 Bargery Road * (1 bungalow – outline permission) |
| Linthouse Inn, Linthouse Lane (12 houses – completed) AM |
| Land Adjacent To 5 Parker Road * (1 house – completed) AM |
| 82 Lower Prestwood Road (2 bedsits – completed) |
- December – Additionally there is an application into buy the former Community Association building in Griffith Drive, as at time of writing this- The sale has not been completed, and the owners are not going public.
- December The Former Library on the other hand has been leased to an organisation that plans to convert it into a private Nursery School.
If you do have any Planning issues your Councillors hold regular Advice Surgeries and you are invited to attend……
